@CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
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Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 12:47 PM
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The comments made may have influenced a lot of people to stay with PN when they may otherwise have left, so whilst they may have come from a specific PN employee, it was a pretty major and important statement.
The only point of reference the customer has is what was said, so that cannot be ignored. I think we all know that Chris is not personally responsible for any of this, and he was effectively the messenger. However, in the absence of anyone further up the management chain commenting on this, Chris's comments is all we have to go on.
It is no different than everyone asking Matthew Wheeler for an update on the peak time slowdowns in the other thread. We all know he is not personally responsible for fixing the issue, but since he was the messenger, everyone is asking him for an update.
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 1:28 PM
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Quote from: jafreer The only point of reference the customer has is what was said, so that cannot be ignored. I think we all know that Chris is not personally responsible for any of this, and he was effectively the messenger. However, in the absence of anyone further up the management chain commenting on this, Chris's comments is all we have to go on.
It is no different than everyone asking Matthew Wheeler for an update on the peak time slowdowns in the other thread. We all know he is not personally responsible for fixing the issue, but since he was the messenger, everyone is asking him for an update.
That is obviously true, but it's the way that one or two posts in the thread (not just shutter's) have been phrased that is sometimes a problem. The same applied in the capacity thread w.r.t. Matthew.
Let me be clear, I otherwise do not disagree with shutter's stance. But as I said earlier
Quote from: Anotherone Plusnet could have expanded it's customer base in a slightly different way without this significant drop in Service Standards, yet they have chosen to completely ignore most of the sensible advise they have been given in the last couple of years from highly experienced Qualified Engineers and IT people. But as long as they have sufficient customers tied to contracts, the bean counters won't be the slightest bit concerned.
Employing more CSC staff is only dealing with a symptom of the problem, they need to deal with the disease itself - the cause of the majority of reasons people need CSC support, issues well covered in this forum.
Quote from: Estragon ......................... the CEO in post since December 2013 is determined to change the whole company. That's where Chris and all the Digital Care Team were before it was disbanded.
Chris, and possibly others in the replacement and very differently focussed Customer Relations Team, may have reported to their immediate line manager some of the points you have made. They probably haven't, as sufficient such reports will have been made several times about similar complaints over the last few months. They will have been told to shut up and get on with their job of PR, and not to get into discussions with people who are making a noise about something that isn't going to change.
Any peep from any of them that isn't in line with the instructions they have clearly been given relatively recently would almost certainly result in a formal warning. A first step towards dismissal.
Do you want him or any of them sacked? I hope not. So if you want to complain so bitterly, start sending emails to Andy Baker or even Gavin Patterson. You may get one courteous reply from each. Possibly two. But I doubt if anything will change because of what you, I, or anyone else on these forums says.
Maybe I'm wrong, and you might influence them. But they are the only two people who can change things, because it is they who have set the policy.
Totally agree with you, but I think you could add Sarah Pepworth, head of marketing at Plusnet to the list.
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 1:42 PM
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Quote from: Estragon But I doubt if anything will change because of what you, I, or anyone else on these forums says.
Sorry, but I would tend to disagree with this. If enough people complained or signed a petition, they would have no option but to address the issue. As I said before, if they chose not to then that is contemptuous to say the least, and would not go unnoticed. Regardless of who the Boss of PN is he / she is powerless when it comes to the customer, it just takes enough customers to push the right buttons and things will change.
Don't get me wrong, I think PN are the dog's danglies, any issues I have had have been resolved and I would recommend them without hesitation, but to be honest would throw in the caveat regarding their Customer Care.
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 2:03 PM
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Many people here want to see Plusnet succeed and provide the levels of service that we know they are capable of delivering. However, we are customers and have no direct influence over the ultimate direction of the business or the detailed decisions on specific resourcing. As others have pointed out, the only control a customer has if he is not satisfied with the service provided is to take his business elsewhere.
I understand jafreer's concern about responsibility for delivering against promises but I don't think I would agree that it was a "major and important statement". As there was no specific timescales or targets it can only be seen as a statement of intent. They may well have believed that improvements would have come through sooner when Chris made his statement but things get changed and mean that original plans have to be modified. Again, as a customer you have to decide whether you want to stick with it or move.
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 2:13 PM
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Quote from: jsm51 Estragon is completely right .........
........... Again, as a customer you have to decide whether you want to stick with it or move.
That is the dilemma that customers who otherwise get good service, WHEN they get the customer support, have to deal with.
The other dilemma is the putting up with the removal of information that would help in self diagnosis of problems and reporting the less urgent ones in a convenient and non-time-wasting manner (primarily to the customer but also to Plusnet staff).
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 2:14 PM
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Until the removal of the usage graphs it was clear they had over 858,000 customers. Are there 858 complaining on these forums? That would be 0.1.
Without spending many hours checking, maybe overall there are, but will they all be about the CS changes?
OK, let's double it. Say there are 1,716 complainers. That would be 0.2%. Completely insignificant.
There will be many more unhappy customers, who read these posts to see if others are having the problems they do. But they will only count each of us once in their opinion-testing if they detect we are simply going on and on endlessly about one thing. In the end they will ignore that poster (in any thread they see them) in the same way as Plusnet do.
Some posters make reasoned comments and/or complaints, and may follow them up. I hope I am one. The many unhappy non-posters will pay far more attention to them than to ranters.
I think a few people here greatly over-estimate our importance. In the DCT days, we did have a little bit of influence, as sensible suggestions from us did go upwards and some were implemented. That route is all but closed. The same couple of dozen posters protesting time and time again, which is what happens to all ISPs, are just ignored. Ranting is counter-productive.
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 2:21 PM
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Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 2:30 PM
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Quote from: Estragon There will be many more unhappy customers, who read these posts to see if others are having the problems they do. But they will only count each of us once in their opinion-testing if they detect we are simply going on and on endlessly about one thing. In the end they will ignore that poster (in any thread they see them) in the same way as Plusnet do.
Some posters make reasoned comments and/or complaints, and may follow them up. I hope I am one. The many unhappy non-posters will pay far more attention to them than to ranters.
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 2:34 PM
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Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
12-07-2015 2:44 PM
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I expect there are more complainants than here - (amongst other things it's a heck of a lot easier to get to and use), plus the same repeating posters .
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
13-07-2015 2:58 PM
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However, he as already answered another thread, and deemed it (probably) best , to let this one lie, and hope it goes away....
Not sure ifthis response is totally convincing to Alaric Adair, in his posting " The problem with Plusnet"... which was very straight forward, and to the point. Chris` reply seems to throw cold water on Alaric`s comments, trying to put out the fire, before it gets started,....
Chris.... can you see ANY similarity, in what you are saying to Alaric, today.......
Quote
Reply #3 on Today at 13:50 »
Hi AlaricAdair,
Whilst I appreciate that some of the changes may seem negative, they are being implemented with the best intentions to try and improve the service and focus we offer. I'm not sure what diagnostic aids have been removed as the help pages are still there, we've recently added an online phone troubleshooter and the online broadband faults checker is still there, there are now also YouTube videos to get help which we didn't have previously.
I do appreciate the comments you've made and will ensure they are passed on, however the proof will be in the pudding and I sincerely hope that you see that the changes we are making are to try and improve.
and what you were telling me SIX and THREE YEARS AGO ?
are we in for another SIX years of "flannel" and "whitewash" ......? or should that be "hogwash"
never mind.... I am sure somewhere along the line... Chris will say.......................................[
Give us time ............... and we`ll get there.... ( oh yeah....that`s the short version of the long version in the quote box above.... )
Honestly Chris... you really have to read that quote, and see how ridiculous it looks..... for anyone to beleive what you are saying......
Quote
I appreciate that some of the changes may seem negative, they are being implemented with the best intentions to try and improve the service
how can you say that ? ? ?
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
13-07-2015 3:08 PM
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The thread itself makes some good points, and I'm not going to say that everything is peachy and rosy. It clearly needs improvement which we are (still) working on. I'm not sure why you're referencing 6 years though, yes you started a thread 6 years ago but I don't believe that our service has needed improvement for 6 years. There have been periods during that time where the call waits have increased, there have been periods during that where the call waits have been very small, fluctuations are what happens in this business. There have been longer periods and shorter periods where improvements were needed.
I don't believe there is much else I can say in here, especially with how personal this thread has become.
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
13-07-2015 3:35 PM
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Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
13-07-2015 4:07 PM
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If I was to be on a busroute, that said.... "get on this bus,...... and we`ll get you there" ( i.e. the destination on the service board)... and the driver was called Chris.. then when it didn`t "get me there".. I would be complaining to Chris, about it... not to John the cleaner, or Fred the advertising man....
The principle is the same in this thread, as I am referring back to the person, who said those things to me..... and all the readers/customers of that thread way back then...
There is no getting away from the fact....that what you have said to Alaric in the above quote on the other thread, it the same thing you have said to me..... but in a different guise..
PlusNet is pushing an advert, that basically says.... come on over to some good honest Yorkshire folk, and get some good honest broadband with good service provided by a UK based centre,.. and
We`ll do you proud....
If you think you are giving that kind of service with resonse in the quote,......then, I am sorry to say,... it just doesn`t ring true....
I am referring back to that post 6 years ago, because that was the time when I suggested several things to improve the customer experience on the phones, which was, at that time, abysmal,.... and 3 years later, i reminded you of that thread....where you said improvements would be made, and here we are, 6 years and 3 years on with an abysmal customer service that is being reduced even further... how on earth can anyone in their right mind, suggest that cutting the hours of telephone service, and other CUTS TO CUSTOMER SERVICE are going to IMPROVE it, is beyond any sane person`s beleif....
As glloyd has stated in his comment ... loyal customers, and, dare I say it, new customers are not receiving the service that SHOULD be second nature.. and it is DISGUSTING to fob the customers off with constantly stating that things will improve...... given time...when history has shown this not to be the case.
Customers need to SEE these improvements... not just DREAM of them, to be able to continue supporting PlusNet..... My experience on the phone the other evening/night proves my point... it just hasn`t improved over six years...... peaks and troughs of improvement in waiting times, are expected...
but how can you justify a waiting time of ONE HOUR AND NINETEEN minutes at almost midnight....with only 2/3rds of a phone call waiting to be serviced.... ?
Re: @CHRIS.... Employ MORE people to answer the phones
13-07-2015 4:36 PM
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See my post from 2 weeks ago here on another thread - reply #10
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,141077.msg1244422.html#msg1244422
The reason you are seeing all these things is that the BB market is maturing and is becoming a commodity you just buy - like electric or petrol.
You/we on this forum are the ones 'out of line' still holding on to how it was at the start and wanting the service to remain like it was. It cannot - the market has changed and it is not going back, and whatever was the intention/strategy 6 years ago is no longer applicable to the present day.
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