Ticket replies to Forum questions

[#1]

Quote from: Ed

If we were to offer call backs then in general it is in place of an agent taking an inbound call - thereby increasing call times.

Sorry, Ed, but I don't agree with your logic, here! 
Providing a Call-Back facility does NOT increase the total number of Calls that an Agent Handles.
However, it does remove a "Holding-Caller" from the queue - hence reducing the amount of time a Customer is on hold!
True, it doesn't change the effective dynamics, the Customer is still waiting for his query to be dealt with but, at least he is NOT having to hang onto the phone!
I would suggest that this would lead to less Customer-Frustration - which has to be a good thing for PN!
I would even go as far as to "suggest" that the actual Calls might be a bit more efficient/speedier as they will no longer have to include the obligatory "I've been waiting bl**dy hours, on this phone"! 

[#2]

Quote from: Ed

It would only improve it if the amount of agents remained static.

I also disagree with this 'logic'.  A sensibly managed 'blended'  Call Centre can be much more efficient than 'Incoming only'.    Yes it can be difficult to manage, but it CAN| be made to work.  I have installed and ran such a service for a local branch of a big organisation and after a short settle in period and a number of "The way we do things" changes, it has proved very effective.  It must be worth further investigation  - must be more effective than the rather extended period of "We will do better soon."  that's been ongoing for 6 months or more?
Maurice

[#3]

Thinking about it i agree - If the phone system were changed to allow a call back from the outset then yea it would reduce the call times - When I was replying I mis-read your post
I blame working nights and posting in the daytime For some reason I thought you meant calling up then being offered a call back.
My bad sorry.

[#4]

I'm going to find out why we can't do that though - it does seem like a good idea.

[#5]

Quote from: JohnJ

I would even go as far as to "suggest" that the actual Calls might be a bit more efficient/speedier as they will no longer have to include the obligatory "I've been waiting bl**dy hours, on this phone"!

I don't think that 'bl**dy' has quite cut the mustard recently!
But yes, I agree with your point.  I wonder if our new phone system has this service built-in?  Ed and I will raise this when we're back on shift tonight

[#6]

Having worked in companies using large inbound and outbound call centres for many years, with direct responsibility (as IT manager) for the phone and IT systems I can guarantee it's not that simple.  

[#7]

There's a lot to look into before a decision is made either way. When we changed over the phone system this was again investigated. Edward and Lewis are going to look at this but I wouldn't want to make any promises on this.

[#8]

I would suggest some kind of online callback booking possibly ? Give the customer the option to request a callback with a 1 hour timeframe, allocate a member of staff for that time and if the call is a quick one they can carry on working through the current queue. Also have the option for an earlier call if the member of staff is free.
Yes, initially it may require some man maths as to how you can allocate staff etc but it isn't out of the realms of possibility. Even better for the customers who have lost their landline and can only call from their mobiles etc.

[#9]

Quote from: James

Our first staff started taking calls there on Monday.  We have a heavy recruitment programme over the coming month's and we anticipate being able to answer your calls quickly by early Spring, hopefully sooner.

I agree with all the comments above in favour of a call back system if Plusnet cannot get their call queues down to a sensible time. Appropos of queue times, when is Spring going to arrive?  and what does James class as "quickly"?

[#10]

Quote from: KK

The real issue is that the call centre response is so poor that people are trying to bypass the call centre altogether and get a better service on the forum. I've been posting and lurking on this forum since the beginning of the year, and the PlusNet response has not changed - they know that their call centre service is unacceptable, they are happy to continue to enjoy their earlier reputation for good customer service, and they are very sorry. Plusnet - you can only get away with this for a limited period of time!

You forgot the quoting how Which think they are brilliant as well... but apart from that I fully agree with what you said. 

[#11]

I think it is worth making the point that although Plusnet call centre response times are currently particularly long, the overall quality of call centre customer service is generally abysmally low - especially in industries which used to be nationalised monopolies.  The privatisations of the 1980s were supposed to create a whole new competitive playing field which would open up a revolutionary new customer experience for all.  In practice, very little changed, and getting a quick and reliable solution to any kind of user issue remains as uncertain as ever.
I get the impression that call centres are operated to suit the priorities of the various providers, and the needs of the customers are a secondary consideration.  That’s probably one of the reasons why a call-back service is so rarely offered.  In fact, long response times probably act as a kind of filter, insofar as some customers might give up trying to get through on the phone, and resign themselves to having to simply ‘put up’ with whatever it is that is bothering them.

[#12]

It's a sort of used car salesman mentality.
We already have your money, so that little fault you've found we'll get around to fixing it when we feel like it. It's up to you to do all the chasing.
And the why should we improve things when we have new customers arriving like Lemmings over a cliff.

[#13]

Interestingly I have phoned my bank 3 times in the last couple of days (mostly to do with PN's less than robust DD system  ) and each time it has been answered INSTANTLY.
And I really mean that, not even time for one ring.
Not "that" far from Sheffield either....... 

[#14]

In recent times, retail banks have become increasingly innovative and competitive, and their customer service has definitely improved.  The growth of the internet has transformed the customer experience.
But the phone companies and the energy suppliers remain tied to a single identical product, whilst apparently having no control at all over the management of their own industry infrastructure.
Phone companies and energy suppliers can compete on one thing only, and that is 'price'.  Customer service is one of the few areas in which they can control costs.
Interestingly, most banks routinely charge most of their retail customers absolutely nothing at all!  (Mis-selling is a completely separate can of worms...)

[#15]

If I wanted a more personal service with agents that answer the phones within seconds etc etc I'd move to AAISP.
However to get the equivalent of what I'm getting at the moment, I'd be paying four times what I'm currently paying.
I'm a realist when it comes to what I get vs what I pay for and for my needs, I find Plusnet to be the best balance.