PLUS NET CUSTOMER CHARTER and POLICIES in Safeguarding Vulnerable and Disabled Customers.

[#1]

Plus Net Policy's. I am told by Plus Net Customer Services and one of thier Managers who is essentially now dealing with my Case that Plus Net do have certain Policies in Place that are there to Safeguard and Protect the needs of Vulnerable and Disabled Customers. They have not been able to disloces exactly what these Policies in thier Customer Charter is. But instead have referred me to look at it myself. The problem is I cannot find the Plus Net Customer Charter which outlines thier policies , and have not been able to conclude if such policies actually exist, the Management will not spell these policies out to me regarding those Vulnerable Customers who chose to use Plud Net as thier Phone Internet Provider. If you can kindly help me with this please do direct me to the pages I cannot find but am told they are there in writing. Thanks Phil M

[#2]

probably here https://www.plus.net/help/legal/#accessibility

[#3]

Hi @devonlicious,

We have a number of different policies to help in a number of different situations, from large print, audio or brialle billing for those who are blind or have problems with their vision right up to prioirty engineer bookings for vulnerable customers who rely upon the phone line.

If you'd be happy letting me know (wither on here or via PM if it's a sensitive issue) I'd be pleased to tell you how we can help.

Thanks

[#4]

Thanks Jono.H I am fine with you printing those specific Policies on here for all too see. My disabilty is 2 fold with my physical health and I have some acute issues with my mental health , at the time of the situation where i was being paid just less than 24 hrs after my phone call to Customer Services I explained clearly that I was in bed alone in my home and was under medication for an acute anxiety attack which left me bed ridden for 5 days. I also explained that I was without access to the Mental Health Care Team namely the Crisi Team that I needed to be able to reach if my situation deteriated. I was told on numerous ocassions that there were policies for Vulnerable People and Disabled Customers, but it was pretty awful that none of you staff which I spoke to could actually inform me of what they were apart from the same policy Plus Net have for ALL Customers which is a Phone Limit amount to ensure people do not get into situations where they cannot afford to pay the bills if they were to go any higher than the set limit In my case my phone charges were just over £2. But I had made the specific call to Customer Services when I saw on my account my bill was suddenly over £112.00 And had therefore gone way over the limit. I had absoultely no Idea of how within a few days those same days I was out cold on medication away from the phone to suddenly have a bill that had jumped more than £110.00. It was then told to me it was a 15 hour 40 minute phone call I had made 2 nights before from my home phone to a London number 0208. Now what should of happened with this issue was when I raised a complaint about it , it should of been put aside until it was looked into. I could of then paid the £32 arrears phone bill and the £2+ by the following morning. Instead I was told out right my landline phone would remain on restricted calls only. There was no care provision given in understanding my situation from Plus Nets side of things. And some days later once the 15hr 40 min phone call was looked into , I was told unless I pay the £32.50 + the £2.50 in phone charges + a first payment of the 15 hr phone call at an amount of arond £47.+ my phone would remain on restricted only. I did not agree to the Complaint being looked into fully by Plus Net and was now in contact with Catherine by this time one of your Managers. I simply asked her how this full investigation by yoour Techical team was done and she was unable to answer my serious questions regarding who this company I am to of called and spoken to in London for 15 hours + , but she did have the Name of the company, I explained to her that while I had looked up this company online through a goodlge search , the words Scammers and other words that indicated to me malicious activity of my phone line may be involved. I asked her if your technical team had called the number , her reply was No . Even when I explained i was certailnly not calling the number on my now go as you pay topped up phoene to find out myself due to what I had seen on the google search. I asked her several times to call the number while i was on the phone, she refussed point blanks. Now what I am soory to say is when I questioned the Manager Catherine as to what those Policies that were in place by Plus Net to safeguard and Protect the aged, the vulnerable and disabled in thier homes, she actually did not know what they were. I then came to the conclusion that neither Customer Services Phone Staff nor thier Managers actually know what these Policies are themselves , instead they appear to be reading from notes and scripts which repeatedly say Plus Net do have safeguards in place and they will always refer theenquiring customer to your Terms and Conditions and Charter for Customer Services, which is what I turned to recently only to get entirely lost and not find anything re those safeguards in place which are supposed to form part of you Companies Policies . Leaving me believing there are none at all. And now realising if there are any and I am unable to find them myself, then why dont the Customer Servies Staff know of them and especially there Management too. And it raises the question regarding what appears to be poor Staff Training in my humble but diligent eyes. Thanks Phil M In Devon

[#5]

Hi Phil, thank you for your reply. Firstly, we are well aware of your issue and a member of my team has reviewed all contacts between yourself and Plusnet regarding your complaint. I am glad these issues are now resolved.

Regarding your recent experience with our advisors being unsure of our vulnerable customer policies, our entire staff base have, over the previous 6 weeks, gone through training on services available for vulnerable and disabled end users. We also have support available to them on our internal knowledge base, and on the Plusnet website. On review, we will monitor internally any identified advisors who have not advised of these processes correctly and do our best to ensure this circumstance does not occur again moving forward.  I apologise for the service that you received and please rest assured that this will be addressed. As a point of reference for you, I can point you to our accessibility page on our website, which covers all the services that we have in place for end users with disabilities: (here) and we are constantly working on improving this services for vulnerable and disabled end users in an ever changing industry, to avoid any unnecessary distress to our customers.

As you have advised, we have a credit limit in place to prevent customers from running up an unexpected bill, however this system will not cut a call off mid way through if the credit has been exceeded. . Where calls have been made from your line billing will automatically occur, all our customers are billed in the same way standard process.  As these charges were all incurred on one call, the feature to prevent more charges from building on your line would not kick in until after this call had ended, and hence the charges would apply. I have seen that these charges on this occasion have been refunded, so I am happy we could reach a resolution here.

[#6]

Thank you Jono for your response; May I just vlarify a few things regarding my complaint. I am unsure it is fully complete as you have stated in your response. As i am aware that [CSA Removed] you Manager is still to inform me of how Plus Net wish to now proceed due me to accepting the off er of all charges being removed but not on Plus Net Grounds where you have attempted to remove all fault instead offering me a low standard form of " GOODWILL GESTURE" , which is not acceptable to me at all. I have stated this to your Manager [CSA Removed] and I am waiting for what she is now considering doing. As I am told by her to not accept this Good will Gesture may then require the complaint returning to its origional form and I would be expected to pay the full costs . This is now to me a matter of PRINCIPLE and up to Plus Net to regognise clearly where your own mistakes lay, and nopt try to fob the unhappy Customer off through offering me a Goodwill Gesture therfore removing all responsibility of your contract with me the paying Customer yet failing to answer those issues which will anwer the questions as to why it was ok to leave me with any safeguarding while so unwell. Again you yourself have referred me to what these Policies are to ensure vulnerable and Disable Customers are safeguarded and having just read through your own Policy which is titled.. "Services for customers with disabilities". I am unable to see anywhere in this paper that is applicable to the serious and comprimising situation which left me in and led me to feeling to continue with Plus Net would be to give in to the low levle of Customer Services Practices which I have come accustomed to in the 6 months of changing my phone and internet services over to Plus Net. I am no longer a Customer of Plus Net and am with Talk Talk where I have been warned how bad they can be, but having had the Talk Talk Service on now for 5 days , and having experienced some issues with getting the broadband started I have had nothing but the most Excelent of Customer Care Services . In fact so far they are 10 out of 10. You have claimed that All your Staff were fully trained in Company Policy and Customer Services Practices 6 weeks ago , I am struggling with this myself as if this was the case then how can it be the several different peple I was rudely and aggressively spoken to by your staff and then [CSA Removed] thier Manager where my complaint was esculated too , were not in knowing what these policies were at all, in fact in my last phone call I asked [CSA Removed] 2 or 3 times if she knew what they were and evnetually she admitted she didnt by saying NO to me while I asked her if she did know them or not know them. So I find it bizzare to be informed of this Staff Training that took place 6 weeks ago. I cc all my emails of concern to your CEOs Office at the same time. Maybe there was a training session that took place , I dont know but what I do know appears to make it quite clear that those Training Incentives may well be of a very low standard and not good enough for your own staff to understand fully. I suggest that this is therefore an Internal Issue and not something to do with the Customers Complaints. I look forward to seeing what decision is made by your Management Team so I can be assured of where I stand . Its either Plus Net who are at fault or do not see this in its true light or i am at fault here and Plus Net cannot take responsibility where they failed to provide a service with added safegaurds attached to my account therfore leaving me for the 2nd time in 6 months distressed and entirely unsatisfied with what I am told and how my complaints are handled. I have also stated that if Plus Net afetr reviewing your options chose to raise the complaint with your Legal team then I will have to deal with this too having had all the costs dropped and returned do to me not accepting the offer as it stands as a Good Will Gesture. As in the world I live in I am assured in any demands for monies would then flicker instant reaction to follow through with your claim for monies and the process to it becoming a County Claim Order against me as I can assure Plus Net I will be seeking a Counter Claim against such impunities raised against me , and will ask the Court if i can raise the previous most dire case as a example of what I was expected to be content with while only with Plus Net for such a short space of time. I fully agree with what I have found in here that this may be the result of the latest rounds of Advertising UK wide of Plus Net where your extensive rise of customers has increased to a level that there is insufficent staff now in place to cope with the unexpected rise of new Customers coming to Plus Net hoping to get not just a better deal but better Customer Services. It can not be found to Plus Net to be a great success tale of great expansion unless Plus Net are actually able to Hold On and Retain its New Customers. Getting them in is one thing - But keeping them is entirely another. Maybe I should get of my disabilities and join the senior management there to ensure that things change for the better for all to see . Thanks Kindly [CSA Removed] I hope I have written this in a manner which is clear and without needing to be questioned . What I now wait for is the Response from Plus Net .

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): CSA name removed as per Forum rules.

[#7]

Hi

I've been to speak to Catherine and she advises that she will be in touch later today.

As our complaints team are still dealing with your complaint, I'd recommend dealing directly with your case handler with this matter.

If you need help about another issue please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to assist.

[#8]

OK

No Problems.

Thanks Kindly..

Phil M

[#9]

I have just had the reply from [CSA Removed] One of your Managers of Customer Services .

Sadly it has been dismal and has been an attempt to again fob me off and ignore the principle of admittance when Plus Net fail to deliver in its services and practices.

I am told that my account is now closed .. I am grateful for this.

I am told that my case is now closed and settled byu your terms and not a mutual closure. I am not grateful for this and my Case as far as it lays with my end is not Ended .

I am told suddenly by [CSA Removed] a Manager at Plus Net that I should now understand that there are principles and policies in place, it appears she has just found them herself.

There is no explanation as to why she in her role as Manager could not inform me over the phone or even direct me to them online herself.

And while I am now made aware of these policies , they actually are vague and not even policies that would assist me in the situation I was in at the time without any safegaurds in place apart from being able to call 999 or 101. Which did not help me in my problem of isolation in my own home and to remain in contact if my health deteriated with the Mental Health Crisis Teams number

Had Plus Net been kinder at the end of the day they would of given me the extra 20 hours or less to restore my phone line instead of leaving the situation as it was.

I was right and always have been right that Plus Net havent got things together as they have out grwon themselves, they lack staff and have poor training for thier staff, and Managers.

And finally they cannot accept fault where fault really belongs and lays with them.

Its got too always be the fault of the Customer .And heres a Good Will Gesture .. Now shut up and Go Away.

Phil M

Devon

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): CSA name removed as per Forum rules.

[#10]

Only in the best businesses do Customer Services value the contribution and feedback of their customers.  For the vast majority, Customer Service personnel are there to shut people up - those businesses simply do not understand this valuable source of input into their businesses that can help them to be better, more reactive and more profitable.

I wish you all the best.