topic Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave. in Broadband

Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

tonycollinet — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:03:59 GMT

This is mainly feedback for plusnet.

Contract coming to an end so i arranged a regrade to Fibre (no landline) and was told it would go live on next billing date (17th)

It is now set to the 24th which is not what I agreed to. First it means I am paying more for a longer period

Second (and worse) if the change goes wrong we will be without Internet and TV over the Christmas period (I can't see any chance of getting an engineer into the exchange over that period). I know the chance is unlikely but this forum is filled with people where this or similar has happened, and can you imagine how popular I'll be with the family if that happens.

So I've called the options team, and the only solution they can offer is a re-contract on the current product until after Christmas - but still at the higher price.

So the result is I'm now doing what I've not done for over a decade, and looking at my options outside of plusnet.

Particularly disappointing, as I've frequently evangelised the excellent support I've had here over the years.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

jab1 — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:10:35 GMT

@tonycollinet Unless I'm misreading this, something doesn't make sense. If you are stating on FTTC, and merely moving to SoGEA, there is no engineer required, it is merely a removal of the phone component from your services, which is 'flicking a switch'.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

tonycollinet — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:26:11 GMT

You'd think wouldn't you.

But it was described by the support agent as "unplugging and replugging"

Plus - even flicking a switch. Engineer [-Censored-]ed off at working Christmas eve - or just on a wind down, doesn't do it quite right, and I'm in the doghouse for a week.

😂

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

jab1 — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:31:37 GMT

I'll leave it to others, but I somehow think the 'support agent' was talking out of the wrong end.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

tonycollinet — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:36:07 GMT

Maybe so. But even so, I have no trust that a product change can be guaranteed not to cause a problem. There are just too many systems in place that need to coordinate. Both open reach and plus net systems need to be on the same page.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

jab1 — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:39:35 GMT

@tonycollinet A switch to SoGEA doesn't, or certainly hasn't, AFAIK, involve any OR engineer.

@Townman , @MisterW - comments?

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

Dan_the_Van — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:39:36 GMT

@jab1

I must admit this looks a bit odd and agree with you. Just the removal of the associated phone number with the connection, there may still be a dial tone but with an inactive phone number.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

MisterW — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:49:49 GMT

@jab1 you're correct, a switch from FTTC to SoGEA should not require an engineer. Its not quite as simple as removing the phone component though. AIUI the change requires an order to OR to change the line to SoGEA, this automatically ceases the phone component whilst leaving the broadband active. All the changes should be done remotely so I dont see why it cant be done almost immediately.

I tend to agree with @tonycollinet though, I wouldnt want to have a change scheduled for the 24th!

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

jab1 — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 10:52:29 GMT

I tend to agree with @tonycollinet though, I wouldnt want to have a change scheduled for the 24th!

Neither would I, but surely such a change shouldn't need a fortnight, or am I missing something?

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

MisterW — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:05:05 GMT

but surely such a change shouldn't need a fortnight

Agreed

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

tonycollinet — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:15:34 GMT

I've specifically been told that the reason for the delay is open-reach need to send an engineer to the exchange.

If as it appears, I've just been fobbed off, that makes it worse.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

MisterW — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:23:54 GMT

@tonycollinet Something seems strange here, Fibre (SoGEA) doesnt go to the exchange , just the cabinet. So even if an engineer was needed , they would go to the cabinet! Unless, of course, Openreach have changed their processes and they now physically disconnect the phone connection, which would need exchange attendance.

I'm going to try escalating this to get one of the experienced Plusnet Help team to take a look and see if we can understand what's going on here...

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

jab1 — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:25:10 GMT

Thanks, @MisterW - it does sound very strange.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

RealAleMadrid — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:27:31 GMT

@jab1 From my experience earlier this year I phoned customer options on Wednesday the 20th of March to switch from FTTC to SOGEA and the new contract started on Monday the 25th of March. So effectively 3 working days.

Why the Op is having such a lengthy delay is difficult to understand.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

Townman — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 12:05:45 GMT

@RealAleMadrid wrote:

Why the Op is having such a lengthy delay is difficult to understand.

And that is key here.

We all know what WE THINK is involved in general for a FTTC to SoGEA migration, but are there specifics here which are not visible to us?

Might BTOR be using a service change as the vehicle to switch users to new kit, either in the exchange or in the cabinet? WE just do not know!! Therefore we ought to be asking the right questions to clarify why this case is different ... it could be as simple as BTOR's database is 'not clean' thereby indicating something additional or different is required, when it is not.

@tonycollinet have you asked specifically why an engineer is required and exactly what they need to do ... which is different to our expectations?

I suggest that a pragmatic commercial solution might be attainable here...

Raise the risk of a change so close to the Christmas break with COTS - most organisations de-risk change between the 2nd week of December and the 2nd week of January by NOT DOING CHANGE AT ALL (aka change freeze)
Point to the heightened risk arising from this being moved from a simple change to a complex change
Quantify the financial loss associated with...
1. Remaining on out of contract terms until the a change in the New Year (post sensible change freeze)
2. The differential costs of re-contracting as is unit - ditto
Ask if the lowest cost difference of doing either of the above compared to switching to SoGEA might be credited as a good will gesture until a de-risked switch to SoGEA can be scheduled

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

RealAleMadrid — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 13:23:23 GMT

@Townman I don't believe that Plusnet have stated that an engineer visit would be required. @tonycollinet was concerned that if something went wrong with the switch on the 24th December then getting an engineer to fix things would be a big problem.

I have always assumed the change to SOGEA did not require any physical changes at the cabinet or exchange and was carried out remotely, but as you say we don't really know.🤔

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

MisterW — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 13:44:52 GMT

Quote

I've specifically been told that the reason for the delay is open-reach need to send an engineer to the exchange.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

tonycollinet — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:50:23 GMT

Thanks @Tonwman for your help (And everyone else for the input). I think this is exactly what is needed to resolve this problem.

I've not asked specifically why an engineer was required. I was specifically told that the engineer needed "go to the exchange" to "unplug the old connection and plug in the new one" - or very similar wording. I'm fairly certain that if I specifically ask the standard level of phone support I won't get anything that makes any more sense than that. I suspect they just don't know.

From my point of view if plus net staff get to review this case - what I would need to resolve:

Immediate re-contracting on the existing FTTP product - with an added discount to make up the cost difference to what I was promise from next billing date.
Transfer to SoGEA in the new year - as early as plusnet want to do it to minimise their cost differential
Together with a guarantee that the price I have currently been offered will be honoured at whatever point that is.

Thanks again, all.

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

MisterW — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 14:57:15 GMT

Immediate re-contracting on the existing FTTP product

@tonycollinet I hope that FTTP is a typo and its really FTTC ?

Re: Been with plusnet 15+ years - first time poor support almost encouraging me to leave.

RealAleMadrid — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:43:34 GMT

@tonycollinet Well it's obvious that whoever said .... "the engineer needed "go to the exchange" to "unplug the old connection and plug in the new one" just didn't have a clue.☹️

The Broadband connection on SOGEA does not change from FTTC it's the same connection in the cabinet and very often doesn't even come from the local exchange, but a Fibre Head End Exchange from which fibres run to the FTTC cabinets.