topic Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why? in Broadband

2 weeks for activation? Why?

Skyisgreen — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 16:25:51 GMT

Why does activation take so long? I don't need any work done to my lines. I don't get why it would take 2 weeks.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Baldrick1 — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 17:16:45 GMT

Welcome to the forum.

You may not need any work doing at your home but work will need to be done at the exchange. Consequently you have to wait until Openreach have a technician available to do this.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Skyisgreen — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 17:51:10 GMT

Well my phone line was activated hours after I placed my order. I don't get why the work on broadband would be so much slower in comparison.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Optimatts — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 06:51:27 GMT

Hi there @Skyisgreen,

From looking at your order I can see it was placed on 31/07/19 and your phone seems to have been active the very same day as you mentioned above. This method is called a start of stopped line and has a relatively quick turnaround and is effectively done at the push of a button.

However the broadband order still needs to follow the standard 4-7 working day lead time. This lead time is based on availability however, we always request the soonest possible date. As you can imagine, it's in our best interest to get you online as soon as possible.

I can see your broadband order is scheduled for completion on 06/08/19 any time up until midnight that evening. Only a week after the order was placed and still within SLA.

Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Skyisgreen — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 10:44:23 GMT

Well my broadband line is now active. I'd appreciate if you could push the buttons at your end to activate it.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Optimatts — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 11:20:32 GMT

Hi there @Skyisgreen,

As I said above, your phone line may be active and usable but the order for your broadband is still processing on the supplier side.

I'm afraid that there isn't an override process for this and we have to await the broadband order completing before we can activate your broadband service on the system.

If I was to activate your broadband on our system now, the only thing that would happen is a start to the billing process. Resulting in the first month service you paid up front beginning early. Essentially charging you for a service you are not yet receiving.

For the moment, the only thing I can advise is that we have to wait for the order to complete on the supplier side. In your case this expected to be before midnight on 06/08/19.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Skyisgreen — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 11:22:16 GMT

Yeah, I'm okay with that, just activate it please.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Optimatts — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 11:30:31 GMT

Hi there @Skyisgreen

I'm really sorry but that isn't something we can do, as above, we can't activate the broadband component on your account without the order being completed on the supplier side.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Skyisgreen — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 11:39:52 GMT

My broadband line is active. I can do everything thing but send data.

I just need you to set me up on the system and then I'll be good to go.

Does it really need to update on your website before you can set me up?

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Optimatts — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 11:47:50 GMT

While you may see sync on the router, without our supplier confirming that the order has completed we can't activate your account.

I can appreciate this is frustrating, believe me from a business perspective we want to get you up and running ASAP, but we must wait for the order to complete before we can take any further action.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Skyisgreen — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 11:58:49 GMT

"We" must be a subjective term because a 2 minute call to technical support activated my line and now I'm good to go.

For anyone in the future, just give them a ring.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Optimatts — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 12:11:03 GMT

Hi there @Skyisgreen

The reason I advised we could not do this is because of our compliance process following our new billing system.

I was following the correct process as (I'll rephrase) 'we shouldn't' activate accounts before order completion.

While I am pleased you're connected, going forward I would never recommend this as a solution as some accounts may not be so fortunate as to have sync so soon. In addition to our billing compliance process, should there be an issue with your connection between now and your 'completion date' we are unable to raise a fault or test your service because the asset technically does not exist at present on the supplier side.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Alex — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 12:13:26 GMT

Welcome to the fourms @Skyisgreen

It is possible that the order completed when you rung CS. From what you say, it sounded like it was near.

At least you're up and running now.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Skyisgreen — Sat, 03 Aug 2019 12:25:11 GMT

I guess it's possible, but my activation is next week, so it's most likely not the cause.

@Optimatts Those are poor excuses, just point people to tech support in the future...

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Optimatts — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 11:37:54 GMT

I'm sorry you feel that way @Skyisgreen.

I will maintain that I was following the correct process by not activating your account before our supplier has provided the go ahead to do so.

It seems that the agent you spoke to on the phone did not follow compliance process correctly and while your services have been activated, I must stand firm that this was not what we should be doing, rules like this are in place for a reason and have fed back accordingly.

As I have been saying, it is in our interest to get you up and running as soon as possible and I'm glad you're now active. But since there's still technically an order on the supplier side processing, should any connection issues arise before the order completes, it could cause further complications.

I sincerely don't want you to think I was being difficult in refusing to activate your service early. I was merely following correct process.

That being said, I hope you enjoy your new broadband service and should you need anything further you need only drop us a post on the forums.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Alex — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 11:58:23 GMT

Thanks to both @Optimatts and @Skyisgreen

Reading between the lines, I think you have been lucky here and gotten someone to enable you early, who didn't follow procedures.

I guess what PlusNet are saying, is if you have any issues then they're going to have problems raising a fault when you still have an open order on your line which techically hasn't been completed yet. PlusNet can correct me if I am wrong.

Hopefully that won't happen to you and you'll be fine.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Optimatts — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 12:40:39 GMT

That's exactly right @Alex

I don't want @Skyisgreen thinking I was unwilling to activate the account early to cause a delay on purpose.

We've got compliance processes to follow which (and I'll be totally honest here) I wasn't willing to break.

Secondly, in terms of customer experience if something had gone wrong, I'd hate to be responsible for any complications that arose.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Baldrick1 — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 13:20:58 GMT

If the compliance processes can take a week then that is where any criticism should be directed and improved upon.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Optimatts — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 13:28:29 GMT

Hi @Baldrick1,

It isn't the compliance process that can take a week per say. The compliance process follows that we should not be activating accounts prematurely before the order has completed on the supplier side.

Re: 2 weeks for activation? Why?

Baldrick1 — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 13:40:54 GMT

@Optimatts

Sorry Matt, I wasn't having a go at Plusnet. I understand what you say about the process and worded my post badly. I can see that the delay is caused by the time delay between BT finishing their work and the job completion being reported to Plusnet,.

It would be reasonable to expect that the BT technician would tap into his hand held gizmo reporting that he had activated the service and the rest would be an automatic flag to yourself. But maybe I am just dreaming of a logical and efficient way that this could work....