mojoputter
Technical User
Heads up for the self-maintenance Avaya customers, Avaya's making some changes that will hit you in the pocket book.
Take a look at these,
Take a look at these,
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- Thread starter mojoputter
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Not really a big deal. Just call a business partner for less money, less hassle, less rules plus support for all releases/versions.
Avaya pushed away most of it's maintenance customers many years ago. The new policy is just there to help out the rest that didn't get the hint.
-CL
Avaya pushed away most of it's maintenance customers many years ago. The new policy is just there to help out the rest that didn't get the hint.
-CL
mikeydidit
IS-IT--Management
I think you are right lopes1211. This is just to get the little guys to join in. The small/older systems that fly under the radar so to speak. I would guess that most of us on here have larger systems/multiple systems and have to some sort of maintenance for our MSP's.
Just for grins, i did send one of those links to a guy i know at Avaya to see if this affects our maintenance assist program. Hopefully it doesn't. I'll post when i hear back from him.
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
Just for grins, i did send one of those links to a guy i know at Avaya to see if this affects our maintenance assist program. Hopefully it doesn't. I'll post when i hear back from him.
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
lopes1211: The problem is that sometimes a BP needs to call Avaya for something. There are some problems that must be fixed with Linux root user privileges for instance which a BP does not have. Usually we eat the per hour support cost of this because of the maintenance contract with the customer. Now, the BP must pass on some of their support money to Avaya in order to still have the ability to call Avaya at all.
Mugsiensedgwick
Technical User
Well I agree with you geek, I'm kind of a newby and still have zero training, but I get along fairly well because of training on various C. O. switchs AND you guys.
Thanks,
Randy
Thanks,
Randy
mikeydidit
IS-IT--Management
Thats how i felt going from "0" maintenance agreement to maintenance assist. I was forced to or loose my MSP's. I had to make meetings at the rape crisis center after that bill.
Guys look through the FAQ's at the top if you need a maintenance with Avaya. Some how/ and what to do's are in there. And again, I'll post if this affects maintenance assist.
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
Mugsiensedgwick
Technical User
I am thinking my company will send me to some training soon and we are preparing to upgrade our switch. When those things happen we will probably get a mimimum service agreement of some sort for a year and then after that, wing it.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
- Thread starter
- #11
mojoputter
Technical User
Working for a BP, if we have to call Avaya after July 1st that call will cost our customer big money, a few thousand dollars. I have a feeling Avaya is shooting themselves in the foot and after they see alot of there existing customers going elsewhere for there phone systems, they'll regret there changes, I just hope they see it before its too late.
They don't care, The Vulture Capitiliasts want to make more money. Many will not upgrade their switches and will move to CISCO call mangler, the pendulum swings back and forth, but they are causing this loss of customers themselves.
Mitch
AVAYA Certified Expert
Mitch
AVAYA Certified Expert
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I spoke with my BP account manager about this. Guess it's gotten really bad over at Avaya since I was laid off in Sept 2008.
I told my BP that this was Avaya's new Vampire Fee. They’ve lost most of their maintenance customers due to (insert inept business decision). Now they have to resort to kickbacks from BPs to keep them going. Sounds like Silver Lake and Texas Pacific Group put a bunch of politicians in certain positions over at Avaya.
And this zero help policy to non-maintenance customers is stupid. I remember being sent out on tickets to non-maintenance customers and the customer being billed much more than a year’s maintenance contract for the service call and parts.
I told my BP that this was Avaya's new Vampire Fee. They’ve lost most of their maintenance customers due to (insert inept business decision). Now they have to resort to kickbacks from BPs to keep them going. Sounds like Silver Lake and Texas Pacific Group put a bunch of politicians in certain positions over at Avaya.
And this zero help policy to non-maintenance customers is stupid. I remember being sent out on tickets to non-maintenance customers and the customer being billed much more than a year’s maintenance contract for the service call and parts.
What's the deal with Nortel customers are they going to get the rug pulled out from under them too?
I've spoken to Avaya support people an few times and almost every call is going to Argentina now. So your not really losing that much since support is terrible now.
I've spoken to Avaya support people an few times and almost every call is going to Argentina now. So your not really losing that much since support is terrible now.
mikeydidit
IS-IT--Management
From what i read in the initial post, it doesn't effect Nortel customers (Yet). I think they are going to see how this rolls out first.
As far as support going to foreign countries, it has (like most of the big guys) been this way for a while. Any country you can pay Tier 3 $6.00 an hour is where its going to.
I still (vaguely) remember when good service was part of buying their product. But that was back in the AT&T and early Lucent days. Apparently, long gone..
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
As far as support going to foreign countries, it has (like most of the big guys) been this way for a while. Any country you can pay Tier 3 $6.00 an hour is where its going to.
I still (vaguely) remember when good service was part of buying their product. But that was back in the AT&T and early Lucent days. Apparently, long gone..
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
Mugsiensedgwick
Technical User
As for me, I can't go to another vendor right now because of a 50% analog situation, but if technology advances in that area, Avaya probably won't get a chance at my business. I'm flat out mad about this.
mikeydidit
IS-IT--Management
I spoke with one of my contacts at Avaya yesterday. I was told that this is really only going to effect those who do not have a maintenance agreement. Even the maintenance assist program will cover you.
Like PBX tech said also, i think they are cutting their self's out of a lot of potential for extra revenue. I called the other day for a patch and i was told remote support was $600.00 per hour. I cant imagine what a tech dispatch would cost these days. It used to be something like $350.00 to show up and $250.00 per hour after that. That was not after hours calls.
Also like Mitch mentioned, it's a shame to see what was a great company through the years, be handled by a investment group. They haven't a clue about telecommunications, just money. Even in the AT&T days it wasn't cheap to have maintenance but you somewhat felt comfortable with the level of support you had. That made the money a little easier to give up.
Now it's John from ??? who knows where and it takes twice to get him to spell Mike Jones correctly?? WOW that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy for technical support doesn't it?
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
Like PBX tech said also, i think they are cutting their self's out of a lot of potential for extra revenue. I called the other day for a patch and i was told remote support was $600.00 per hour. I cant imagine what a tech dispatch would cost these days. It used to be something like $350.00 to show up and $250.00 per hour after that. That was not after hours calls.
Also like Mitch mentioned, it's a shame to see what was a great company through the years, be handled by a investment group. They haven't a clue about telecommunications, just money. Even in the AT&T days it wasn't cheap to have maintenance but you somewhat felt comfortable with the level of support you had. That made the money a little easier to give up.
Now it's John from ??? who knows where and it takes twice to get him to spell Mike Jones correctly?? WOW that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy for technical support doesn't it?
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
I remember when the support center in Pune, India came online. Avaya didn't even announce it internally in the USA. We had to find out about it via word of mouth and then do a google search to locate any information about it. We (techs) and US customers were then told we wouldn't be routed there for help. Then it gradually started. 'They' were able to pick tickets out that 'they' could work remotely only (no calls to US customers or US techs). Next thing you know, I called and didn't get the T2 folks in convergence (R. Mag [now T3, if he's still even there] and the bunch) in Denver. I got Acknaud in Pune. Then I was informed by a FAST Eng that they do 95% of the CM application development 'over there' and bring it back to the States to clean it up a bit.
It’s all based on greed anyway now at Avaya. There’s no more stock market or share holders that Silver Lake and Avaya have to worry about. 'How can Avaya maximize profits from everywhere?' is what the folks at Silver Lake talk about. But that's no different that every other company at this point.
I guess it boils down to customer service. Avaya doesn't have it anymore or didn't want it. so they ran all the customers off (voluntary or involuntary) to BPs. now they see their cash flow dwindling away and all customers of BPs now have to pay a Vampire Fee to Avaya via the BP we were pushed to or chose outright.
I’ll be this honest. When I wanted to talk to Avaya, I was literally shoved to a BP when I called. so why does Avaya think I want to specifically talk to Avaya now that the BP employs all the people that I knew from Avaya?
I remember when the new company name was introduced. It took some 30+ year tech just minutes to come up with what Avaya stood for. And I think it sums it up quite nicely with this Vampire Fee.
Avaya: Apply Vaseline Around Your A****le
And I bid you good day.
It’s all based on greed anyway now at Avaya. There’s no more stock market or share holders that Silver Lake and Avaya have to worry about. 'How can Avaya maximize profits from everywhere?' is what the folks at Silver Lake talk about. But that's no different that every other company at this point.
I guess it boils down to customer service. Avaya doesn't have it anymore or didn't want it. so they ran all the customers off (voluntary or involuntary) to BPs. now they see their cash flow dwindling away and all customers of BPs now have to pay a Vampire Fee to Avaya via the BP we were pushed to or chose outright.
I’ll be this honest. When I wanted to talk to Avaya, I was literally shoved to a BP when I called. so why does Avaya think I want to specifically talk to Avaya now that the BP employs all the people that I knew from Avaya?
I remember when the new company name was introduced. It took some 30+ year tech just minutes to come up with what Avaya stood for. And I think it sums it up quite nicely with this Vampire Fee.
Avaya: Apply Vaseline Around Your A****le
And I bid you good day.
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