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Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion

JonoH
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Registered: ‎29-09-2011

Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion

We've taken the decision to temporally suspend support via Live Chat for Provisioning Queries. Live Chat support for other functions such as Technical Support and Customer Service remain unaffected. 

 

If you're trying to access Live Chat then please access it via the Contact us page here rather than via our Help & Support page where, because of an ongoing problem chat is permanently showing as unavailable.

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager
8 REPLIES 8
shutter
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Registered: ‎06-11-2007

Re: Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion

@JonoH  Perhaps you should also have a re-think on this decision, as it discriminates against people who are disabled, with hearing or speech problems. If they have to use the telephone to gain support for their "provisioning"  aka move to PlusNet, this will seem like a mountain to them and certainly will be a negative experience for new customers vis a vis "doing them proud" on customer support.

Not everyone is able to use your "text to speech" service, or even knows about it, so please do not use that as an excuse for "temprorarily suspending"  a vital service to disabled customers

ITWorks
Superuser
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Re: Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion

Link to PN Accessibility page: Support for customers with disabilities

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.

JonoH
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Re: Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion

Hi @shutter I can assure you a great deal of thought went into it and this isn't a permanent position. 

We don't believe this is discriminatory as we offer, and have advised of in our announcement options available to customers with accessibility issues.

I will as always pass your feedback on.

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager
shutter
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Re: Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion

@ITWorks Thanks for the link..... which shows some "options"... one of which is the one I mentioned in my  post.

Next Generation Text service

 "A text relay service is designed to help customers who struggle to use a phone because they have difficulty hearing or speaking. It's effectively a translation service, which converts voice-to-text or text-to-voice."

Sounds good .... BUT.... .it is NOT FREE  as is the 0800 number shown at the end of that page, for an "alternative" way of contacting customer services..

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

 

 

..Reading this paragraph.

 

"The cost of a text relay call should be the same as if you made the call without text relay. We know that text relay calls can take longer than a normal voice call, so we make adjustments to your call charges to make sure that you aren't out of pocket."

 

Does that mean that PlusNet will refund ALL charges made during one of these calls?  to customers who are not yet using PN Phone service ? ? 

 

   or only to those who have already signed up,....i.e.  already "provisioned".

I am not in the same league as the younger texting generation. on the speedy use of a phone keyboard, to send text messages.... in the scenario of someone wanting to know about "provisioning" I am sure they would need to send long and complicated messages, ( which can easily be done via Live Chat)   and by return the messages would also be similar in manner   ...

   I would suspect that many "hard of hearing" and "sight impaired" disabled persons are of similar age.... i.e. retired... and similarly afflicted with slowness of texting, as I am................. however, even the younger disabled persons, would probably struggle with the text to voice option, unless they were asking a simple question with a simple YES or NO answer. .....

Whilst I appreciate there may be some "technical" or "operational" need to suspend a service.... and somewhere, someone thought about where they could make the necessary suspension... they probably do not understand the difficulties entailed, by disabled people, as already mentioned... 

The current suspension does discriminate, in as much as, it makes their lives more difficult than it already is, compared to an able bodied person. Just because there is an alternative service, (NGT) which is difficult to use, does not make the suspension any less of a problem to those with hearing or sight problems.

For an example only...

IF ... a shop has a doorway, that needs a couple of steps to get into it.... and it also has a ramp..... if you suspend the access to the ramp..... disabled people have to access it via the step.....  as the alternative,... it makes life more difficult,.... that is why legislation was put in place to make more places more easily  accessible to disabled people

 

Mayfly
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Re: Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion

Is chat totally unavailable? It's telling me it is whatever way I try to access it.

spraxyt
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Re: Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion

Chat is working fine for me. Straight through, no queue.

David
shutter
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Re: Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion


@JonoH wrote:

We've taken the decision to temporally suspend support via Live Chat for Provisioning Queries. Live Chat support for other functions such as Technical Support and Customer Service remain unaffected. 

 

If you're trying to access Live Chat then please access it via the Contact us page here rather than via our Help & Support page where, because of an ongoing problem chat is permanently showing as unavailable.


 

 

TWO WEEKS since my last post on this thread.....

 

How long does a "temprorary suspension of the Live Chat service"  last for  ?

 

And why no response to my last post... ?

 

@JonoH did say, prior to my last post that he would pass on my "feedback".... but nothing has happened since then.....

JonoH
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Registered: ‎29-09-2011

Re: Live Chat Support For Provisioning Queries Discussion


@shutter wrote

TWO WEEKS since my last post on this thread.....

How long does a "temporary suspension of the Live Chat service"  last for  ?

Until we feel that we're in a position to turn it back on again. We don't know when that is yet.

 

@JonoH did say, prior to my last post that he would pass on my "feedback".... but nothing has happened since then.....


I have passed it on and the decision to suspend Live Chat for Provisioning issue stands. 

 Jono H
 Plusnet Community Manager