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Dedicated number

glloyd
Rising Star
Posts: 1,670
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Dedicated number

Isn't it about time there is a dedicated phone number for phone faults. My son has just said he gave up after hanging on for an hour trying to report his phone was down. Bearing in mind you have to either ask someone else if you use their phone or phone from a mobile which if you are PAYG be damn expensive.
16 REPLIES 16
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Dedicated number

agree completely - the present system isn't fit for purpose
adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
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Registered: ‎27-04-2007

Re: Dedicated number

Thanks for the feedback.
I've raised this with our service improvement team who are currently looking at what we can do to improve the experience for customers with phone faults.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
glloyd
Rising Star
Posts: 1,670
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Dedicated number

Something needs to be done PDQ, he spent a total of two hours trying to get through, that is disgraceful. I had a similar experience when I was having problems with my phone. 
friendinneed
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎28-11-2014

Re: Dedicated number

+1
Chris
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Dedicated number

We know the wait times are still higher than ideal, but they are much improved (Sunday aside). Waiting over an hour shouldn't be needed, but unfortunately it's likely that there was still a hangover in support from the big outage on Sunday.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Dedicated number

That is rather missing the point
A longish wait isn't too much hassle if your phone line is working but it is a total disaster for those among us who have a PAYG mobile and/or lousy mobile reception (by the way - that includes me on both counts)
Chris
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Re: Dedicated number

My point was that if the call queues aren't too long we shouldn't need a dedicated number to call on. As mentioned earlier by Adam, this suggestion has been fed back internally.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Dedicated number

If I have to call on my mobile from the balcony in the freezing cold - 5 minutes is a long time and 15 minutes is completely unacceptable specially at 40p a minute
Why not include a text option
AndyH
Grafter
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Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: Dedicated number

Or a call back option.
Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
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Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Dedicated number

All good suggestions.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.
friendinneed
Grafter
Posts: 29
Registered: ‎28-11-2014

Re: Dedicated number

Which will undoubtedly be ignored at a higher level
glloyd
Rising Star
Posts: 1,670
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Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Dedicated number

The calls by my son and myself were not made on a Sunday. My neighbour had a fault oh his phone called BT and got an answer in seconds. it is unacceptable to have to maybe stand in a cold phone box, pay mobile phone charges or sit in your neighbours for long periods at any time.
Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Dedicated number

Also BT Retail have an on-line report mechanism for phone faults.  Whilst PN do have a BB fault reporting system on-line (albeit it can then take 72+ hours for the fault to be progressed) there is nothing similar for phone line faults.  One is therefore CONFINED to spending a long time waiting on the all-together problem line.
Sorry, PlusNet need to be seen to be doing better at phone answering.  This is the exact same discussion which was being had on the forums 12 months ago.  It is but one of the many issues raised as a suggested priority for the new CEO last December.  What real progress has been made?  Yes there are more people in the CSC but has it made a real permanent difference to call waiting times?  When will someone recognise that the route to reducing call waiting times lays in the elimination of the need for users to call - and not simply throwing more staff at the problem.
I know I am getting boring, but the fundamental route to reducing call waiting times is to get rid of the reasons people phone up...
Poor BTOR performance
Order delays
Poor ticket turn round times
Core systems (repeated) failure
Sorry to say this, but even the good guys (CRT) are struggling to keep up with the volume of customer contact.  There needs to be a root and branch focus on the causal issues, rather than fixing the symptoms.  Things need doing - not looking at.
Cheers,
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Dedicated number

The equivalent for phone faults is https://www.plus.net/wizard/?p=wizard&page=22965&wizard_id=38 and I just got this
It may be a way round the problem but only if you have internet access
My impression for what it is worth is that BT started as a phone company which added broadband whereas Plusnet is a broadband supplier who added phone and just haven't thought it through