Research survey from takepartinresearch.co.uk.

[#1]

Hi all,
Over the coming weeks, some customers may receive an email asking to take part in some research that Plusnet are carrying out.
The feedback is valuable, and helps to establish the development of Plusnet services, and will help Plusnet gain a bit of an insight into customer needs.
If you do receive this email, I would like to assure you that it is legitimate, and we will be using any data collected for the bettering of Plusnet.
Let me state that everything you say, as well as your identity, will remain strictly anonymous according to the Market Research Society Code of Conduct.  Your name will not be disclosed if you do not explicitly agree for it to be and neither will any information that could identify you.
This email has only been sent out to a few hundred people, and I ask that the survey is only filled out if you have received the email.
Thanks,
Matty

[#2]

Quote from: MattyC

Over the coming weeks, some customers may receive an email asking to take part in some research that Plusnet are carrying out. This email has only been sent out to a few hundred people, and I ask that the survey is only filled out if you have received the email.

Hi Matty,
For clarity, are the emails still to be sent out, or is it the case that the chosen ones ALREADY have received the email?
EDIT:

Quote from: MattyC

Over the coming weeks, some customers may receive an email asking to take part in some research that Plusnet are carrying out.

How are "some" customers being selected?  Randomly, according to some criteria (product type, length of relationship, number of referrals, geography - urban/rural, age, usage, number of tickets raised per year...) or totally blind?  Given that it is "some" rather than all who are being invited to participate, how is PlusNet ensuring that they are truly representative of the user base, taking into account as many influencing factors which impact a user's perception of service and needs?
Thanks,
Kevin

[#3]

This is a very unfortunate and confusing thing for Plusnet to be doing via a third-party. I see very little difference in principle from the scam popups in this still current thread.
Basically contradictory messages from Plusnet. How are customers supposed to react to anything else of this nature, and in fact how many may now become confused if they see that popup and think it refers to this real Plusnet survey?
I don't know what proportion of customers visiting these forums visit this Announcements one, but many will visit the "Other queries" one and either be reassured or come here via the mods' links. They will not necessarily have read about the scam popup.
May I suggest a reference to that scam (and the thread) in the opening post here. Possibly also, (I assume it can be done), in all the Plusnet staff posts in the four or five locked threads in "Other queries". Perhaps there are others, I haven't searched as I find the search facility here very difficult to use in an efficient way.

[#4]

A few hundred out of ~750,000 customers does not an accurate reflection make.
The email may be legitimate, but the results will not be.

[#5]

Before the gateway graphs were withdrawn they were showing ~858,000 connections.

[#6]

Quote from: Estragon

This is a very unfortunate and confusing thing for Plusnet to be doing via a third-party.

Indeed, with the necessity to 'expose' user's email addresses to a third party and the consequential risks.  I really do wish PlusNet kept these activities in-house.

[#7]

Cue another 'spam to e-mail address that only plusnet has' thread that'll be unresolved in about 6 months time?

[#8]

Quote

Let me state that everything you say, ......................................................................... ,, will remain strictly anonymous

Hmm.... interesting choice of words.... meaning... anything you say will be totally ignored....  the same was a suggestions to improve PlusNets dismal customer service have been on the forums.... ( 6 years and counting  ) ......::)

[#9]

Quote from: Townman

Hi Matty, For clarity, are the emails still to be sent out, or is it the case that the chosen ones ALREADY have received the email? How are "some" customers being selected?  Randomly, according to some criteria (product type, length of relationship, number of referrals, geography - urban/rural, age, usage, number of tickets raised per year...) or totally blind?  Given that it is "some" rather than all who are being invited to participate, how is PlusNet ensuring that they are truly representative of the user base, taking into account as many influencing factors which impact a user's perception of service and needs? Thanks, Kevin

Hi Kevin,
My understanding is that although there wasn't too many customers involved in the survey, the emails are being slow released to gauge reaction individually.
I've had to ask a mod to scratch the email with the link to the survey out from the forums as it'll affect the target group they are aiming for. Unfortunately I have to be annoyingly trivial and secretive with my responses, so I can't really answer Mav's questions. Apologies, and hope you understand.

Quote from: Estragon

This is a very unfortunate and confusing thing for Plusnet to be doing via a third-party. I see very little difference in principle from the scam popups in this still current thread. Basically contradictory messages from Plusnet. How are customers supposed to react to anything else of this nature, and in fact how many may now become confused if they see that popup and think it refers to this real Plusnet survey?

That is a point well made. I think it's an oversight on my part to some extent, hence making this thread. The email looks a lot more authentic than the popups offering free skincare kits. The content of the email consists of a direct email address to a member of Plusnet staff for further questions/concerns.

Quote from: shutter

Quote Let me state that everything you say, ......................................................................... ,, will remain strictly anonymous Hmm.... interesting choice of words.... meaning... anything you say will be totally ignored....  the same was a suggestions to improve PlusNets dismal customer service have been on the forums.... ( 6 years and counting  ) ......::)

That was actually the legal binding bit, an excerpt I copied from the email. 
Matty

[#10]

Quote from: MattyC

Quote from: Estragon This is a very unfortunate and confusing thing for Plusnet to be doing via a third-party. I see very little difference in principle from the scam popups in this still current thread. Basically contradictory messages from Plusnet. How are customers supposed to react to anything else of this nature, and in fact how many may now become confused if they see that popup and think it refers to this real Plusnet survey? That is a point well made. I think it's an oversight on my part to some extent, hence making this thread. The email looks a lot more authentic than the popups offering free skincare kits. The content of the email consists of a direct email address to a member of Plusnet staff for further questions/concerns. Matty

Thanks Matty.
The "personal" email address is good, but still not foolproof in the real world. I expect it is safe enough in this case, but asking people to log into their Member Centre (and not giving a link anywhere in the email), possible giving a Ticket Number but without a link, is safest.
I always inspect where a link goes to in that sort of email before clicking it. Not many people even know how to do that. They can be to a phishing address.

[#11]

Quote from: Estragon

I always inspect where a link goes to in that sort of email before clicking it. Not many people even know how to do that. They can be to a phishing address.

Yeah, I'm the same. In fact I'm a bit militant about it. The ticket idea is good, and I only think that it hasn't been actioned because it's being dealt with by a third party. I'm pushing for CSC and forums to get more input next time.

[#12]

 
(Edit - modified idea. Or even to PM a named CRT person on the Community forums? Again, no link.)

[#13]

I would like to share my experience of this survey, I was one of the lucky "few"
to receive the email from Plusnet to attend this event run by the Take Part in research company
on Tuesday 28/7/15 in Leeds city center, and how it was worded was asked
which time was convenient to attend 17.30 or 19.45 I chose 17.30, and as a reward for
attending  and giving my views I would receive £50 for my trouble,
I then had to fill in a questioner about my personal and lifestyle habits
and told a representative would ring to give further details of the event,
Guess what, no call or contact, but I have suddenly started receiving spam
emails trying to sell time share and walk in baths!,coincidence?
If this then is duplicated with hawking phone calls all the time I will not
be a happy bunny, I contacted the Plusnet coordinator to say I had not been contacted yet and
she said that the event had been over subscribed and I had been unlucky! yet the email sent
looked like I had been chosen to attend, so thanks Plusnet for mucking up my Tuesday evening plans
NEVER AGAIN!!

[#14]

Hi 2u2me,
Investigating this for you now. Will update shortly.
Matty - Thanks for your patience.
Firstly, apologies for any convenience caused to you. There was a much bigger response than initially anticipated, so all places were filled really quickly. Not everyone was able to have been taken on, so not everyone was contacted.
I must stress that anything you received will be coincidental. All data is handled in accordance with DPA, and the Market Research Society Code of Conduct. It's not been used for any other reasons, and most certainly hasn't been passed on to third parties.
Matty

[#15]

Matty,
If this is the legitimate survey (rather than this http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,136551.msg1248901.html#msg1248901) then I think users will want reassurance that PlusNet's third party researchers have not "lost control" of the email addresses PlusNet has shared with that third party...

Quote from: Townman

Quote from: Estragon This is a very unfortunate and confusing thing for Plusnet to be doing via a third-party. Indeed, with the necessity to 'expose' user's email addresses to a third party and the consequential risks.  I really do wish PlusNet kept these activities in-house.

...sorry but I did "tell you so" ... as much as I hate that phrase!
Kevin