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Senior Management Action re Openreach

Lakin
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Registered: ‎18-07-2012

Senior Management Action re Openreach

Have had a mildly irritating experience with a change from adsl to fibre, BT Openreach have failed to upgrade our line on three occasions and counting. Openreach engineer gets booked to do the job, doesn't turn up then forgets the job ever existed until I ring Plusnet to re book the engineer. Which other business could afford to operate like this?
My gripe is not with Plusnet support et al, they are the ones left 'holding the baby' when folk like me ring to complain. My complaint is with those who let these problems persist. Just 30 minutes reading this and other forum threads would show anyone that BT Openreach is an open running sore infecting many customers experience with Plusnet.
Plusnet senior management need to have 'meaningful dialogue' with Openreach and negotiate a effective service contract.
As it stands it is the customer who shoulders much of the work to make things happen, by hassling and complaining to the support staff.
If I were in senior management at Plusnet I would be kicking Openreach right into next week until thing improved.
9 REPLIES 9
tijara33
Pro
Posts: 1,360
Thanks: 50
Fixes: 6
Registered: ‎22-06-2012

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

Quote
If I were in senior management at Plusnet I would be kicking Openreach right into next week

Unfortunately OR's monopoly of the "final mile" leaves them in the position of total power & all the kicking in the world will make no difference. Hopefully the much expected Ofcom report will rectify the situation by taking OR away from the dead hand of BT.
ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

Some of the time, it's Plusnet who can't manage to actually book the engineer properly e.g. https://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,148145.0.html
AndyH
Grafter
Posts: 6,824
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎27-10-2012

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

Quote from: Lakin
Openreach engineer gets booked to do the job, doesn't turn up then forgets the job ever existed until I ring Plusnet to re book the engineer.

When you say 'turn up', do you mean at your property? Plusnet went self-install a little while ago, so all the engineer does now is activate your line at the cabinet (he won't visit your property).
I'm not quite sure how an engineer can forget a job even existed - have you had contact with an engineer?
x47c
Grafter
Posts: 881
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎14-08-2009

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

Quote from: tijara33
Hopefully the much expected Ofcom report will rectify the situation by taking OR away from the dead hand of BT.

Yeah...
Just like when the UK railway infrastructure was taken away and given to a new independent company called Railtrack  - full of  wonderful ideas of how the future was going to be.
We know how well that worked out.........
jafreer
Aspiring Pro
Posts: 858
Thanks: 41
Registered: ‎13-10-2012

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

Engineers not turning up as scheduled is legendary on this forum and has been happening since long before Plusnet went to self install.
I think the gist of engineers 'forgetting' the job ever existed is less to do with their memory, and more to do with the hassle of chasing it all up to get it resolved. i.e. it's just like the job never even existed.
It is hard to defend the indefensible.
chillypenguin
Grafter
Posts: 4,729
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

Quote from: tijara33
Unfortunately OR's monopoly of the "final mile" leaves them in the position of total power & all the kicking in the world will make no difference. Hopefully the much expected Ofcom report will rectify the situation by taking OR away from the dead hand of BT.

Changing ownership of OR will make little difference while the "final mile" monopoly still exists. This is what needs to be broken.
I know that most of the work is currently being completed by contractors, as OR simply does not have enough engineers. I am not sure a week doe past when I don't see an OR van parked up by our cab.
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

Every missed appointment or a job not completed in the allotted schedule cost Openreach a fine which the managers will then require an explanation from the engineers.
itsme
Grafter
Posts: 5,924
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-04-2007

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

Quote from: Chilly
Changing ownership of OR will make little difference while the "final mile" monopoly still exists. This is what needs to be broken.

How can you break up a natural monopoly? So you want it to go the same as Rail, Electric, Gas and Water? Any infrastructure that require large investments is a natural monopoly. 
chillypenguin
Grafter
Posts: 4,729
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Senior Management Action re Openreach

I never said that it would be easy, or that I had answers.
Opening up the OR ducts and stopping the developers of new build housing estates from entering into exclusive contracts.