Quality of Service Page replacement

[#1]

In fact for existing customers the whole new page will be a total waste of space

[#2]

@Oldjim - I'd forgotten it even existed, but then I seem to be one of the lucky ones. I have only needed PN advice a couple of times in the past 12-15 months, and just put the phone on speaker whilst waiting for a response.

[#3]

So 4 out of the 5 are measuring Openreach performance. And 1 is a 3 monthly call centre numbers rounded up.

So ZERO measurement of Plusnet's performance of fixing services like

1. The extremely long running Webmail fiasco
2. The Hub One upload issue on 40/2
3. The new network packet loss

Just to name 3 long running and serious performance issues which would never be logged on the customer statistics because they are all in-house. And I'm sure others could add to this list without thinking too hard.

[#4]

@Oldjim if you check the current page now, you'll see part of it is down again and Longest call waiting now  - Currently unavailable. This happens on a regular basis and the time taken to investigate why it's down and get it back working again simply isn't acceptable or workable for us moving forward. We need a resolution that is robust and fit for purpose.

Also, much of the data on this page is manual and only gets updated every 3 months. 

We need a solution that is fit for purpose for everyone and the new Quality of Service page, where we have reliable, factual information, is the first phase in doing this.

Louisa

[#5]

Longest call waiting for Residential Customers was removed for whatever reason a long time ago even though it is still there for Business Customers

Regarding the 3 months bit and manual updates - what is only updated manually every 3 months - if you are referring to Closure Times which were last updated a week ago that isn't what we are complaining about losing

It is this

 For information this is the link to the page I am talking about http://portal.plus.net/supportpages.html?a=212

[#6]

@LouisaMartin sorry but something that updates 4 times a YEAR !!  is no real reflection of how Plusnet are doing

[#7]

---

@LouisaMartin wrote:

We're removing the current call stats page as the call data it pulls through simply isn't reliable, with it pulling through many times incorrect data, as well as the feed failing altogether and showing no wait times! The page isn't sustainable as it stands today.

---

This appears to be the crux of the problem?  Another piece of the internal System Infrastructure is failing (and has been for some time!) and nobody knows how to fix it.  cf   The email service; the automation system; the billing system...........  And the solution - write a historical document to explain what hasn't happened.

Beggars belief.

To regain any of the Plusnet diminishing credibility needs much more to be FIXED rather than 'puff' on a web page.

[#8]

Surely if the call stats data being pulled through is causing issues then you (Plusnet) should be contacting the vendor of the phone system and asking them to investigate this as there may even be an update available to the phone to correct this.

Also if the source of the data is suspect then how reliable are the quarterly updates going to be? If your answer to this is that you’ll be using another source then why don’t you use that source to feed the ‘active’ page being replaced? In order to give any account of performance you need data, the more frequent the data is provided the more accurate the numbers will be.

From the list provided in msg #9 all but the last would come from the backend databases, and the last item is going to be pulled from what you already say is an unreliable source (i.e. the phone system). Also by aggregating your time to answer across all department will simply mask issues by lowering the average.

[#9]

I bet in reality , The posts here from PN are just excuses so they can get rid of something that shows how bad they actually are doing.

And i bet they saving some money too

[#10]

You @rongtw, me and everyone else knows that's the real reason, the rational behind the replacement simply doesn't hold regardless of how its worded. This move will have been driven by management to that the figures will show them in a better light, all in an attempt to attract more customers and to keep the 'service' awards coming in.

[#11]

This exercise is coming across as a belief akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

There appears to be a deepening lack of technical skills to FIX a number of underlying infrastructure problems:  Email; Network packet loss; Network performance. Couple this with an apparent reluctance to invest in replacing the aging / failing back office system (despite infrequent responses over 7+ years that "It's coming soon") and you have to wonder how the service can survive and prosper.

After 10 years with Plusnet and in the earlier years actively involved with supporting Plusnet, I am reluctantly reviewing my ongoing options.  I've already moved my Web and Email to a more reliable platform and with a relocation in the offing I need to look at the basic service provision. 

Sad times.

M

[#12]

Funny you should say that @MauriceC but I’ve just had a quick look at the career opportunities being offered by Plusnet at the moment and I see there are quite a few I.T roles vacant so this may partly explain their current strategy.

One role I did notice was that of a MySQL DBA! I don’t want to start a flame war over the pros and cons of it, but I’m sorry, who in their right mind uses MySQL in a commercial environment! Yes, I know its come along way but when there are free offerings like the superb PostgreSQL you have to ask whose idea it was.

[#13]

Moderators Note.

Can you get the topic back on track please. Feedback was sought on a new page, yet some wish to turn it into a bashing exercise. Again.

It's getting tedious.

[#14]

@dvorak - I started this topic and I will say what I want when I want, if you don’t like it ban me.

[#15]

@Anonymous  I believe that if you were allowed to peep "under the covers",  you'd discover that much (if not most!) of the Plusnet Back Office system is still the hand crafted from 'free' software product developed by the original PlusNet team.   At the time Workbench and it's linked / integrated systems was innovative and served the business well, but as the business grew and the System 'adapted' to suit, it has become increasingly problematic and fragile.

Rebuilding the system in modern software is not trivial, but neither is it impossible!  Yes it will cost, but so does failing to address the core problem.

As an aside, I spent several years "in the business" helping minor companies like NTL, BT, Telewest....(Yes, it was a few years back!) deploy such services.

M