Plusnet get a new CEO - Andy Baker

[#1]

Quote from: Strat

No we don't as such but can and do flag posts for attention in a hidden board.

So it might actually be more convenient for you to have a little button on posts to do it automatically?

[#2]

Premium and international call barring/blocking is not available on Plusnet, and this is stopping me moving my telephone service to Plusnet. It is also causing problems for numerous other users of this forum, judging from searching threads/posts posted on the lack of this vital facility.

[#3]

How about adding an "Suggestions Box" area in the "General" section of this forum.
This could be an area reserved for brainstorming ideas on how Plusnet could improve their existing processes and product offerings.
Currently this forum is full of good ideas, but the visibility (particularly to a new CEO) of those improvement possibilities is lost due to the scattered nature of the forum, and the ideas often are expressed in the context of a thread involved in solving a related problem.
With a dedicated "Suggestions Box" area, the ideas could each have new threads where the ideas can be clearly and concisely expressed, and then expanded and commented on by both customers and staff.
Hopefully the ideas would be given due consideration by staff, in the context of 'brainstorming' (as opposed to criticism !), and not simply responded to with "yeah I would be nice but we have much higher priority issues to deal with first".

[#4]

Something like PUGIT?
Anything like this is going to be a waste of users effort. In the current climate the first two questions the management will ask about any idea are
[list type=decimal]

Will it attract a significant number of new users?

Will it save us loads of money

If the answers are not a strong Yes to either of those nothing is likely to happen.

[#5]

You could argue that if THIS forum was being setup today, that the management would probably say that it is a waste of time, whereas in fact this forum and the interaction of the DCT staff is one of Plusnet's biggest strengths and one of the reasons that many customers stay.

[#6]

Quote from: OnFire

Premium and international call barring/blocking is not available on Plusnet, and this is stopping me moving my telephone service to Plusnet. It is also causing problems for numerous other users of this forum, judging from searching threads/posts posted on the lack of this vital facility.

It is possible for Plusnet to provide Premium and international call barring/blocking but this is not a standard product and requires a member of staff manually setting it up. I don't know if staff are still offering to do this.  I have this service for which I pay £1.50 per month paid 6 months at a time in advance. N.B. This is not the kind of barring that a customer can turn on and off with a PIN.
There have also been requests for the ability to block calls to mobile phones but it has been said in the past that this is not possible.

[#7]

Quote from: jelv

Something like PUGIT? Anything like this is going to be a waste of users effort. In the current climate the first two questions the management will ask about any idea are [list type=decimal] Will it attract a significant number of new users? Will it save us loads of money If the answers are not a strong Yes to either of those nothing is likely to happen.

Jelv is correct in his assessment.  PUGIT  was conceived as a mechanism to Record / Monitor / Action  a variety of Ideas / suggestions / annoying long running problems etc  jointly managed by the UserGroup  AND  Plusnet.    It foundered mainly because:

• Insufficient [Development resource allocated


• Differing opinions on priority  - ie  unless it made or saved money


• Low numbers voting for action.  cf the low numbers on recent polls in this Forum.  To be effective needed No's at least in hundreds not 50 or so


• Once key supporters like Ian Wild left there was limited Plusnet interest

Interesting to look back at many of the old entries to see the Genesis of many of the issues still being seen today:

• flaky billing / referral system


• Slow refunds and a reluctance to use the 'Fast Payments'  banking system


• Ticket handling process

The System is still there but needs a bit of a wash'n brushup

[#8]

Just how any of the ideas offered here have been discussed with the new CEO?
What does he think about them?
Are we going to hear responses from him, or are we just wasting our time?

[#9]

I have a meeting with Andy Baker next week, so one of my prep tasks prior to that is to go through this thread, and many other threads to pull in ideas/problems/suggestions/comments/feelings/etc/etc and show what the community is talking about.

[#10]

Would it not be sensible to arrange a Username / Password and get him to read (and possibly Post) at least this thread in the Community.?
At least by that method he could see at first hand, the scope and the generally constructive content of the posts.  Your time in the meeting might then be more productively used in adding some internal detail.
Maurice

[#11]

How about the suggestion of Plusnet getting back to basics with a no frills standalone broadband at a competitive price.
Unlike the current penalty surcharge laden one.
After all many customers would probably be attracted to that then move on to a more comprehensive package at a later date. Worth thinking about.
Unless those at the top of Plusnet towers realise that their current poor showing would put those off from ever "upgrading" their accounts?
So maybe best to make a frenzied grasp for the maximum wallet contents from the start, like the present short term business plan.

[#12]

Focus on your customer support please Mr Baker as otherwise, you will lose mine. Call wait times to your contact centres is woefully poor. OFCOM should have the teeth to demand that PN cease their marketing activity and take no more new customers until they can cope with providing a service to their current ones.  The electricity watchdog this to a power company a few years ago. What I really hate though about Plusnet right now is the disingenuos (rephrase that to lies) message you hear when you ring support....."Due to high call volumes...blah blah....to address this we are about to open a new call centre in Leeds".  1. It isn't about high call volumes, it's about not having enough resource. 2. That call centre has opened.

[#13]

Totally agree with ianoffwell, regarding trying to get in touch with PN,  and this referral problem about not giving the correct amount  just seems to be getting no better.  I have now stopped recommending PN to my friends.  Am wondering if a call or email to the BBC program that Ann Robinson hosts would gee PN up to solve the problem.

[#14]

Quote

and this referral problem about not giving the correct amount  just seems to be getting no better.

I'm very surprised at that? The fix for the incorrect values has gone out now, so the numbers you see should be correct. We need to do the clean-up and refund any missed amounts, but going forward the numbers are correct.

[#15]

Chris, thanks for reply, but the amount shown on the members page for me still shows 50% less than it should, this is the amount I have been receiving.
Will not know till later in month if the correct amount has been given, and refund of the incorrect amount refunded or deducted from my monthly payment.