This is a long one. Settle in.
I have never been more frustrated with a website than I am with AT&T’s monstrosity.
Since I currently use Vonage — which doesn’t offer call blocking, has pretty bad call quality over my DSL, and is operating under patent infringements — I figured it was time to switch to the Plain Old Telephone System.
I already spent an hour trying to get a line on the AT&T website, trying every permutation of clicks and options to get the simple phone line I wanted. I gave up, but a few hours later decided to try again.
This time, I’m documenting the insanity. So, come along with me as I try to get a phone line using AT&T’s website.
From the home page, I choose “Residential.”
I am presented with five different options for Voice service:
- Order new/move phone service
- Switch to AT&T
- Shop for phone features
- View long distance plans
- No installation charge offer
I’ll choose “No installation charge” (it turns out that this makes no difference).
I’m presented with three boxes.
- Customize your new home phone service [Order Now]
- Complete Choice [Learn more] [Order Now]
- All Distance Online Select [Learn More] [Order Now]
Now it gets weird. If I choose “Order Now” for the All Distance Online Select package, it then walks me through the ordering process and asks what kind of service I want… and in the end doesn’t result in the All Distance package. And then I can’t remove the services from my cart. So, let’s click “Learn More.”
Okay. It brings up more information about All Distance Online Select, with a simple button that says “Add to Cart.” I’m feeling good, like I finally am getting somewhere after an hour of trying to order a phone line.
Oh, wait. When I clicked “Add to Cart,” it displays my cart… which says “No products in cart” and yet has a total monthly price of $40.00 and a one-time charge of $7.50. Well, I’ll click “Begin Checkout” to see what happens.
Except that the “Begin Checkout” button isn’t clickable.
I’ll click “Order All Distance Online Select” from the list of additional services below that.
I’m back to the page with “Add to Cart.” So I’ll click it.
Well, now I get an error saying “We’re sorry, but AT&T All Distance Online Select(SM) is not available for Line 1.” My only option is to click “Continue Shopping.”
It bring me back to the same “Add to Cart” page. It’s worth noting at this point that there is no link anywhere in the site that I can find to take me to my shopping cart.
Well, I’m stuck now. My only option is to keep going in a loop. So, I will click “Log Out” at the top.
“Are you sure? If you log out, the items in your shopping cart will be removed.” Hmm. Let me try clicking “Continue with Order” to see what happens.
D’oh! “Due to technical problems, we are unable to process your order online at this time… Return to the AT&T Home Page.”
So, from the home page, let’s start again. Click “Residential.” Then “Order new/move phone service.”
Under “All Distance Online Select,” I’ll choose “Order Now.”
Oops! “Due to technical problems, we are unable to process your order online at this time.”
If I go back into “All Distance” and use the “Learn More” button, this time I get the All Distance “Add to Cart” page, but it also shows my cart at the top of the page. Now there is nothing in it and no prices. So, let’s try again, shall we? Click “Add to Cart.”
No dice. “Due to technical problems, we are unable to process your order online at this time.” Obviously, I’ve brought the system down by trying to buy a phone line.
I wish I had journaled the hour I spent in this system earlier today, giving personal information and being presented with lists of features and options — including one for Message Rate Service that charges per minute for calls, but doesn’t tell you how much that charge is. I was never actually able to get the “All Distance” service into my cart so I could order it.
Folks, AT&T wants us to think of it as one of the leaders of the high tech world, as a “flagship American communications company committed to driving convergence, continued innovation and competition in the communications and entertainment marketplace.” They claim that the new AT&T is better able to “deliver innovative integrated services, streamlined customer care and greater convenience in buying communications and entertainment services, as the combined company integrates its wireless and wireline Internet Protocol (IP) networks.”
So, what is their excuse for a confusing mess of a website that not only doesn’t manage to work well enough to actually sell their product, but that is also slow as molasses?
As much as I hate to defend corporations, the error message you were getting sounds an awful lot like what we have had here at my job the last two weekends. Our system was completely down, and it took about 48 or so hours to diagnose and repair the problem. Perhaps something similar is happening here. However, as I was writing this, I remembered that we also put up a notice on our web pages, so it seems that your point is still valid
.
Q- So, what is their excuse for a confusing mess of a website that not only doesn’t manage to work well enough to actually sell their product, but that is also slow as molasses?
A- Because web designers, these days, need job security.
p.s. Why bother with land line anyway? Cell service shotty in your area?
Cell service? Ah, here’s another AT&T quandry.
When I first moved to my little house, I got great signal. But soon, it dropped down to 1 bar and stayed there. So with both my Vonage and Cingular/AT&T phones, people sound like R2D2 speaking underwater.