sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information What do customers hate about their current phones?

NY - you're too right!

Dude: huh? PS, is your signature line from "Hoodwinked"?

Sounds like the consensus is that customers just want something new - doesn't really matter why.

"let's went' Toner, that's what Pancho used to say when it was time to depart the area.

OOOH, Cisco! Oh, Pancho!

I will post in this one as well.

Lack of documentation - trying to find a user guide for our systems was damn near impossible. Original vendor would not provide without additional cost. I thought manuals were included in the purchase price!

Difficulty in obtaining administration software. Same as the manuals it was a pain.

Dis-jointed administration - 2 software packages to admin the same system is sort of silly i.e. system and voicemail system. I hated the fact that I had to keep an ancient laptop in working condition to admin our voicemail system.

In our case, we had 3 Toshibas, and 2 Nortels spread all over the place. We had no idea the Toshibas would have actually worked together if we programmed them to do so. We only found this out when our original vendor came in to quote on our new system.

We also just plain outgrew our current setups, the capabilities we needed would have required an upgrade to the current systems. (Except the CIX40 it could have worked out in a remote spot)

But over all it was just the PITA to administer the separate systems when users moved locations!

How about one from a vendor- customers who expect us to educate them with all our knowledge on how to administer a system. We only provide user documentation. User documentation means information for the people who use the phones about how to make calls, etc. We absolutely discourage giving customers tech level documentation and software because they have no idea how to use it. It takes years for us to reach a level of competancy where we can administer and troubleshoot a system, you're not going to get that out of a book.

But of course now you IT types have your VoIP systems that are just made for you. So have at it.

-Hal

Understood - but when its a request so I can move extensions around, or administer voice mail I cannot see where that is an issue. Of course I am mostly likely not your typical user!

I can completely understand not wanting to give full access to a system as I have learned first hand that its real easy to wipe a system when setting things up (I forgot to pull an onboard battery strap!) but I cannot see the issue with training an onsite person in basic admin stuff.

Of course that's if the system offers it in the first place.

And yes us IT types now have VOIP systems that we can screw up

As part of our new Cisco system, my boss and I got basic admin training. As Keep said, mainly adding users, voicemail, things Iike that. I don't need CLI access to the voice router, not do I desire it.

Understood - but when its a request so I can move extensions around, or administer voice mail I cannot see where that is an issue.

Fair enough. We have no problem with administering VM, there should be someone in the office who can do that and we do provide cheat sheets for it. As far as moves, with anything we have, that requires physically moving jumpers on a cross connect. Most customers of ours, being very small don't require moves very often and they are happy to pay us to do it should it be required. But if it was a frequent thing we would show someone how to do it but in my experience that person always seems to move on and the cross connect winds up looking like a disaster.

-Hal

For customers that require moves frequently,........... that is the beauty of IP to the desktop. Avaya IP Office that is.

Mike, you're giving me a headache. :rolleyes:

-Hal

LOL @ Hal!

Come on Hal, do you think the world is going to wake up one morning and say "This IP craz just isn't going anywhere, let's go back to 1A2's, Merlins and Partners"?

IP isn't for every customer, but will go on to say that a properly installed IP system has the same up time as a TDM.

Take you a couple of aspirin and go to bed early...................