topic Re: Call Tarrif accessibility in Plusnet Feedback

Call Tarrif accessibility

wphil — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:29:49 GMT

The call tarrif webpage lists the various categories of premium rate numbers cover all sorts including for instance 0844 numbers.
However, it is not easy to find the correct cost as one needs to know the (bt) call charging category of the call. This is actually not that easy to find on the bt website.
Suggestions for improvement of the plusnet website
1 at least give a hyperlink to allow one to determine the category
2 present the information bypassing categories (ie list by code rather than category) so it is easy to locate the correct cost and search could be used on the webpage.
3 personalise this so that the information presented is specific to the package/call plan of the user.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

Mav — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:50:25 GMT

There's some good links in this thread I started last November.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

wphil — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:06:46 GMT

Thanks but that doesn't seem to help. Your original post in that topic supports lack of accessibility of the information. The essential... link is just alternative tariffs according to plan/package.
One has to go outside of plusnet webspace to track down the category for the call to then return to plusnet to look up the charge.
I think my suggestions stand, I'd like plusnet to make it easier for me to work out the cost of 0844 891 xxx

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

Razer — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:13:28 GMT

Obfuscation; it's the oldest business trick in the book. I wouldn't expect to see any changes if I were you.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

James — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:15:01 GMT

@wphill
You make a completely reasonable request. I'm fairly certain that it will be something that we are looking at doing in the future, but at this exac moment in time it's not something that we are doing because there are other things that we are trying to do and we only have a limited number of developers to make this happen.
I'll make sure that your feedback is passed on.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

wphil — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:21:15 GMT

I think that's a bit defeatist. I think you are giving too much credit. I'd rather think that bt created the category system for their own use without any thought of the end user and plusnet have not thought beyond this start point.
I'd like plusnet to take the opportunity to improve things for their customers.
It would be nice to see some support for my suggestion.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

James — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:37:45 GMT

You could check my post directly above yours.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

KevinG — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:41:35 GMT

In the meantime, perhaps someone could add this (as on the other thread) to a list of helpful links somewhere - until BT moves it, of course!

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

James — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:06:02 GMT

I tend to use this one: http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumer/assets/downloads/BT_PhoneTariff_SpecialNos.pdf
I think it's kept updated whereas I'm not sure if the other one is.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

Anotherone — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:10:33 GMT

Yes James, but unless your prices are identical it could cause confusion to some customers. In any event, as if it would take more than 1 minute of a Developer's time to add a suitable link and 1 minute for a QA person to check it, or is typing and reading not in their TOR

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

BenTrimble — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:18:21 GMT

Hi all, the creation of a telephone number > cost system wouldn't be too complex to create but it would be extremely intensive to update - telephone number ranges can be updated at any time, 7 days a week. Unless we could dedicate resource 24/7 to monitoring and updating such a tool, we would not be able to provide accurate prices to our customers which would defeat the object of the exercise.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

Anotherone — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 15:31:01 GMT

Eh?
Plusnet provides a table of how much they charge for each Tariff (Charge) Band. New Charge Bands don't get created every week, never mind every day, and even if they were, you wouldn't be able to provide accurate prices for the reasons you've just given.
Blocks of numbers will be allocated to a particular Charge Band, and I don't believe that would be done daily either! So who is responsible for the allocation of particular blocks of numbers to a particular charge band? And who is responsible for maintaining such a list?
Plusnet isn't the only CP that would be affected by such things, all providers are!

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

BenTrimble — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:00:15 GMT

Blocks of numbers can move between call bands on a daily basis. As it stands we allow our wholesaler (BT Wholesale) to maintain an accurate list and they apply the correct destination to the call when they send the information over to us. We choose not to maintain a mapping of number ranges and destinations at this time.

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

Anotherone — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:00:56 GMT

So who moves the blocks of numbers?
As far as the "mappings" go then, you should provide the link to the current list!

Re: Call Tarrif accessibility

BenTrimble — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:59:01 GMT

Multiple wholesale providers around the world sell and resell number blocks to different providers on a daily basis which changes the wholesale price and subsequent retail price.
I don't have a publicly available link to the listing I'm afraid.