topic Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave in Plusnet Feedback

STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

sea138 — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 01:58:39 GMT

Why are Plusnet support staff so intent on getting you off the phone, so reducing their average call time, rather than helping you with the problem in hand. Wait, reducing their average call time - I think I just answered my own question!!!!
I have now been almost 24 hours without internet access, which was originally caused by a major outage in my area. Not pluset's fault I admit, but not mine either. So when I called a little while ago, I was told that the matter would be escalated and I would have to wait 72 hours before a response is even sent (which will probably be the usual "connect to the test socket" rubbish). I asked what I could do to connect in the meantime and the response was "nothing".
So here I am, connected via mobile broadband, asking what I can do do to leave plusnet? Plusnet obviously doesn't want my business, so please advise me what I can do to start my migration elsewhere. I have been with Plusnet for about 7 years, but that obviously accounts for nothing.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

nadger — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 08:21:17 GMT

Sometimes Plusnet staff visit the forums over the weekend but you may have to wait until Monday for a response.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

sea138 — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 08:42:28 GMT

Can you believe his - knowing how great the staff are at being inconsistent, I just caled again and was asked by the agent (Steve) to connect to the router with an ethernet cable, log into the router screen, check the log in and encryption details and I connected. My wireless machines have connected too.
Unbelievable!
I understand that Sky Broadband's staff are much more helpful and knowledgeable, which may well have prevented me from having to purchase a wireless mbile package at the weekend.
What are plusnet's views on this before I migrate to Sky Broadband?

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

pierre_pierre — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:02:14 GMT

I take it you live in the Kent area as the had a major BT outage yesterday on 21CN, from about 1300 to 1930, but difficult if you cant get on to check the status

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

nadger — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:11:18 GMT

Still pays to have an old fashioned dial-up facility to, at least, have access to status reports.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

sea138 — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:42:32 GMT

Sure do live in the Kent area, but having been told to reset the modem to factory settings, nobody went through how to reset it up again, bu instead insisted on escalating the problem as a broadband fault. A complete waste of mine and their own time

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

pierre_pierre — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 11:48:31 GMT

lets hope JamesH gets to read it and weilds Mand's enforcer then, lets see what tomorrow brings

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

JonJon — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:57:27 GMT

I've had mixed reviews about Sky Broadband (though not tried it myself). They outsource their call centres to India if that has any bearing on your opinion, whereas Plusnet technical support are all based in Sheffield.
Although I've heard of inconsistent responses of staff before, this forum is usually very useful in either determining how to fix the issue (many helpful people on here will try to guide you in the right direction), or Plusnet staff on here will usually try to resolve the issue before it gets out of hand. Having worked in IT support myself, I know how difficult it can be to get everyone giving the same responses, but that would probably happen with any ISP you decide to use (before Plusnet, I was with TalkTalk who were notorious for it).
Regarding the outage in Kent, I believe this was a BT Wholesale issue, so you'd have had this issue regardless of which provider you were with (apart from maybe the LLU and cable ones). Plusnet would have been relying on information given to them by BT, and trying to keep abreast of the situation - there will always be issues from time to time which are outside Plusnet's control.
My advice would be to stick with Plusnet for a while and let them try to resolve any remaining issues, without making a rash decsion.which may end up costing you extra through buying out contracts etc.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

mikko — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:05:11 GMT

Plusnet's customer support is in Sheffield and South Africa, you could get either by calling the 0845 number.
To guarantee speaking to someone in the UK call 0114 296 5098.
I left Plusnet last December to go with an LLU provider but as far as I can see only Plusnet has a forum like this one where you can get really good support (Mon - Fri anyway) where almost always problems are resolved quickly and efficiently (although PN's ticket system is a bit "iffy")

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

gswindale — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:24:40 GMT

I thought PN had a free dial up number for occasions like this when the ADSL service suffered a major outage - the customer support team should have been able to provide you with the details to get online?

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

pierre_pierre — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:36:47 GMT

they have, when you have started on the fault process, it is an 0808 number, but is only valid while the problem is open

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

avalon — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:24:16 GMT

It seems your problem was the BT lines in Kent rather than with the part of the network plusnet is responsible for maintaining. Sure you can move to an LLU provider such as Sky, TalkTalk, etc. but the same sort of thing could happen to their connections from your exchange. Any other non-LLU ISP would have left you in much the same situation as you were with Plusnet, waiting to be reconnected by BT. So there is little to be gained from moving just because of the loss of service for a day.
I accept the response from the first support member you spoke to was less than perfect, but if you first phoned only a little while after the outage started it may not yet have reached the service centre that it was a widespread problem. The person you spoke to may have believed the problem was limited to your line and treated it as such.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

sea138 — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:37:36 GMT

No, there was no mention of me being able to use the 0808 number - infact, when I asked what I could do to get on line in the meantime, the response I received was "Nothing". So where is Mands and her reply?

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

sea138 — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:41:09 GMT

And the problem I am referring to is not the outage in Kent, but the fact that my problem was being misdiagnosed more than 24 hours later. Staff just don't want to speak to you and are always in a hurry to get you off the line.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

Chris — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:57:22 GMT

Hi Sea138,
I've asked one of the team to come and reply to you this morning, sorry for the problems you've had.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

adamwalker — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:57:05 GMT

Morning all,
Firstly we want to apologise if you feel that you have been rushed off the phone. Its something I think most of us have experienced at some point in our lives when dealing with call centres, not all of us are conscious to it but that doesn't excuse the matter. General feedback will be given back to our customer support centre about this as we must not sacrifice the quality of support for the sake of efficiency.
Secondly we're sorry that you feel that you want to move away due to this, it may sound unusual but we want to thank you for raising this complaint as if there is a real issue the way we handle calls you have at least raised awareness with us so we can become vigilant and try and stop this from happening further. Please bear in mind service outages like the one you have experienced can befall any ISP even LLU one's like Sky. We are concerned by your comments as we have recently beaten off competitors like Sky to win awards for our quality of support.
Also It's clear that there are some issues from looking at the notes on your account with how we have handled your query. We want to apologise for this not being done in a way that's as effective as possible (due to a misdiagnosis of the fault you reported) and the way your calls were handled. I'll keep pushing back with feedback from this side to hopefully quell this and put issues like that behind us.
We don't hate you and we don't want you to leave, we are regretful if we have made you feel this way. With that in mind I will go away and review your fault ticket now to see if anything further needs to be done and will apply a discount by way of a goodwill gesture.
Adam.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

simon7685 — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:07:29 GMT

If Plusnet staff actualy listened to customers on the phone and got something done instead of issuing thinly veiled apologies all the time then people may choose not to leave. I sympathise with the op here having had experiences myself where all you get is how sorry you are but the action you follow up with is garbage and red tape.

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

sea138 — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 23:30:03 GMT

I am still having problems some months on and noone is replying to my tickets. I just called the call centre only to receive a recorded message saying that wait times are in excess of 20 minutes - at 11.30pm !!!!!!
Is there anyone at plusnet who is prepared to look into this disconnection issue which is dragging on?

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

Mattz0r — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 23:57:14 GMT

Hey Sea138,
I was working the morning shift today, the calls queues were in the high 20's for most of the day. - When I left at 3:30pm, it was still averaging at around 10-15 in the queue. I'm not sure the reasons behind it, but it was unusually busy today.
I'm not sure if this is the case at half 11, maybe the message wasn't removed from the system.
At present, there appears to be no calls in the queue, You should get straight through.
Regards,
Matt

Re: STAFF - I think Plusnet Hates Me - So Please Help Me Leave

Santiago — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 08:53:24 GMT

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_
it may sound unusual but we want to thank you for raising this complaint as if there is a real issue the way we handle calls you have at least raised awareness with us so we can become vigilant and try and stop this from happening further.

It doesn't sound unusual, it sounds patronising. The OP did have a real issue and it seems you have just figured out that there is a problem the way plusnet handles calls!

Quote from: Mattz0r
Hey Sea138,
I was working the morning shift today, the calls queues were in the high 20's for most of the day. - When I left at 3:30pm, it was still averaging at around 10-15 in the queue. I'm not sure the reasons behind it, but it was unusually busy today.
I'm not sure if this is the case at half 11, maybe the message wasn't removed from the system.
At present, there appears to be no calls in the queue, You should get straight through.
Regards,
Matt

What ridiculous comments and of no help at all. The OP said the queue was was 20 minutes at 11.30pm.
Clearly the call centre is not fit for purpose.