topic Re: not the best start in Plusnet Feedback

not the best start

whistler — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:09:54 GMT

Finally I'd had enough of the appauling customer service of my ISP. Looking for a shiny new one I found Plusnet. The folks on the chat service were all over me like a rash on the 24th. I explained that I didn't yet have a mac code. No problem they said - sign up and just get it to us when you get it from your current ISP. If only I could! - surprisingly my current ISP actually sent it to me within a couple of hours. BUT - can I get it to Plusnet? The folks on the chat service don't want to know - I have to ring it in - I'd love to but each time I ring I get the same old same old. "We're receiving a higher than normal amount of calls - current queue length is 15 minutes". Yeah right - so get more staff if you can't handle your customer's calls. I'll try a couple more times and then Plusnet - I'll cancel my order and you can join the list of all the other ISPs that don't walk the talk.

Re: not the best start

Chris — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:16:07 GMT

Hi there,
Was that message on the phones this morning? There are only 6 calls in the queue at the moment with less than 4 minutes waiting time.
You can see how many calls we have coming in at any point by visiting http://csc.plus.net
If you'd like you can give us the MAC via the ticket on your account, just visit this link: https://www.plus.net/my.html?action=questions&?helpheader=questions and click the 'add a comment for the support team' button.

Re: not the best start

whistler — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:31:51 GMT

Quote from: Chris
Was that message on the phones this morning? There are only 6 calls in the queue at the moment with less than 4 minutes waiting time.

The message 5 minutes before I posted here said 15 minutes - as it has done each and every time I've rung - 5 times now since the 24th.
I've just rung again whilst I write this and am told the queue is now in excess of 20 minutes.

Quote from: Chris
You can see how many calls we have coming in at any point by visiting http://csc.plus.net

just checked your link - so why am I now told its in excess of 20 minutes? clearly either this link is meaningless or your phone message is untrue - which?

Quote from: Chris
If you'd like you can give us the MAC via the ticket on your account, just visit this link: https://www.plus.net/my.html?action=questions&?helpheader=questions and click the 'add a comment for the support team' button.

Why didn't your chat people tell me this? - they said the only way to get a mac through was to phone it in.

Re: not the best start

nozzer — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:38:01 GMT

Quote
Was that message on the phones this morning? There are only 6 calls in the queue at the moment with less than 4 minutes waiting time.

In my experience that message is almost always there regardless of the length of the call queues! Honest!

Re: not the best start

Chris — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:40:48 GMT

Is there any chance you can remember which menu options you chose? I can't find a wait time when going through the menu.

Re: not the best start

whistler — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:59:29 GMT

Options 1 and 1
EDIT: just tried it again - 20 minute queue.
dick:quote

Re: not the best start

shutter — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:00:35 GMT

@Chris,
If you don`t believe the customer..................................... try ringing in to PlusNet Customer Service and see what is "actually happening".....

those figures on number of customers waiting and time of wait are absolutely "pie in the sky",...... as I pointed out in one of my previous rants on the subject, which you and Mand seemed to have disbelieved....
I said in that rant............... "Get more staff to answer the phones.............. this customer is saying the same thing................ You and Mand, said, more staff were being trained, and would take "a couple of weeks to get up to standard"..... now over 6 weeks ..... ok it is Christmas Hols etc.... lucky you have that as an excuse this time....
but the fact remains..... every time someone calls in, they get the standard 15 or 20 minute wait.... and you say you don`t believe it, cos your stats show different.......

Next time someone says there is a "wait 20 mins" answer machine..... it doesn`t matter which number they pressed...... go and have a listen yourself......

Re: not the best start

Chris — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:07:03 GMT

@Shutter,
I appreciate your point, however I'm sat in the middle of the CSC and I can assure you that at no point today has there actually been a 20 minute wait to speak to someone.

Quote
try ringing in to PlusNet Customer Service and see what is "actually happening".....

I am doing, that's why I asked for the options the customer chose, different options take different routes and therefore have different wait times.

Quote
You and Mand, said, more staff were being trained, and would take "a couple of weeks to get up to standard"

More staff were brought in, I also believe I said elsewhere that it wouldn't be an immediate fix. We also have another batch of new starters very early in January.
We've answered all your points and let you know what's going on more than once, however you don't seem to like the answers we have given, I'm sorry about that but I can't do any more than tell you the truth.

Quote
Next time someone says there is a "wait 20 mins" answer machine..... it doesn`t matter which number they pressed...... go and have a listen yourself......

I had actually tried a fair few of the options before asking which menu choices whistler took and none of them had a 20 minute wait message.

Re: not the best start

Chris — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:10:09 GMT

Quote from: whistler
Options 1 and 1

Thanks for that, I've found the message. I'll ask for it to be removed as there isn't actually a 20 minute wait.

Re: not the best start

shutter — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:03:53 GMT

@ Chris. I was not intending my comments to be taken as a continuation of my rant.... more to be taken as a general indication that "nothing seems to have changed" since my rant, and your`s and Mand`s responses..... .... Customer service on PlusNet has deteriorated, that is undeniable........ what is questionable, is when will it return to how good it used to be, and how good PlusNet claim that it is....

Re: not the best start

whistler — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:10:22 GMT

Thanks shutter . You've got it spot on in my opinion. Basically instead of trying to find out WHY I'm told there is a 15 or 20 minute queue I'm apparantly dis-believed by Chris.
At one point I was going to record the message and post it here - but thought - what's the point - they know fine well this message exists.
And then...

Quote from: Chris
[Thanks for that, I've found the message. I'll ask for it to be removed as there isn't actually a 20 minute wait.

Sorry??? - shouldn't there be an apology here? in fact shouldn't there be two? one for the implication I wasn't telling the truth and the second after admitting that PlusNet employs the dodgy tactic of playing misleading answer messages to encourage their CUSTOMERS into hanging up.

Re: not the best start

shutter — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:32:38 GMT

@ whistler...... if there had been a message saying something like..... "all our operators are busy at the moment, your call is in a queue, your turn is number 4," (or whatever),
then heard it reducing..... would you have been more inclined to "hang on" ?
and know that something was happening,
instead of listening to the inane adverts for Plusnet phone, or use the internet to contact customer service ?

Re: not the best start

Chris — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:18:19 GMT

Whistler,
I didn't mean to imply that I didn't believe you, if that's how it came across then I apologise. I'm raising the 20 minute wait message in the management meeting this morning to see why it was on when there wasn't a wait that long.
So I'm sorry if that's how it came across because that wasn't how it was intended.
Chris.

Re: not the best start

whistler — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:05:33 GMT

shutter #11 - I'd just prefer a company to be efficient and honest.
Chris #12 - Well we've already established that the message has no relation to actual queue length. We've also established that it isn't ONE fixed message - I've had 15 minute and 20 minute messages. There can only be ONE conclusion. PlusNet prefer to put their customers off using the phone and they choose to do this by lying to them.
whilst you are in your management meeting you may want to ask the following two questions:
1) Why has a prospective customer (me) had to make around 10 phone calls and spend all this time on this forum JUST for the purposes of trying to give YOU a mac code. It's not even as if I was asking YOU for anything.
2) Why are your "chat" staff apparantly unaware of the ticket method you mentioned above for giving a mac code?
3) do you think I should go ahead and give you my mac code and switch OR should I stay with the equally incompetant and devious ISP I currently use?

Re: not the best start

Chris — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:12:22 GMT

Quote
) 1) Why has a prospective customer (me) had to make around 10 phone calls and spend all this time on this forum JUST for the purposes of trying to give YOU a mac code. It's not even as if I was asking YOU for anything.

You shouldn't have had to do this and I'm sorry you have had to spend your time in this manner.

Quote
2) Why are your "chat" staff apparantly unaware of the ticket method you mentioned above for giving a mac code?

They should be aware of it and I'll ask our trainer to reiterate the methods of contact to them, sorry that you were misinformed on this.

Quote
3) do you think I should go ahead and give you my mac code and switch OR should I stay with the equally incompetant and devious ISP I currently use?

I'd prefer if you decided to give us a chance to prove to you that we are better than you've seen so far.
If you'd like to let me know a good time to ring I'd be happy to arrange a call to obtain your MAC rather than you having to ring in again?

Re: not the best start

whistler — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:48:40 GMT

Quote from: Chris
If you'd like to let me know a good time to ring I'd be happy to arrange a call to obtain your MAC rather than you having to ring in again?

Coincidence? or did you decide to go ahead with this anyway without waiting for me?
I've just this minute received a call from plusnet asking for my mac code? He stated he knew nothing about this thread or the trouble I'd been having and came out with the now debunked excuse of phone lines being busy over the christmas period.
I'm going to be tied to you guys for a year if I go ahead and at the moment I really don't know if I need the grief.

Re: not the best start

Oldjim — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:09:59 GMT

It is 10 days notice not a year except you will have to pay back any freebies such as a router if you leave before the 12 months are up

Re: not the best start

mikko — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:01:41 GMT

I had an offer of a monthly contract for PlusNet's ADSL2+ service when I asked Metronet (owned by PlusNet) for a MAC but got put off as the said they'd phone me twice and never did and guy at the call centre (near Mumbai?) said I'd get the MAC in 4 days but forgot to metion that he meant working days - I just assumed he was going to speed things along as part of the special deal.
So eventually, becoming a bit wary of the quality of PlusNet's customer service I just thought I'd go to the other ISP as they were also offering a monthly contract with no setup fee.

Re: not the best start

pierre_pierre — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:13:03 GMT

Why did you want a MAC to move from Metronet to PN, thats an internal move done on a ticket!

Re: not the best start

mikko — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:48:07 GMT

I asked for a MAC (by phone of course to an 0845 number) because I saw a good offer for ADSL2+ by another ISP. During the phone call I was given quite a good verbal offer for PN's ADSL2+ with monthly contract and reduced price. They promised to phone me back (twice, even had a PM confirmation from PN's Mr Ibbotson that they would) but it never happened. so i eventually got my MAC and am now in the process of moving. Got a bad impression of PN's customer service after looking at the comments on these fora also. All correspondance was from USA which is where I am temporarily.
BTW with my new provider all calls are to a geographical 01 number and a MAC can be requested and obtained online.