topic Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls in Plusnet Feedback

URGENT - Disability Service Access - major problem with the present system

goldenfibre — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 14:53:03 GMT

Plusnet phone calls is getting silly now. It's been waiting so long on the call. It's also making more difficulties for deaf peoples access Text Relay Service (Typetalk) as the operator cannot spend too long on the call waiting for Plusnet to answer it.
Plusnet must provided a direct number for deaf peoples via typetalk. As deaf peoples of mine is pretty angry and upset that Typetalk cannot hold much longer because they have to provide the call to someone else who need the call. .
I want the management team to sort this out! Cut the call times please!
We have no problem if the call is answered by Plusnet under 5 minutes but on hold of over 45 minutes is UNACCEPTED!
jim:green title changed to better reflect the concern mod:end

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

stylusnet — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 20:35:25 GMT

Your request will fall on deaf ears. Plusnet are hopeless.

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

jetstar — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 20:04:27 GMT

The new call centre in leeds has been open about 9 months now., and it seems to have had no effect on reduced wait times as even tonight it is up to 45 mins !

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

chrcoluk — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 20:33:02 GMT

I fear if enough noise is made about it they will solve it by offshoring
seems to me is a clear budget cap in place for support staff. Its insufficient for the current customer base but that's how it is I guess.

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

ReedRichards — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 07:12:23 GMT

Plusnet:
~~We won't be beat on price.~~
~~Good reputation for support.~~
UK (Yorkshire) based support.
If they go offshore for support that's end of the one of the one differentiator they have left.

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

amcclean — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 13:45:55 GMT

PN went off shore a few years back but it did not last long. In the end they brought everything back to the UK. I don't think they will go down that road again otherwise why would they have just spent so much in the new call centre.
I hope PN do read this though and come up with a resolution.
My suggestion wound be supply all Texttalk customers with a direct number with high priority such as the high priority business tech support number. The number of calls may not be high but the service would be fast.

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

Oldjim — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 13:52:33 GMT

Not strictly accurate
When they took over Waitrose broadband they inherited the Waitrose support centre in South Africa and it was run as an adjunct to the main support centre in Sheffield for a while
I do agree with the suggestion though but it would have to be restricted somehow to stop everyone using it which would ruin the idea

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

amcclean — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 17:28:45 GMT

To use texttalk you need a special kind of phone so that would reduce surely restrict the use.
My experience is texttalk user has the special phone which connects them to BT texttalk operator who speaks typed to text to say PN support who reply to operator who types response which shows up on eu phone. This would reduce the use.
Also PN would be able to terminate calls which came into call centre inappropriately.

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

HPsauce — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 17:36:23 GMT

Surely this is disability discrimination, plain and simple?

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

goldenfibre — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 17:54:22 GMT

The operator run by Next Generation Text & Text Relay Org cannot hold on line for over 15 minutes because they got other deaf users to use the service too. The operator always asked me can you please try later when Plusnet are less busy but it making more stressful and strain on deaf customers because they have to go through operator first.
The hearing person can hold on the phone as long as they wish but deaf peoples cannot hold for longer because the operator will cut it off if still on hold for too long. I think Plusnet didn't realise this is making more difficulties for deaf customers & operator to call Plusnet.
Plusnet need to sort it out and give deaf customers a direct text number to get through to them as it would be less hassle for both the deaf customer & operator service.
Plusnet should read this: http://ngts.org.uk/ and http://www.textrelay.org/
Plusnet need to raise this matter to the management team for accessibility / disability provider.

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

goldenfibre — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:41:56 GMT

Still no reply from plusnet staff?

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

Townman — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 11:00:01 GMT

Golden fibre,
May be you should now change the thread title (via a mod) to reflect this as being a disability service access barrier. That ought to attract someone's attention... However there is only one of the new team on the forums today.
Kevin

Re: URGENT about plusnet support phone calls

goldenfibre — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 11:21:29 GMT

Ok, I will fire away to Mod to change the subject title. Very annoyed now four days went without reply from any staff.

Re: URGENT - Disability Service Access - major problem with the present system

Oldjim — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 11:25:20 GMT

Done - I hope it is about what you wanted

Re: URGENT - Disability Service Access - major problem with the present system

goldenfibre — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 11:26:33 GMT

Thanks Oldjim

Re: URGENT - Disability Service Access - major problem with the present system

Acassim — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 13:33:36 GMT

Afternoon All,
Apologies for not getting to this post last week, we should have picked up on this sooner.
We're aware that over the last few months we've seen more and more call spikes during busy periods of the day and we're working to combat these. Unfortunately the gains we've delivered recently have been somewhat undone by way of influxes in additional work such as faults which increased after the bad weather as well as missed engineer visits that have impacted us on a faults and provisioning front respectively.
In turn this has meant that the call centre has been increasingly busy as people call in to report problems and request updates on things they already have raised with us which we are aware will impact both able bodied as well as disabled customer alike.
I understand that it is easy to brand Plusnet as being discriminatory in the situation mentioned in this thread however to be discriminatory would mean that we refused to take Text Relay or Type Talk calls altogether. I'm afraid, in this situation it appears that it is the Text/Type service providers who have made the conscious decision to actively place a restriction on the services they provide which is causes problems when coupled with the wait times.
In the past we have had problems relating to call wait times however we have never seen the problem where a customer using a Text/Type service couldn't have the operator hold the line so while I wouldn't want to steer this discussion away from the wait times, I do think that this is something that should be raised with the Text/Type service provider to find out why this decision has been made to only allocate 15 minutes.
In short, we completely hold our hands up and admit that we've seen difficult times where call wait times are concerned, although there should also be some onus that falls to the Text/Type service provider for making a decision to impose a 15 minute hold time limit. We're working to reduce this wait time as much as we possibly can however this could take some time to pull back. There are most certainly times of the day where we can see wait times below 5, 10 and 15 minutes to it should be possible to get through to us during most working days.
Finally, we're committed to improving the wait times and I can assure you that this something we will continue to do. While this is ongoing we would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and we thank you for your continued patience.
If there are any further details you would like me to touch on regarding this topic then please feel free to ask.

Re: URGENT - Disability Service Access - major problem with the present system

Townman — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 13:49:28 GMT

Adam,
Off the wall idea - how feasible would it be to add a TextRelay option to the IVR system which places the call with the next available agent? Anyone abusing this option to be bounced back into normal queuing.
Agreed the right answer is to get over all queues down, but as you've indicated, this will take time and in the meantime, deaf persons cannot get assisted support.
I know only too well how difficult and frustrating this is, my step son is totally deaf and has lots of difficulties accessing services. Some service providers when faced with his mother on the phone even ask if they can speak to him to confirm that he gives his permission for her to act on his behalf. Sometimes special arrangements are required which specifically assists the needs of those who rely on others to speak / hear for them.
Kevin

Re: URGENT - Disability Service Access - major problem with the present system

goldenfibre — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 13:57:54 GMT

Adam
If this does NOT improvement, U will lose more deaf customers moving away from Plusnet to a better phone support from other ISP. As Townman had explained this is more harder for deaf customers, no excuse of your call times problem over the months as it been like this in the last six months ongoing. I think enough is enough. As for text relay they have to handle over thousand of deaf customers every days on the call. Anything under 15 minutes will be great but Plusnet support calls is excess of 30 minutes or more is terrible and put strain on deaf customers. .

Re: URGENT - Disability Service Access - major problem with the present system

ITWorks — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 15:14:20 GMT

Adam
One would expect any good company to be answering the majority of calls within 15 minutes, the fact that for that last six month to nine months PN can not do this consistently , even after a new call centre is opened, means what ever strategy has been put in place, is simple not working fast enough.
Yet PN continue to advertise for new customer and can not support their existing ones in a timely manner .
Regards
Mike

Re: URGENT - Disability Service Access - major problem with the present system

goldenfibre — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 15:32:06 GMT

I agree above! 6-9 months is not good enough with the new call centres!