Does Loyalty Pay?

[#1]

Hi all,

I have been a loyal PlusNet Customer for past 10 years and I have now reached a stage where I wonder if Loyalty really pays (to my benefit).

Do I stay with PN or Do I go with some other provider (ISP)?  This is the BIG question.

I will appreciate all the comments (good or bad) to see what you all feel about PN and its services.

Looking forward to your opinions.

Many thanks.

Chandu,

[#2]

No loyalty at plusnet

[#3]

Thanks, Shep41.

Chandu.

[#4]

What level of service have you had in those 10 years @chandu? I'm assuming that it's been more than acceptable due to the fact that you've remained a customer. So why leave?

There may be other providers that are cheaper but what price do you actually buy hassle? I've been with Plusnet for many years now and would I move; No, there service works, it's reasonably priced and when issues do arrive I'll wait on service if needs be.

Granted the service isn't anything like what it was in the early days but things change so maybe they'll change again for the better.

[#5]

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@Mook wrote: What level of service have you had in those 10 years @chandu? I'm assuming that it's been more than acceptable due to the fact that you've remained a customer. So why leave?

There may be other providers that are cheaper but what price do you actually buy hassle? I've been with Plusnet for many years now and would I move; No, there service works, it's reasonably priced and when issues do arrive I'll wait on service if needs be.

I used to think so but having bitten the bullet (so to speak) there are other ISP's that do exactly the same for the same money. Some are much cheaper but being a bit wary I went with a well known ISP. I ended up paying what PN was offering, at the time, to new customers only. Their loss. I've forgotten exactly how much I was going to be saving but it was around the £100 a year mark from what I was paying to PN. Like @Mook  I didn't really have any issues with PN (although the dropping of live chat was a pain - my new ISP still has a live chat and it works well).

Does that mean I'd have stayed with PN if offered the same rate as a new customer. Probably, although I did get a pretty decent router thrown in from my new ISP and for some strange reason (same wires etc), a speed increase of about 8Mb/s. But the move itself really was a piece of cake. Down time measured in minutes - done just after midnight (probably all done by computer in some ivory tower).

But to @chandu all I can say is do by all means look around (I assume most would do that with any service they are buying nowadays) but do make sure you are comparing like with like (let's face it, they all use the same lines, cabinets to get to your house). It's things like CS, free routers etc that can make or break your deal, plus of course, how long the contract is. FWIW, I found deals aplenty around Black Friday time 

[#6]

@chandu 

Does loyalty pay? No, if it did you would be automatically given a discount on recontracting, not an increase.

Having said that is it worth the hassle and risk of moving? I have found that if armed with competitors prices I rang Plusnet and selected the I'm thinking of leaving option then the phone is answered quite quickly and with a bit of haggling I got an acceptable deal.

Yes customer services are currently rubbish but on the other hand how often do you need to contact them? I often find that I can get solutions to problems by bringing them to this forum.

[#7]

I've never understood the likes of plusnet not offering old customers the same monthly rate as a new customer.

As has been said many times before the old customer already has the router and connection set up. So plusnet would still make more money on an old customer.

[#8]

Sorry Chandu, loyalty does not pay with any supplier. There are moves to change this but companies apply hefty increases and hope you won't notice particularly if you have agreed to the 'automatic renewal for your convenience' ripoff.

Plusnet is no exception. I'm now on my fourth contract and have been quoted hefty increases each renewal. So I use the following procedure with every supplier, be it broadband, car and home insurance, phones, electricity or gas: Shop around the competition, obtain the best price available, and ask your current supplier to match it or lose your business.

I have always had to phone for discount on PN's quoted prices, my latest renewal being a couple of months ago. For a change the wait wasn't too long, the adviser helpful and pleasant as always, and I'm now paying little more than the past two years. Of course Plusnet's billing system applied the full rate to the first bill of my new contract, as it has with every renewal I've had so I had to ring the hard-working staff yet again although it's no fault of theirs.

For the record my service has always been excellent, speeds well over those predicted and no breaks or downtime in many years. Suggest you get a couple of quotes (TalkTalk are keen although I wouldn't touch them after they slammed me long ago) and then call the Plusnet number on your renewal mail. Good Luck!

[#9]

Hi Guys,

Thank you very much for your opinions, which are very varying and very interesting. 

@Longliner, @Baldrick1, @billnotben, @idonno , @Mook  I do appreciate your opinions and therefore I thank you very much.

However, in my honest opinion, LOYALTY does PAY, at least, with PLUSNET (this may NOT apply with other suppliers).  For last few years, my broadband deal/s have been very favourable and it suits me.  The current contract does not end until August 2021, so I am not in a big hurry to look for suitable ISP. 

I must admit that ever since (10 years now) I joined Plusnet, I have been quite satisfied with it and particularly with the customer service.  A Couple of years or so after I joined Plusnet, I have had serious issues with line drops and Adam (of technical support) owned my issue and he sorted the problem to my satisfaction (and it is still working fine).  Thank you Adam; I hope you are still with PN and helping other users.

I do appreciate your feed back on loyalty and I hope you all get the same sort of deal/s as I have had so far.

So, PlusNet is NOT as bad as some people think (or make it out to be).

Many regards and lots of love,

Chandu.

[#10]

@chandu 

Your post has prompted me to think about how you define loyalty.

Like you I have been with Plusnet for many years, certainly since they took over Metronet si I guess that defines me as loyal to Plusnet. But I think that loyalty should be a two way street. I recently received an invitation to renew my contract at what I consider a silly price. Is that showing loyalty to a long term customer or trying to exploit the fact that I have been with them for a long time?

I know how to get a decent enough deal to stay with Plusnet. Therefore it is not worth me moving on so I guess that confirms me as a loyal customer. Do I feel like Plusnet recognises me as a loyal customer? No I am just another source of income like every other customer.

if you look at it from the point of an average customer who does not follow this forum etc. being given their renewal offer, which is higher than competitors new customer rates does it pay for them to stay loyal? That is a matter of opinion.

[#11]

@Baldrick1  Thanks for your post.

I must admit that in my case (up to now), the loyalty has been a two-way street.  As you said in your post, I have been quite happy with their service in all respects and hence I have been with them for last 10 years.

However, I have recently received an email, from PN, to renew the LRS (Line rental Saver) which is due in 3rd week of December, which had prompted me to start this loyalty topic in order to find out what other PN users feel and think about PlusNet. 

Incidentally, is LRS going up in near future (in next couple of months)?  Any thing from PN Staff, please?

If I keep getting the favourable service and renewal offer/s (with two-way loyalty in mind), then I do not see any reason to jump the ship.  What do you guys think?  As many of you indicated, other ISPs may offer cheaper service, but if the customer service is atrocious, then as the saying goes: better the devil you know ......etc. etc.

All of you guys have great weekend and please keep safe.

Best wishes,

Chandu.