Should have stayed with Sky - so far not a good experience

[#1]

After 5 years with Sky, reluctantly switched over to Plusnet thanks to the great offer and amazing marketing. So far the experience has not been that good at all. Excerpts from Plusnet communications:

"

Your broadband order

Once your phone service has been switched to us, your broadband service will also be switched. This usually happens on the same day. Your broadband should carry on working with your current provider until the switch is completed.

Your order is due to complete

The activation date for your broadband service is booked for 15th February 2017. The service will be activated at any time up till midnight.

"

Unlike when I first switched to Sky and was sent regular text updates at least once a day until they got me online (installation and configuration of a new line and setting up the service); though Plusnet mentioned in the email that an engineer would arrive and set up my connection (I had even called up the day before and confirmed this) between 0800 and 1300. Nobody arrived nor was I sent any text notification. Since I was working online, I noticed when my internet connection dropped at 0814. So thier statement that broadband service would continue on until switch was also incorrect.

By around 0830 the phone line was working and then the website was updated; however there was no broadband. I called up twice during the day since I had chosen to work from home to be there when the engineer showed up. The website was updated that my phone order was complete however I didn't get any email or phone updates, happened to notice it just because I was on the order tracker site.

This has been a total waste of time, no engineer turned up and I still do not have any broadband. Calling customer care during the day involved a wait time of 15 minutes or more. However calling customer care in the evening took 32 minutes.

The people I spoke to on the phone were empathetic but that doesn't help since each time I was assured the connection would be sorted in a few hours time. Surely there should have been a way to chase up your contractors to find out what was the reason for the delay

Now I'm without internet and cannot work from home. I am unable to call customer care as the department only opens again at 0730. Is this the experience of every new customer? I need to smack down the person who has come up with the fact that plusnet has got great service. When will I get my broadband service - I need an exact date. I also need to know my options, like cancelling switch and going back to Sky.

Thanks again. 

[#2]

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@cyberwhiz wrote:

After 5 years with Sky, reluctantly switched over to Plusnet thanks to the great offer and amazing marketing. So far the experience has not been that good at all.

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At least you've learnt a valuable lesson. Two in fact.

Lesson 1: Never pay any attention to marketing. Install an adblocker. Never watch live TV. Marketing is legalised lying, treat it as such.

Lesson 2: Quality is expensive. You went for a cheap provider and haven't had a world class experience. Shocker.

I called up twice during the day since I had chosen to work from home to be there when the engineer showed up. 

Something is wrong there. Engineers are not sent out to properties broadband these days. An engineer will have been needed at the exchange to move your telephone line over but not at your house.

The good news is that once PN have sorted out your teething problems you should get to enjoy a reliable service. I've been here for three years now, and out of contract for over 18 months. I stay because as long as nothing goes wrong it's great.

[#3]

And herein lies the biggest problem....

Plusnet mentioned in the email that an engineer would arrive and set up my connection (I had even called up the day before and confirmed this) between 0800 and 1300.

We moved from Sky to PN and we also had text messages and emails saying an engineer is booked - makes it sound like they're coming to our homes, when in almost every case one isn't needed at our end - they do the switching at the exchange. We also called to find out why one was booked, which only jams their phone system up!!

They should pay attention to which ISP we're moving from, what service we had at the time and then email accordingly - imho.

[#4]

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@DS wrote:

They should pay attention to which ISP we're moving from, what service we had at the time and then email accordingly - imho.

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They also need to pay some serious attention to their automated Mail system, it still largely reflects the processes and products that were appropriate when it was first developed.  Much has changed since then, but the back-office has not ("Too difficult") been updated. 

M

[#5]

Latest update is that there was a fault in the Fibre line and now I am told that my connection will be restored by midnight on Friday 17th. I'm taking that statement with a large dollop of salt now...but its much better than the automated email which originally said that an update would be provided by Monday 20th.

I have to say the PN Provisioning team made an effort to call me back and provide me with an update.

However the customer service team experience was not so good, waited on the phone for 15 minutes, got a guy, told him my issue and he said he would check, put me on hold and then 10 mins later the tone changed ie he had put me back on the normal queue again. Thats poor service, I wish I had spoken to that clown when I was trying to make up my mind to move to PN....I would have stayed with Sky.

Now their order tracking website says 

"

You don't have an order in progress

If you need help with your account, why not ask Jess - our Virtual Assistant? Alternatively, you could chat with other customers in our Community, or if you'd prefer, Contact Us.

If you want to manage your account, go to the Member Centre.

"

And some other agent has gone around and marked all my support tickets as closed as duplicates and then closed the original request as well.

So I've got no way to check my issue history online unless I open the closed tickets view.

Really pathetic....hoping against all hope that my internet is sorted out by Friday

p.s. PN were pretty quick on letting me know my next bill is due on the 16th Mar. What am I paying for...lack of connectivity?

[#6]

Fingers crossed for you

put me on hold and then 10 mins later the tone changed ie he had put me back on the normal queue again.

I had the same, but although we hear that annoying hold music, it appears to go into an internal hold system. The reason for thinking this is because when the second op picked up the phone they were not expecting a customer on the end of the phone!!

PN were pretty quick on letting me know my next bill is due on the 16th Mar. What am I paying for...lack of connectivity?

Ah-ha, as you've found out, at least that part of their system is up to date and works like a charm!!!!

But I'm sure one of the forum staff will sort this out - if they see this of course.

[#7]

Hi there @cyberwhiz

I'm really sorry to hear of the delays you've experienced. I've looked into your account and tracked your order and I can see this has completed about 90 minutes ago.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further problems.

[#8]

Hi Anoush,

Yes, I finally got my internet connection today.

Personally I'm amazed at the response time from customer care team i.e. at least 15 minutes during the day and at least 30 minutes or after 5 pm. As for the chat option I was either in queue position 32 and once was in position 1 for an hour before the chat closing time and then the chat window just terminated. PN has been voted the best customer service. Other than the long wait time and the occasional rude agent, other times when I did get through people were good. Is there any likelihood that the call wait times would reduce?

On the other hand, I was on the line to Sky and waited for less than a minute before an agent attended to my call even though I had officially left the company.

Finally had I not called then my connection would have only been sorted by Monday Feb 20th. When a fault was found on the 15th, why was service not restored by midnight of the 16th instead of me having to call in on the 16th and then asked to wait again?

Regards,

Aby

Thanks and Regards,

Aby

[#9]

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@cyberwhiz wrote:

PN has been voted the best customer service.,

Aby

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Yes, that's a mystery to a lot of people.