topic PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!! in Plusnet Feedback

PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

ITWorks — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 08:44:02 GMT

Rant
Customer places order online ( phone and broadband ) 29.08.15
Few days later customer receives welcome letter from PN
With customer on the 12.09.15 , i asked, have you received confirmation from your current ISP (BT) that you are leaving , no.
So ring PN advised wait time up to 30 mins, actual wait time 50 mins ( ridiculous)
Speak to advisor, oh the order has been cancelled, i asked from who’s system, yours or suppliers, from ours ( did not even make it to the suppliers system ) , i ask why , don’t no, why has no one contacted the customer, we have no way of monitoring it.
But yes you do, it can be done manually, but obviously PN don't care enough to do this.
PN know they have this problem with their ordering system, but choose to do nothing about it.
I asked when was the order cancelled, 01.09.15 , a full 11 days and no one bothers to contact the customer.
Taken from the letter (see attachment) which arrived after the order was cancelled .
What happens next
“Well process your order. There’s no need to call us, we’ll keep you updated about it’s progress by email and text “
Well what a load of rubbish that is ( for these type of orders)
PN you have made your self look like a bunch of amateur’s, boast about how great yours CS is , yet have delivered a big fat ZERO on this occasion, congratulations for showing a new customer how not to do good customer service . Shame on you
Because PN can not be bothered to sort out or monitor their systems, is the only way to guarantee an order go's through , is continually contact PN to check on the order progress, in effect the customer is doing PN job for free.
Needles to say the account is now cancelled, i look a bit foolish, but PN have lost a customer., well done.
Here is a good suggestion , spend less money on marketing , and telling every one how great your service is , and spend more time and money on your internal systems

Mike

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

BadMelonFarmer — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:49:35 GMT

I feel your pain brother!
my order has been cancelled, no explanation and I can't get through on the phone either.

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

rongtw — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 12:44:38 GMT

most likely another PN apology is coming ,, and a Oh yes we will put it up the Escalator to get Fixed

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

adamwalker — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 14:04:14 GMT

Hi I.T.Works,
I'm really disappointed to hear about this.
As you may imagine being able to monitor every single order isn't feasible for us and I'm sorry you had to find out the issue in the way you did.

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

30FTTC06 — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 14:09:49 GMT

Quote from: I

PN you have made your self look like a bunch of amateur’s, boast about how great yours CS is , yet have delivered a big fat ZERO on this occasion, congratulations for showing a new customer how not to do good customer service . Shame on you

It's not just the new customers that are having issues by the looks of it, I'm pretty appalled at Plusnet myself as well.... https://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,143393.0.html

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

Oldjim — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 14:14:12 GMT

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_
As you may imagine being able to monitor every single order isn't feasible for us and I'm sorry you had to find out the issue in the way you did.

Any semi competent ordering/tracking system would do exactly that and not only that it would send an email to the customer when an order is cancelled

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

tijara33 — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 14:18:43 GMT

3 out of the first 5 threads in this forum are about orders being cancelled. It's just not good enough PN, you need to sort out your systems.
Amazon seem to manage a system of order monitoring, so why not PN?

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

ITWorks — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 15:27:41 GMT

Quote from: Oldjim
Quote from: _Adam_Walker_
As you may imagine being able to monitor every single order isn't feasible for us and I'm sorry you had to find out the issue in the way you did.
Any semi competent ordering/tracking system would do exactly that and not only that it would send an email to the customer when an order is cancelled

@Adam_Walker, Yes I would given what is in the welcome letter, and everyone reading that letter would think the same, do you agree? Maybe you should get the wording of the letter changed?
Obviously thats a very logical solution, seems to much to ask of PN. This issue has been ongoing for over a year as long as I know. @Adam_Walker what are PN doing to address this?. my thoughts are nothing, and that PN are hoping the new so called system ( which is over a year late), will solve all problems.
Regards Mike

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

SpendLessTime — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 17:45:54 GMT

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_
As you may imagine being able to monitor every single order isn't feasible for us and I'm sorry you had to find out the issue in the way you did.

Wow, if this is the company line then Plusnet needs to go out of business.
This is a standard part of any order management system (I've worked on this type of IT since the mid 1980's in the financial markets) and it really is the part that holds together any service organisation. Exception management is the key to customer services, without it you should just go spoon whittling.
About 80% of any system is exception handling, anyone can do the easy bit of ordering, the skill comes in the error handling.
By the way, this is not a personal attack on the poster but I do feel angry that this idea could be in Plusnet's DNA.

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

MauriceC — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 18:09:53 GMT

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_

As you may imagine being able to monitor every single order isn't feasible for us and I'm sorry you had to find out the issue in the way you did.

Yes it is Adam! BT does it with its back-end system as a matter of routine and has done so for at least 15 years. The culprit is the development status of the Plusnet in-house .systems which are now desperately in need of significant rework. Add the Financial system to the burden and it may be prudent to "BUY IN" The major components and focus the internal resource towards the configuration integration work which defines Plusnet.
In-house development is now too costly and time consuming to be a valid business response. I last worked in this area of IT around 2000 building services for a number of Major clients (Including BT, NTL)
Maurice

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

adamcookeuk — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 18:24:29 GMT

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_
As you may imagine being able to monitor every single order isn't feasible for us

Words fail me.
Actually, they don't... these are the words I have:
Seriously? You can't actually ensure that everyone who places an order with you actually gets a service? That's totally absurd. Plusnet bloody well should be monitoring every single order and your admission that this doesn't happen is a complete disgrace.
This isn't news to me though. Having placed three orders with Plusnet in the last 18 months, I have now discovered that communication regarding new orders is exceptionally poor requiring constant customer initiated prodding to ensure the order progresses. While working with Openreach seems to be a nightmare for which PN cannot be to blame, the way you handle issues with your suppliers is totally within your control.
Plusnet need to urgently hire more staff to a) ensure all orders are monitored and b) answer the phones in less than a few minutes. "Call wait times approaching 30 minutes" is not acceptable for a company with marketing claiming to offer the level of customer service that you do. To be honest, I'm amazed that the advertising standards authority haven't got a thing or two to say about your marketing activities.

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

Townman — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 09:17:16 GMT

Adam,
Sorry, but your response here is totally unacceptable! Who else do you think should monitor the failure of PlusNet's systems? Talk Talk?
I have asked / suggested on numerous occasions that there should be automated reporting identifying, for exception handling, any order not making the expected progress. I have been assured that such reporting is in place and acted upon. Your reply here somewhat suggests this is not the case.
So just what is the truth? Failing orders are monitored (past CRT advice) or they are not monitored (Adam Walker's advice)?
...and just when will the all singing all dancing new ordering system - which was heralded to be the solution to all the order processing issues - going to arrive ... or is it that new system which is causing all of the present issues?
May be if PlusNet actually charged for what they provide (ditch free broadband and sports TV offers) they would have revenues to invest in fixing their admin systems. Also fixing BTOR would reduce costly non-revenue earning support activity.
I am astounded that Mike has remained so comparatively calm here - PlusNET's performance here could reflect badly in his client relationship.
PlusNet must do better quickly.
Kevin

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

adamwalker — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 09:42:31 GMT

@11110_110
We're very busy in the forums today but I'll make sure your thread gets picked up ASAP.
@I.T.Works
I understand if my answer isn't what you want to hear we will be looking to improve our automated provisioning in the future as you know. I won't split hairs over the difference between checking orders manually and automated notifications like you say but I hope to see us move towards the latter which is what we want to do.

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

ITWorks — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:07:24 GMT

@Adam_Walker, on this occasion i think you answer is pretty bad to be honest

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_
Hi I.T.Works,
I'm really disappointed to hear about this.
As you may imagine being able to monitor every single order isn't feasible for us and I'm sorry you had to find out the issue in the way you did.

The impression i get from your response, is that for the orders that fail PN don't give a damn.
I see you have not responded to

Quote
@Adam_Walker, Yes I would given what is in the welcome letter ( “Well process your order. There’s no need to call us, we’ll keep you updated about it’s progress by email and text “), and everyone reading that letter would think the same, do you agree? Maybe you should get the wording of the letter changed?

The above in bold is obliviously not the case , so why are PN giving new customers misleading / incorrect information ?

Quote
I am astounded that Mike has remained so comparatively calm here - PlusNET's performance here could reflect badly in his client relationship.

Hi Kevin , either do i , but i have managed it , some how, luckily the client is a long standing one, and understands the situation , but does not understand the PN way of doing business, but who does ?
Have now put them with another Yorkshire ISP , who can answer the phones , and track an order to completion , like you would expect of any good ISP.
If things don't change here soon, more will be going that way .
Regards
Mike

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

adamwalker — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:13:43 GMT

Hi Mike,
I wasn't going to reply. but I appreciate you might not like my answers here. I'm not here to word things in a more pleasing way or to pick pieces over the details of the meanings of my replies.
We can't check every order manually, this along with the way our systems currently work means we're not always aware of an issue with such orders pro actively and this is a situation were working hard to move away from.

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

chenks76 — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:20:40 GMT

if i was to give Adam any advice at the moment then it would be to stop commenting on this.
he is only digging a deeper hole with every reply.
for a company representative to respond with "I'm not here to word things in a more pleasing way or to pick pieces over the details of the meanings of my replies" simply smacks of arrogance or a "i don't give a toss" attitude. maybe he's having a bad day (as we all do), but if he is then best to stay away from the forums.

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

ITWorks — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:21:54 GMT

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_
Hi Mike,
We can't check every order manually, this along with the way our systems currently work means we're not always aware of an issue with such orders pro actively and this is a situation were working hard to move away from.

Yet what PN are happy to say in the letter is completely different “Well process your order. There’s no need to call us, we’ll keep you updated about it’s progress by email and text “
That tells the customer and sets an expectation that PN will track the order every step of the way , (whether manually or automated) which PN obviously do not do.
I suggest the letter is changed to be factual.
Adam i appreciate you have tow the company line , but any forward progress with anything at PN seems to take an age , this order issue has been ongoing for so long
Regards
Mike

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

Townman — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:24:40 GMT

Adam,
One understands the danger of shooting the messenger - I am sure that is not intended here, but if your reply is an accurate reflection of reality then I have to conclude that what I was told in the past was not the truth or practices have degraded.
I am sure that which ever is the answer here, it is not an acceptable level of performance.
"Please bear with us, we are getting there" no longer cuts the mustard. There are simply too many orders failing - it should be a priority area for management attention. This is not a matter you should have to defend, may be Ben should come here and answer on behalf of the management team?
Kevin

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

jelv — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:26:43 GMT

What is really scary is that we know that the issues reported on here will be a fraction of the cock-ups that are occurring across the whole user base!

Re: PN ordering system not fit for purpose !!!

MauriceC — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 10:36:55 GMT

What's even more scary is this problem has been known about since 2008 / 9 when there were active discussions on the best way forward. Six years later and with the business expanded it is a nonsense to claim that it is high priority and being worked on. It is not a trivial task to undertake but it could be done and active in about 6 months.
M