If I move from PN will I get better speeds and service

[#1]

I'm getting speeds varying from >10 to <4 and connection drop outs. I raised a question and nothing was done and was told to raise a fault a month or so ago, but reading the posts and seeing the hoops people who sound like they know what they are talking about have to jump through to get anywhere, I don't have the knowledge to get this sorted. I have just raised a fault, but am dreading the process.
My question is if I went to a more expensive supplier with a better reputation [I keep seeing Zen mentioned and their website bigs up the service side], will I get more stable speeds and 'better' service.
I'm not knocking PN as they may be better than most, I don't know. It just seems that you have to try very hard to get things sorted if it's not something simple for PN. I'm willing to give most things a go but find it all a bit daunting, so wonder how less technically savvy people go on dealing with ISP's. As consumers we seem to have got into a strange topsy turvy world where we have to struggle for service.
I may be old fashioned [well to be honest, I am], but I expect to be able to ring someone [or email] and say "you know that service I'm paying you for, well it's not working properly. Can you sort it out?" They'd say "certainly sir", and they would sort it.  [Some of the posts on here are horrendous, with the amount of cajoling that's needed].
Does an ISP like this exist?

[#2]

Simple answer no
The problem is with the technology, if you take a service like PNs reselling BT wholesale all ISP will be selling the use of the same copper and the same exchange equipment and the same service provided by openreach. So it is down to support services which you have said PN are good at  
The other option is LLU where the supplier has their own equipment in the exchange which makes a technical difference.
But I'm sorry you old idea of service doesnt work because the situation is so complex technically and our copper system is old and creaking. PN really do try to give you the best connection and speed but there are no guarantees. Frankly most customers dont know or care what grade of connection they have and live in the blissful world where it just works.
The hobbyists you see on the forum get the best out of their line by fiddling with settings and spending money on equipment and that is probably the traffic you see and interpret as cajoling  

[#3]

Quote from: TJJ

I may be old fashioned [well to be honest, I am], but I expect to be able to ring someone [or email] and say "you know that service I'm paying you for, well it's not working properly. Can you sort it out?" They'd say "certainly sir", and they would sort it.  [Some of the posts on here are horrendous, with the amount of cajoling that's needed]. Does an ISP like this exist?

I have a vague recollection of an obscure ISP that does offer to sort out problems more proactively than Plusnet but you pay a hefty premium for their service.  Truth be told, statistically the problem you are experiencing is likely to be due to something in your house, bad telephone extension wiring, forgetting to fit an ADSL filter to the Sky box, not understanding the intricacies of wifi etc. etc.  Plusnet's tech. support know this and respond appropriately.
Would you favour the BT approach to telephone faults?  If you report a fault on the telephone line they say (with a bit of pushing) "Certainly sir, we'll send an engineer but if the fault turns out to be on your premises the charge is £150" (it's something of that order, possibly more)? 

[#4]

Hi there,

Quote

I have just raised a fault, but am dreading the process.

Any reason why? Have you had a bad experience with us before? I'm just curious as we like to get your feedback about things like this.
I can see that the fault has now been raised and our faults team should be picking that up ASAP. As mentioned by others a lot of the regulars on this forum are hobbyists and a lot of them are very knowledgeable, however that doesn't mean that you need that level of knowledge to get by or get a fault resolved with your service.
Lets see what the faults guys come back with, if you do have any difficulties then feel free to give me a nudge on here.

[#5]

Quote

Any reason why? Have you had a bad experience with us before? I'm just curious as we like to get your feedback about things like this.

This.... [See attachment]
It's started.
I've got a problem. I do BT speed test as requested. Shows fault. Offers further testing but if not confident to change settings consult ISP. Contact ISP. ISP send me info that is meaningless to me and asks me to do similar [same?] tests as BT where BT told me to consult ISP if not confident.
[ISP email even cuts off before it's finish. What is the last bit that is missing?].
Now imagine I'm a 87 year old who is quite pleased with himself that he's managed to get on line at all and all this seems like technobabble. [I'm not, but I'm about as technically savvy as my 87 year old relative who is chuffed that he is online and I dread to think how he'll cope if this is the standard of support] .
There is a problem with your service to me. Please sort it. If the problem turns out to be at my end I'll pay the £150 and look on it as a tax on my stupidity or technical ignorance.
I never thought I'd do this - use a car dealer as a benchmark for service - but I had a problem with my car. I took it to the garage they fixed it. I paid them money. They didn't ask me to plug into the ECU, change settings, give me a curtailed instruction and ask me to try it again.
If your service offering is below a that of car dealer you are not doing very well!!
Please help.
[I can't believe you don't have a fleet of nice Yorkshire men and women in Plus Net branded vans chomping at the bit to come and sort my problem. There is a need out there and I for one would pay for it].
I'm a mechanical engineer. If I have a problem with my it tools at work, I phone the IT department and they sort it, they sometimes log into my machine, but they sort it. This is what your industry needs to aspire to.
If there is a problem with one of my designs, I sort it.
What does doing what you are asking me do?
[What should be added onto end of your email].
How and when do I change my router settings back to whatever they are now?
It's a Netgear DG834N. Not an obscure make I don't believe. Please, please don't say you don't support it - it is a quite well known brand. Please talk me through what I need to do.
Regards
TJJ
[Moderator's note by Dick(Strat) Attachment removed as it contains a CSA name which is against forum rules.

[#6]

The attachment to the above post was removed [inadvertently broke the rules]. So sorry if it doesn't make sense.
Have asked how to modify attachments to make them comply, and hopefully then someone can help/advise.

[#7]

Instead of creating a pdf create a jpg file which you can edit
Alternatively - and easier - just copy and paste the text into a post
This is a picture from my open ticket

[#8]

Attachments here from earlier post with agents name obscured. [They may get taken down again as I was advised I could not post tickets in full - hopefully removing name is sufficient - apologies if not].
Also attached is speed test for last couple of days. The speed variation is typical of what I've been getting - varies a lot hour by hour.
Been asked to do BT test [after doing one yesterday that failed], but speed has jumped up in last couple of hours so assume it would pass.
I wonder why I said I was dreading this process

[#9]

It's my job to fix computers but I also fix internet connection problems, as far as I am able.  If it's an ISP issue I will liaise with the ISP on behalf of the client if the client so wishes.  TJJ, if you are lucky there will be someone in your area who will perform the same service for you.
Here's another analogy: if your toilet goes wrong you don't take it back to where you bought it because it's plumbed in to your house, instead you call a plumber.  It's the same with your broadband, it's plumbed in and needs to be inspected and tested in situ and there are people who can do that for you if you don't want to do it yourself.  But those people do not work for Plusnet        

[#10]

Yup - those attachments are fine

[#11]

Quote

If the problem turns out to be at my end I'll pay the £150 and look on it as a tax on my stupidity or technical ignorance.

There isn't a fee of £150, there is a potential fee of £60 chargable for faults if the engineer cannot gain access to your premises or the fault is with your equipment.

Quote

can't believe you don't have a fleet of nice Yorkshire men and women in Plus Net branded vans chomping at the bit to come and sort my problem.

We don't have our own engineers as we resell BT Wholesale broadband services (who have their own engineers) I can see some of my colleagues have already been helping you and that you do have a fault logged now and I hope to reassure you that technical knowledge is not by any means a requirement of using this kind of service. We mean to support you if you'e unsure about anything and we're also able to help rule out anything that could lead to an engineering charge.