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PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

ejs
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

I suppose it would look bad if they mentioned the gateway names involved in each outage - because then even people who don't understand every technical detail might notice the same thing going wrong over and over again.
If someone understands what they're talking about and has good communications skills, then they should be able to write an explanation that plenty of people can understand. If they can't explain something, for all we know it could be because they don't really understand it properly themselves. Instead we just get plusnet staff telling us how great they are rather than saying anything which might demonstrate that.
Anotherone
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

Do you mean Juniper or bng's etc ejs? If the former then there's no need for it to be mentioned more than once, which it has been some while ago.
ejs
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

On the service status, it's just described as a large drop in the number of customers connected across plusnet's broadband network. The latest outage was described using pretty much the same language as the drop on August 22. But the drop on August 22 was a BTWholesale problem and not plusnet's gateways. By some while ago - do you mean buried in an old thread about the previous outage? I've not seen much from Plusnet about the latest issue except for a defence of their advice for getting back online.
AndyH
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

Quote from: Webif
Never quite understood that when group/vendors are listed  companies & the infomation is disclosed in both company reports and analysts reports.

We know the vendors - that's not the issue.
But the detailed network infrastructure, OS being run, specific settings etc. are sensitive information. Broadcasting that kind of information is meaningless to end users, but an open invitation to people who might want to exploit that.
Anotherone
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

ejs, that was no defence of the advice, just a statement, which I will respond to in due course.
chrcoluk
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

Quote from: AndyH

Because 99.999999999999999999999% of end users would not understand the problem and it would not benefit them in any way knowing the technical situation.

going by your logic we need to scrap static ip's, this forum, the status graphs, the twitter page, and the ipv6 testing simply because 99.99% of users dont bother with them, what a nonsense of a reason you give.
Quote from: AndyH
ISPs generally do not discuss their network operations - what bits of kit they are using/OS versions etc. These are commercially sensitive and they do pose a potential security risk.

Best to let other isp's know this then because some other isp's DO actually do what you just said.
Quote from: AndyH
Plusnet are an extremely transparent ISP for their size. There are very few ISPs where you can actually talk to the OPs guys.

I am usually talking to complaints team rep's.
Quote from: AndyH
I believe you can subscribe to this by emailing broadband.eco.admin@bt.com

but plusnet get this info, they can pass it on.
Quote from: AndyH
There is virtually zero chance of this happening - Openreach will not allow users access to their backend testing systems. Again though, this is something that would not benefit many customers.
DLM is changing and there will be more profiles available to be put on with a focus on gaming/IPTV users.

What I find interesting is that clearly you have inside information, and you seem to think its ok for you to have the info but noone else.  The occasions e.g. where you posted a isp only openreach page and then said you typo'd and more.  Users dont need direct access, they can hit a button or something, and then plusnet's own system's fetch the information.
Quote from: AndyH
Do you really think many end users would want to pay the same amount/or a significant percentage or their monthly broadband rental for enhanced BTW support?

As my reply to your first comment, it sounds like you think plusnet should be just another mass market isp.  I personally know a few dozen people including myself who would pay extra and they only in my social circle.
Quote from: AndyH
Open, no. Better at communicating information given to them, yes in some situations.

In terms of info posted about faults on forums lately they been more open.
AndyH
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

Quote from: chrcoluk
going by your logic we need to scrap static ip's, this forum, the status graphs, the twitter page, and the ipv6 testing simply because 99.99% of users dont bother with them, what a nonsense of a reason you give.

My comment refers to the PN balancing issue that is affecting the BNGs - it is not appropriate for PN to give the full technical details of what has happened. What the vast majority of users care about is having a reliable and stable service.
What you've posted above is irrelevant to that issue.
Quote from: chrcoluk
Best to let other isp's know this then because some other isp's DO actually do what you just said.

Which ISPs do this? Examples?
Quote from: chrcoluk
but plusnet get this info, they can pass it on.

PN do pass on this information.
It would be meaningless to publish every single PEW/EEW because end users wouldn't know which circuits are affected. The same as the SVLAN spreadsheet - it is completely meaningless unless you know which SVLAN you're on (and this can change periodically).
Quote from: chrcoluk
What I find interesting is that clearly you have inside information, and you seem to think its ok for you to have the info but noone else.  The occasions e.g. where you posted a isp only openreach page and then said you typo'd and more.  Users dont need direct access, they can hit a button or something, and then plusnet's own system's fetch the information.

This information about DLM changes have already been stated a number of times on the forum. Chris Pettitt gave a bit of an insight.
The Openreach NGA test is designed for CPs, not end users. It gives a lot of information that most end users would not be able to understand or they would not care about. You want something that would take up valuable resources to implement and it would only benefit a minority of customers.
The DLM bar charts on Chris Pettitt's FTTC DLM Explanation page were used in an Openreach presentation. They are not available to be view for every line (as far as I am aware).
Quote from: chrcoluk
As my reply to your first comment, it sounds like you think plusnet should be just another mass market isp.  I personally know a few dozen people including myself who would pay extra and they only in my social circle.

Are you really willing to pay an extra £10-15 a month for enhanced ADSL/FTTx maintenance coverage? All you're getting is faster engineer visits.
There is no demand for this for residential customers, so no reason to offer it.
Quote from: chrcoluk
In terms of info posted about faults on forums lately they been more open.

I can see only one example.
gofaster
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

In selecting an ISP I care about a stable and reliable service. If there is a major outage I want to know if this is a one-off incident with a known cause and solution. If I don't hear a satisfactory explanation if the issue then I have to assume that the ISP are floundering about trying to patch up things that they don't really understand themselves. This does not give me confidence that the problem will not recur.
Give me full technical details and I will be able to evaluate for myself the chances of a re-occurrence and decide if I am happy to stay a customer.
Quote
There is no demand for this for residential customers, so no reason to offer it.
 
Your the fifth customer today I've had to tell. I don't stock it because there's just no demand...  Crazy
Razorback
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

I agree that PlusNet should be providing a better explanation of what has happened rather than the bland updates which say very little. The response however should be able to be understood by all users rather than a detailed technical explanation which as AndyH says will not be understood by 99.99% of the community (including myself).
PlusNet is a mass market ISP and so it should reflect that in its communications.
MattyC
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

I feel that this is somewhat similar to what is being mentioned here:
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,132757.0.html
It's partially about the type of audience that you're responding to IMHO.
We should have provided a better explanation, I agree. My suggestion would be maybe to keep the service status pretty simple for the sake of 700k people. And maybe provide a bit more of an elaborate explanation to the forums.
ex-Plusnet staffer. Any posts after 28/07/2017 aren't on behalf of Plusnet
Razorback
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

That would work. The issue is that although I consider myself reasonably technically literate, once the number of acronyms, 0s and 1s start to exceed the number of proper english words I start to go  :D.
chrcoluk
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

andyh how do you register demand for a non existent product.
I just told you there is demand and you replied with is no demand, weird.
and yes I would pay extra for higher support level.
How do you as a isp customer no there is no demand?
and no disrespect to isp's I think most call centre people I speak to no matter which isp I am with have less knowledge than myself, there is exceptions of course, but to say that end users dont have the knowledge is a bad argument.
Oldjim
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

If you want a higher support level then that needs to be via a Business Product for which BT Wholesale offer an enhanced support option http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/products/enhanced_care.shtml
This option is not available for a domestic connection
Razorback
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

I guess that answers the question. In my opinion Plusnet don't offer the service to residential customers as they perceive that there is no significant demand for the product.
Oldjim
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Re: PLUSNET very bad at keeping customers informed

That isn't what I said
Plusnet provide their products via BT Wholesale
BT Wholesale have two product ranges Domestic and Business
As as I know they don't offer it on a non business line