I am on the verge of cancelling my telephone and broadband order. Placed order on 18 Feb (isn't it strange that you don't wait long to speak to a sales agent, but try ringing for anything else and it's between 15 and 45 minute wait, or around 10 minutes for on-line chat!)
Told service would go live on 4th March. Paid upfront for 12 months. When the order was confirmed by email, I realised plusnet had allocated me a new telephone number, even though the call handler had taken details of my existing number when ordering. Used on-line chat - they said ring, which I did (see time delays above). Fine, he said, it would be arranged. Got a confirmation email saying service would be live on 7th March.
Checked account dashboard, message saying changes couldn't be made. Rang (see time delays, above). Call handler said he'd never seen such a message before and would raise a 'ticket' which should be cleared within a few days. Confirmation few days later that number would be transferred, but not before plusnet sent a letter to 'the occupier' at my address asking if I was moving house because someone wanted to take over my number.
Meanwhile, the router I was expecting failed to arrive, so today (1st March) I tried to ring. You'd think 4.30 on a Tuesday afternoon wouldn't be THAT busy. Well, as far as plusnet were concerned it was, because the auto voice said there would be a 30 minute wait. So used on-line chat. Took 10 minutes to get an agent, then spent almost 60 minutes writing messages to and from each other
I haven't the energy to repeat what went on during that hour (though to be fair, the agent was most professional and tried his best to help). Suffice to say he said he would text/email me my activation date. I commented the reason he wanted to do this was because plusnet had messed up the order . When pressed, he said a piece of kit 'at the exchange' had broken(!), it would be delayed until 16 March and he promised to send the router and check progress personally each day. In the following few hours I received a blizzard of emails/texts saying variously the router had been ordered, the router had been dispatched, the date on which the phone line would be activated, the date on which the broadband would be activated.
Then to top it all, at 21.05 the same evening, a text to say to phone service will be ready on the 16th - and what my phone number would be. You guessed it, it's a new number - not my existing one, as requested. I checked the opening hours of support. Website said 10.00pm. Rang - you guessed it - a 45 minute wait. Tried the online chat. When I put the reason for my chat into the drop-down menu I got an auto message saying that department closed at nine. So, sales stays open longer than customer support - rather says something about the company, don't you think?
SO, I'm back all the way to the beginning in wanting a service that includes my existing telephone number. I dread trying to contact them again. If I ring in the morning, I guess I'll need a packed lunch to keep me going while I'm waiting. If I go for the online chat, it means going through the whole saga again; you know, write a message, wait for minutes while they respond, write another message, then...oh well, you get the idea - AND at least another hour wasted, I imagine.
I have a horrible vision of being placed into a seemingly endless loop of further delays while tickets are raised and letters sent asking if 'the occupier' is moving house, and so on.
Knowing that someone from plusnet will see this post and (judging by other posts) respond to it, please let me ask you the following questions to help me decide if I should summon up the energy and stay with you, or take the easy way out and select one of the many other providers with excellent offers right now:
1) Why do you make such a song and dance of delivering your core business?
2) Given my existing supplier owns you, don't you think you should have some protocols with them to make your new customer's lives a little easier - I have much, much, better things to do than keep chasing you and spending time listening to pop music of dubious repute, or practising my typing skills.
3) Why do you write to 'the occupier' when you know who I am, and also know I have asked you to transfer my number - not that I'm moving house?
4) Above all, can't you just provide me with the services I've paid for in advance, on the date you agreed - or, if you must change things, have the manners to pro actively contact me?
