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LIVE CHAT is NOT busy... it isn`t working (was: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?)

shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?

@Gandalf  Thank you for your reply and clarification of the very poorly worded explanation of call charges.

The help I need has already been "by-passed" by Plusnet inasmuch as I have been told that PlusNet does not support NGT install problems on Linux . so I am left without any help from Plusnet regarding getting it working.

which is shambolic to say the least.... Customer service WAS great.... then it removed the ticket system.... downgrading the service... then it removes the very easily accessible to all, LIVE CHAT.. replacing it with a "third party" system that is cumbersome and difficult to install and use. for those that do not use WIndows or TWIT FACE etc.

 

Relinquishing LIVE CHAT and not supporting those customers who need it, is another downward trend . To add insult to injury Your link regarding NGT   via the EAR icon ends with

 

You can also contact our customer support team on 0800 432 0200 or by using our online chat service.

 

NO !  I cannot contact customer support on the phone... I am (almost) DEAF...

 

and online chat service has been taken away from me.. ( and many many other similarly (or worse) disabled, than myself....

 

By the way... regarding the phone line...  You will probably be aware that I started a thread more than 10 years ago... suggesting ways to improve the service... ( all rejected )  starting off with employ more staff to answer phones and tickets...  and suggesting a proper "queueing" system  Your turn is numbe XXX instead of the infallible push and shove that seems to happen depending on who is answering the calls.

( you are number xxx in the queue worked fine on Live Chat though ) ...

 

 

did you  know that

 

 

Plusnet`s Award winning service includes the WORST award... for 2018 ... 

 

 

plusnet phone service 01.png

 

 

 

plusnet complaints 2019.png

 

 

Not exactly living up to the advertising on television ?? ? ? ? 

 

We`ll do you proud ......  

 

 

the big question in regard to that last line is ......... "When "  ?................... ?

 

JonoH
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Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?

We're rehashing old ground here. As I said, I wasn't in last week, Gandalf and other social media team members don't access the forums in the same way that you do and as such tagging them does not get their attention.

 

Why do people always jump to the worst conclusion, if we could help you we really would, what benefit does us getting together and deciding not to answer you get us? If we were that bothered wouldn't we delete the thread? or ban you from the forum? All much easier and less obvious than the suggestion we got together and colluded to ensure that we didn't answer you. We haven't done this because we genuinely appreciate your feedback. It's what the board is for. 

 

Plusnet is also unable to help with individual device support requests for Text Relay, simply because we lack the diagnostic tooling and back end access to the program that the company themselves have, your case is made even trickier for us to support with as you have a device with an operating system that is only installed on 0.63% of all devices in the country so it's not like we can even use our own knowledge to try to assist you. 

 

I'd also add that if you require support you can always create a thread in the appropriate board and if it warrants it our advisor can create a ticket on your account that you can respond to. Theres no need for Twitter/FB or Text Relay.

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager
jgb
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Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?

@JonoH 

If these forums are now meant to be a valid way of seeking help from Plusnet, how are customers meant to draw Plusnet's attention to such a request if tagging does not work?

Secondly, it has been suggested that this particular forum (Plusnet Feedback) is not one monitored by Plusnet staff. If that is so what is the use of providing feedback to Plusnet here?...and if not here, where?

Hopefully you will see this post and respond.

JonoH
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Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?


@jgb wrote:

@JonoH 

If these forums are now meant to be a valid way of seeking help from Plusnet, how are customers meant to draw Plusnet's attention to such a request if tagging does not work?


You don't need to, each post is read automatically and using keywords and board categorisation the post is automatically routed to the advisor with the correct skillset to respond. This isn't a change, we've been doing this for 2 years. It's the first major change I introduced and it's improved agent response rate to customer queries by a considerable margin, it also means we never miss one. 

 


Secondly, it has been suggested that this particular forum (Plusnet Feedback) is not one monitored by Plusnet staff. If that is so what is the use of providing feedback to Plusnet here?...and if not here, where?

 

It is monitored, but by myself rather than the agents, I take that feedback to the area of the business that it's about. 

 

 

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager
shutter
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Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?

@JonoH   You are giving out confusing messages..... your latest suggests ... on one post ...that this board is not "monitored".... and the "tagging"... ie using the @ and name.. does not work...

then you say that you DO monitor it, and send info back to whoever...

you started off a reply to me, saying

Hi @shutter  This is the feedback board, it's here to provide feedback on Plusnet and these forums. It's not a place to ask for questions and for support,

 

yet in the replies above.... you are saying that THIS IS the place to ask questions..

 

You don't need to, each post is read automatically and using keywords and board categorisation the post is automatically routed to the advisor with the correct skillset to respond.

 

Perhaps.... as a Plusnet Feedback.... there should be a new board started, that DOES give customers direct access to Customer Service  via the forum.. 

I doubt it will happen though ... I suggested that the phones use a queueing system 10 years ago...

didn`t happen..

I suggested more staff to answer phones.. and tickets.

Ticket system removed.   causing customers to use the phones more... or live chat.

More customers  from "promotion" meant that the "more staff to answer phons" pro rata 

didn`t happen...  (yeah there was a big push at one time...but the phone staff are still under funded per number of customers calling... and the number cutting the call before actually getting through to anyone is the highest amongst all the "competition"... 

Live chat removed....

I suggested a "no entry" banner  to announc LIVE CHAT was closed...

didn`t happen..

 

So... what is going to be removed next ?  to improve customer service even more ?

shutter
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Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?

@Gandalf 

Regarding your response about the cost of calls via NGT ..

You state that a call to customer services on the 0800 number via NGT wil not incur any charges..

and that other (normally chargable calls) will be REDUCED..

 

By the wording used... in your response.... and the wording you quoted... it "seems" that Disabled customers, who use NGT to contact customer services will not be charged..

 

My point about disabled customers being charged to access the "free" 0800 numbers "normal hearing " customers use... is still valid..

 

WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO PAY to access customer services....  ? 

 

WHY are you discriminating against us..?

 

The reason I am saying that we WILL get charged for calls via NGT ,... is due to this 

from @Batphone  in post number 46 on Page 4 of this thread.

***************************************************************************************************************************

However, even if you get the app running, you then need to provide a phone number to contact PlusNet.

 

It turns out that the app will not accept an 0800 number such as PN Customer services on 0800 432 0200,

 

only numbers starting with 01, 02, 03. At this point I am stumped as to what to do next......

 

****************************************************************************************************************************

 

So, if a call that would normally be FREE on the 0800 customer service number lasted ( say 10 minutes  ) ...there would be NO COST to the customer..

 

the same call will probably, take three times as long using NGT talking through an intepreter,

and that call will be charged  three times 10 minutes call... to a disabled customer...

 

 

What "reduction" in the call cost would be applied ?   probably 10% if lucky.... but nobody is giving an actual figure in the text quoted by @Gandalf  or on the "help" page he copied it from....

 

( apart from the waiting time on the call, to connect to customer services, which can be anything up to 2hours, from previous claims on PN Feedback) .

 

JonoH
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Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?

Sorry if it's come accros as confusing, I'll try to make it really simple.

Staff dont log into the forums (apart from me) @staffname does nothing, anywhere on any board. They don't log into the forum, so don't get a list of new notifications to clear.

This board, this one is for feedback about Plusnet and or it's services and we thank you for providing it. If it's a support request the mods will move it to a support board. 

@jgb  asked how he could get staffs attention if he needed it. I advised 

You don't need to, each post is read automatically and using keywords and board categorisation the post is automatically routed to the advisor with the correct skillset to respond.


That's because, if it was a support query, it would have been moved into a support board, then the above process would have happened and the question would be answered.

 


@shutter wrote:

Perhaps.... as a Plusnet Feedback.... there should be a new board started, that DOES give customers direct access to Customer Service  via the forum.. 


Why? almost every other board here does just that. got a broadband issue? head to the broadband board, Fiber issue? head to the fibre board, mobile issue? I think you see where I'm going here. Each one of those boards will route you to the people with the skills to help.

 

I hope you don't mind but I'm also going to answer the question you posed for @Gandalf 

If you call an 01/02/03 number via Text Relay you'll pay for the call as normal but there would normally (I'll explain why I say NORMALLY in a second) be a modifier attached to the call to ensure you were charged no more than someone who wasn't disabled.  Different call types have different modifiers but they're a lot more generous than you're giving us credit for.

If you call any type of number through Text Relay, it's completely free and plusnet never call Plusnet phone customers for any call to their contact centre on any of our support numbers even the 01/02/03 numbers regardless of your call plan. 

But none of that matters because here's why I said 'normally'.

For some time now we (Plusnet) haven't charged any customer a single penny for any call to any domestic number they've made through Text Relay so your calls to any company you call based in the UK is free, regardless of what they charge you to call if you're doing it through Text Relay. 

 

Now, as we've strayed way past feedback, and we've answered each of your questions and concerns, and as you don't actually have an issue you require support for I'm going to ask the mods to lock this thread and make the personal request that you please refrain from PM'ing members of staff and then being disappointed when they're not promptly answered it's difficult for you to know who's working, who's on holiday and if anyone is off ill. Instead please seek support the normal way by creating a new thread in the relevant board explaining your issues and it will be picked up as quickly as possible. 

Thanks

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager
jgb
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Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?

@JonoH 

Thank you for your explanation (at message  #79 above) of how the Forums are monitored automatically and that this Feedback Forum is only read by yourself. Regarding the latter, do you have a stand-in when away on holiday etc., or does the feedback have to wait? Perhaps this explanation need to be edited and posted as a sticky so that the differences between different forums are understood. This brings me to the next point in that only Forum users will be aware of this and of those, only those that happened to see and read this stream and particular post. Not all Plusnet customers are Community members. Perhaps you or someone else can advise just how many actually are?

Therefore, as the Forum is such an important route for customers to seek help from Plusnet, should not all customers be automatically enrolled in the Forums when they first become Plusnet customers, or does your introductory package (emails etc) now advise new customers of this particular benefit so that they can make an informed decision to sign up or not . If not  perhaps it should include this information.

Turning to the telephone as a means of getting support, as mentioned by others, why are you so reluctant to introduce a queueing system so that customers have some idea of what the waiting time is likely to be before it is answered by a Plusnet staff member. Better still, why not introduce a call back system. My energy company did so a few years ago and thus the customer has the option of hanging on or receiving a call back within a timescale specified in the call back option message. Has anyone worked out what the cost of prolonged live calls waiting to be answered by Plusnet staff is to Plusnet (as it is an 0800 number that is used by most of those who call in and that cost is presumably borne by Plusnet) compared with the cost of relatively shorter incoming calls in followed by the Plusnet outgoing call back? 

Your comments will be of interest.

dvorak
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Re: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?


Moderators Note 

This topic has been locked as we seem to be going round in circles and it is clear that chat will not be reinstated.

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