Broadband Order, submitted but not submitted

[#1]

So after ordering Phone and broadband for a customer on Monday., i was pleased to see the phone line was up and running in a few hours.
Also that the broadband order had been placed (automatically)  on the same day, given the latest information on a closed ticket

"Provisioning of your ADSL Account Information
Install diary status changed from Awaiting submission to the DSL supplier to Application Submitted
(via ADSL2+ Order System Interface"
But how wrong was i , so after calling (today) and waiting the usual 30 mins to speak to the right person.
I was told by provisioning  no i can not see the order on the system , my response i can see it on the closed tickets, yes its on our system , but not on our suppliers system.
I asked who's fault it was . was told both PN and their suppliers, this is a known issue, and has been going on some time i was informed ( so why is no one checking the orders ?). but was told when the new system comes in , in 2015 this should be sorted, i asked is that the new system that should have been coming summer 2014, which has been delayed to summer 2015, yes i was told.
So if i had not rung up to see how the order was going the broadband would not have got placed
PN this not good enough , long wait times, poor systems , with a delayed update of a year , and you can not even get the basics right ( at times) , like ordering a customers broadband, with out a third party ( authorised user ) ringing up to check.
The broadband order has now been submitted manually
I wonder what i should tell the customer
Regards
Mike

[#2]

Mike
Tell them the truth that Plusnet did not place the order.
Unless you are the person who recommended Plusnet and are worried that your customer will question your judgement. 

[#3]

Hi georgelnx
It was meant as as a tongue in cheek remark  :D, i have already informed the customer.
Regards
Mike

[#4]

Hi Mike
I guessed so hence my wink too.
However this issue of orders falling into limbo is becoming a really big problem for Plusnet, one which management should be addressing pronto. There are lots of posts on various forum about this issue.
Perhaps a senior manager should google "plusnet problem complaint" to see how the brand value is being eroded by shoddy service.
Or even better, dedicate staff to chase up all orders on a daily basis with BTW/Openreach.

[#5]

PN why are orders been allowed to fail when you know there is a problem?
Why has the " big system update" been put back to next year?
Regards
Mike

[#6]

Hi I.T.Works,
I'm sorry to hear that the system failed to order the broadband automatically. It is a known issue, it doesn't affect every single customer, however, it's still a problem.

Quote

Why has the " big system update" been put back to next year?

In order to ensure that the issues that currently exist with the automated system don't replicate in the new automated Provisioning system it is being put through extensive testing and this results in the completion date being pushed back.
As much as we'd loved for the system to be in place by now as it would improve the customer experience and in turn make our lives easier/better, we'd rather it took longer and was done correctly than releasing it without testing it properly and running into potential issues.

[#7]

Linn, but what are PN doing to manage the situation, in my view absolutely nothing, till the customer rings up , and then some one go's to check on your suppliers system , and places the order.
Why are PN not pro actively checking your suppliers system to make sure the order has gone through ?
It should not take a customer/authorised user to call up for someone to check, when you know about this issue.
Is it right to assume this issue will remain to the update next year?

Regards
Mike

[#8]

Hi Mike,
I understand where you're coming from and in an ideal world these issues wouldn't exist. If we were to manually monitor every single order that was placed it would take people away from answering calls and mean that the wait times would be even longer than what they currently are. As I said earlier, the automated system that's currently in place can successfully place orders, however, there are instances where it fails. Allocating every single order to be checked on that is placed on a daily basis when the majority of them go through without any problems would not make sense.
I do appreciate that when the system doesn't work correctly it does cause a delay and dissatisfaction and we do want to improve the customer experience as a whole. It may be that once we're in a better position with wait times etc. and we have the resource available to check on orders manually it may be a decision that the business makes to do this in the interim until the new Provisioning system is delivered in full, however, that decision won't be up to me.

[#9]

Hi Linn
Thank you for your response
What i get from your response, we don't have enough staff, to deal with provisioning ( given a very fatal problem ) , our systems are out dated ( as we all know) and are taking much longer to sort , and when an order does not get placed, well that's just bad luck , we (PN) are not going to do anything about it, as we don't have the time or resources and its up to the NEW customer to chase us, other wise it won't get placed.
How on earth is this offering a NEW customer, the " we'll do your proud" motto, clearly not.
Explaining to the customer the reason for the delay, was not a positive phone call, it makes my judgement look bad, when i tell the customer 5 to 7 working days ( as this is what PN state) , then it does not happen.
If PN can not be bothered to monitor orders, maybe you should inform customers on sign up  to ring in after a few days to check the order has gone through?
Regards
Mike

[#10]

Mike,
Your point is well made.  I have been asking the same questions for months...
PN knows there are issues
There is a STRATEGIC solution - the new system fixes everything (anyone who has implemented new systems knows this is unlikely)
Last Autumn the new system was scheduled for Spring (then Summer) 2014 - it is currently Summer 2015...

Why are there no TACTICAL solutions to mitigate these critical issues which give rise to so much customer discontent?  Do PN not understand the need, relevance of tactical (short term) fixes to big problems?  This is all head-in-sand attitude, in the meantime, their bread and butter - new customers - are being disappointed with responses such as...

Quote from: Linn

I understand where you're coming from and in an ideal world these issues wouldn't exist. If we were to manually monitor every single order that was placed it would take people away from answering calls and mean that the wait times would be even longer than what they currently are.

Sorry this is not acceptable.  There is no need for manual inspection.  Further the KNOWN failures in the PN / BT system interface are a contributor to call volume - tactically fix the issues and you'll deliver benefit all round.
Elsewhere I have suggested having a number of provisioning exception reports run at regular intervals which identify orders not progressing to plan.  The reply was "we do some but cannot do them all", well it would seem that if there are any, the most important one is not done at all.
Just how difficult is it to run every day a SQL query which effectively produces...

Select *
From orders
Where BT_OrderRef is NULL and getdate()-N > PN_OrderDate
Order by PN_OrderDate asc
N being the maximum number of days to wait for BT to supply an order reference for PN's order

The hardest part of the above is creating the database view 'orders'.
I just do not understand the reluctance to do this or at least accept that waiting for the new system is simply not viable for TODAYS customers.  This cannot be good for staff either.  So where is the stumbling block to implementing tactical solutions?
Kevin

[#11]

I suspect that, rather like BT, the vast majority of staff with any technical naus have left the building...

[#12]

That is likely true Jaggies.
However, if some one spent no doubt the small amount of time checking that the orders were on BT's systems, they'd have less phone calls complaining about why orders were delayed or have disappeared into thin air, or they haven't heard any more and so there would be more staff available to deal with the other problems, but of course, that's too simple a solution 

[#13]

I wonder if  this new soon to be released/delayed PN system actually exists 

[#14]

I'm sure it does, based on info received and posted.