Brand and Reputation Risk from Greenby Email Migration

[#1]

While it's understandable that Plusnet/BT want shot of its legacy email services ASAP I’d like to flag what I believe is a growing risk to the Plusnet brand and its hard-won reputation as a result of the execution of the ongoing email migration to Greenby.

Plusnet has long differentiated itself on award-winning UK-based customer support. For many customers, that support reputation has been key reason for choosing Plusnet over competitors.

However, the current email situation means that a core customer service experience is now heavily dependent on a third party.

The Greenby email portal carries Plusnet branding, so from a customer’s perspective it is effectively Plusnet. When customers encounter problems with email access, migration issues, or unclear support routes, the negative experience reflects directly on Plusnet — regardless of where responsibility technically sits.

This creates several risks:

Loss of brand control: Support quality and resolution times are no longer fully in Plusnet’s hands, yet customers still associate the experience with Plusnet.

Erosion of trust: Customers who have chosen Plusnet for its support may feel misled if issues cannot be resolved through the familiar Plusnet channels.

Reputational spill-over: Email problems don’t exist in isolation. Frustration in one area risks damaging confidence in Plusnet’s broadband services, even if those services are technically unaffected.

Churn risk: Customers rarely separate products when deciding whether to stay. A poor experience with email can easily become the trigger for moving broadband elsewhere.


I’m not raising this simply to complain, but to highlight a strategic concern. If a component Plusnet’s award-winning support is now perceived as “outsourced”, and if customers feel caught between Plusnet and Greenby when things go wrong, that undermines one of Plusnet’s strongest selling points.

Clear ownership, transparent communication, and a visibly effective support path — even when third parties are involved — are critical to protecting the Plusnet brand and the wider broadband business.

It would be good to have reassurance from Plusnet on how these risks are being managed, and how customer experience standards are being upheld during and after the migration

[#2]

@James_B 

Can you please reflect this into your reporting activity - thank you.

[#3]

Will do @Townman 

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback @Protech 

James

[#4]

Another one: https://community.plus.net/t5/Email/Greenby-migration-is-hopless-no-email-access/m-p/2032568#M56499.

I have left it on the Email board as I assume that thew OP is seeking help.

[#5]

To add to my original post, apart from Brand risk
there's also a potential financial risk as Plusnet could be exposed to compensation claims.
This is arises from Plusnet's duty of care to its customers under consumer law.
In short
Are Plusnet still responsible post-migration?
✔ Operationally: No — Greenby runs the email
✔ Legally & regulatorily: Yes — for the migration, branding, and customer detriment
The Plusnet branding is not accidental — and it weakens any claim that Plusnet has “nothing to do with it”.
While any individual compensation claims due to customer detriment may be relatively low,when scaled up to the size of this migration it starts to get the interest of the class action claims lawyers.
BT will have no doubt factored this in to their risk analysis.

[#6]

was looking into the migration and found the trustpilot stuff, absolute train wreck it seems many plusnet customers very unhappy, now personally dreading this coming both for me and elderly parent, going to be a big problem

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/greenby.com  

along side the same trashing of plusnets rep on there as well

https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.plus.net 

really really feel sad about all of this, why is everything getting worse, en[-Censored-]ification is everywhere and the squeezing of every bit of money out of customers

feel sorry for the mods and customer support

[#7]

All ISP's are rated poorly on Trustpilot and PN has been low for a long time.

[#8]

Trustpilot is the moaners paradise - and not just for ISPs.

[#9]

My problem with Greenby isn't actually as awful as some of you clearly have experienced - but I feel Plusnet should be made aware of, and act on this, as it feels they no longer care, since they 'washed their hands of' us email users by dumping us in some dysfunctional realm run only by AI bots.

But - as it was Plusnet who chose to dump us in this way, it's they who should take responsibility, and make the effort to read all our complaints and to really look into this for us.

I don't know what made Plusnet go and choose Greenby into which to rid itself of us email users, but I do wonder if Plusnet ever bothered to really research Greenby, and, if they did, why they reckoned it was OK.

[#10]

Greenby is Enix who have a fair reputation for their other (I believe to be cPanel based) email services.  I would expect that the contract is with Enix who chose to build Greenby from the ground up rather than use their existing services platform.

[#11]

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@jab1 wrote:

Trustpilot is the moaners paradise - and not just for ISPs.

---

This is of course true, but not that important. Look at who's moaning, and what they say. And go look at a "Good" example e.g. Mythic Beasts

[#12]

I feel for your feeling ( I feel Plusnet should be made aware of, and act on this).

But they won't.

As with other train-wreck Big Company reorganizations, etc. it's just that the Dilbert Pointy-hair boss sells the management some vaguely plausible scheme, which ends in predictable disaster, followed by awards and promotions and the next vaguely plausible scheme. The customers with clue leave, those remaining are just the ones they want: cash cows, will accept paying more for less, and too stupid to run away.

T'was ever thus. But a pity that you invested all that good feeling in what turned out to be just another tu*d 😞

Me? Mail moved, probably ISP moving too at contract renewal.

[#13]

My views too, PlusNet no longer exist really, it’s just a stripped-down BT and quite prepared to tolerate any amount of customer turnover. A shame - it used to be so good!

I shifted my websites and email to Mythic Beasts as soon as this nonsense was announced as it was obvious how it would go. I’ve been with PN since 1998 or so and stayed because of the hassle of shifting my email etc. but now that I’ve had to do it anyway I’ll likely leave at next contract renewal. But BT/PN won’t care and I won’t either. ;(

[#14]

I left PN  in mid-2021, as I realised BT were intent on destroying the brand when they 'reorganised' the support function - not that I needed it very often, but because, when I  needed it, it would be for a good reason - fortunately this is/was very rare, but when I need it, it is for a good reason, and I didn't want to be waiting weeks for a resolution.

I suppose I should have seen what was going to happen with email, and transferred elsewhere then, but life got in the way. 

After seeing the multi-vehicle car crash this transfer has become, I now realise I should have moved everything away, and now I am convinced. Sorry, BT, but you have left me with no option.

[#15]

Sad, really.  I'd always found Plusnet to be really good on customer service/support, which is why I stayed with them.

I guess all good things come to an end, because life will never stay still, and seems intent on 'mending' what doesn't need fixing.   Change just for the sake of change.

Ah well, thanks for all your responses.