Changes to ticket response targets (increased from 8 to 24 hours)
On 17th January the target time to respond to tickets was 8 hours (see http://web.archive.org/web/20130127020124/http://www.plus.net/supportpages.html?a=212&helpheader=rhm... for proof).
Today I've raised a ticket and was shocked to see that the response target is now 24 hours (see http://www.plus.net/supportpages.html?a=212).
I was aware that Plusnet's support was increasingly struggling, but trebling the target response time as really not good - especially when they are failing dismally to meet the new target.
Today I've raised a ticket and was shocked to see that the response target is now 24 hours (see http://www.plus.net/supportpages.html?a=212).
I was aware that Plusnet's support was increasingly struggling, but trebling the target response time as really not good - especially when they are failing dismally to meet the new target.
Yeah right !, did you read shutters campaign ? - the ticketing system has been a problem for at least ten years and just never gets any better 
Frankly I don't understand why such a definable and manageable process can't be fixed ?.
How is it that it is usually quicker, and more likely to receive an effective response, by posting issues in this forum, than it is to use the official ticketing system ?. The staff responding on this forum tend to give accurate information often within minutes, whereas the ticketing system rarely results in a satisfactory answer within a reasonable period of time.
Frankly I don't understand why such a definable and manageable process can't be fixed ?.
How is it that it is usually quicker, and more likely to receive an effective response, by posting issues in this forum, than it is to use the official ticketing system ?. The staff responding on this forum tend to give accurate information often within minutes, whereas the ticketing system rarely results in a satisfactory answer within a reasonable period of time.
Despite my campaign.... EMPLOY MORE STAFF to answer tickets... etc etc etc. etc etc etc etc
for all that time, we have had the same response.... give us time and we will get there....
HA HA HA HA... larf ?.... I`m still crying...
Since my original post.... and the protracted discussions and excuses.... yes.... I did say excuses.... it would seem that nothing has changed.... except the number of customers....
Of course, every business needs to get new customers, because new customers pay the wages of the staff employed to service that company... unfortunately the increase in the number of customers also causes a backlog in the service requirements, and also the number of complaints.... I have not had a looka at "Feedback" for a long time, but am apalled to see the number of complaints from new customers about the level of, or lack of, customer service, on the first page.... I really am apalled... there is no other word for it... Plusnet is not living up to its advertising slogan of "We`ll do you proud"... from the number of complaints on the first page I think the Plusnet logo is two words too long.... .... I am sure you can work out which two they are... and you can leave dots for the missing words... .... ... ... ...
Now I am sure that someone in the hierachy at Plusnet towers, is going to come back on this, and say much the same as has been said before... we are recruiting more staff... and it takes time to train them up to the required standard....
unfortunatley,... it also appears that those that were trained up during my previous campaign, have done one of two things.... 1... they have got fed up and left.... or 2.... they have let their standards fall below what should be expected of them... and ... it follows that the newer "trainees" over the past 12 months have been trained up to the lower standard.
I know that Plusnet CSC management will vehemently deny this.... however, they obviously do not read the Feedback forum board... or they would have done something about it by now, and the overall staff management levels would have been increased to cope with the increase in customer numbers...
It would be interesting to be told......
1..... how many customers Plusnet had, way back in 2009 when I started my campaign.... and how many CSC staff they had at the same time....
2....how many customers Plusnet had 1 year later in 2010..... and again how many CSC staff they had then
3....how many customers Plusnet had 1 year later in 2011 .... and again how many CSC staff they had then
4....how many customers Plusnet had 1 year later in 2012.... and again how many CSC staff they had then
5...how many customers Plustnet had 1 year later in 2013...i.e. NOW.... and again...... how many CSC staff they have NOW...
If Plusnet had enough CSC staff to deal with the number of complaints/problems on a daily basis, then there would not be a backlog, and there would be good reason for seeing the following on Martin Lewis`s email today..
What are Plusnet thinking of...... EMPLOY MORE STAFF to cope with the increased number of customers....BEFORE you advertise for more customers.... BASIC.
for all that time, we have had the same response.... give us time and we will get there....
HA HA HA HA... larf ?.... I`m still crying...
Since my original post.... and the protracted discussions and excuses.... yes.... I did say excuses.... it would seem that nothing has changed.... except the number of customers....
Of course, every business needs to get new customers, because new customers pay the wages of the staff employed to service that company... unfortunately the increase in the number of customers also causes a backlog in the service requirements, and also the number of complaints.... I have not had a looka at "Feedback" for a long time, but am apalled to see the number of complaints from new customers about the level of, or lack of, customer service, on the first page.... I really am apalled... there is no other word for it... Plusnet is not living up to its advertising slogan of "We`ll do you proud"... from the number of complaints on the first page I think the Plusnet logo is two words too long.... .... I am sure you can work out which two they are... and you can leave dots for the missing words... .... ... ... ...
Now I am sure that someone in the hierachy at Plusnet towers, is going to come back on this, and say much the same as has been said before... we are recruiting more staff... and it takes time to train them up to the required standard....
unfortunatley,... it also appears that those that were trained up during my previous campaign, have done one of two things.... 1... they have got fed up and left.... or 2.... they have let their standards fall below what should be expected of them... and ... it follows that the newer "trainees" over the past 12 months have been trained up to the lower standard.
I know that Plusnet CSC management will vehemently deny this.... however, they obviously do not read the Feedback forum board... or they would have done something about it by now, and the overall staff management levels would have been increased to cope with the increase in customer numbers...
It would be interesting to be told......
1..... how many customers Plusnet had, way back in 2009 when I started my campaign.... and how many CSC staff they had at the same time....
2....how many customers Plusnet had 1 year later in 2010..... and again how many CSC staff they had then
3....how many customers Plusnet had 1 year later in 2011 .... and again how many CSC staff they had then
4....how many customers Plusnet had 1 year later in 2012.... and again how many CSC staff they had then
5...how many customers Plustnet had 1 year later in 2013...i.e. NOW.... and again...... how many CSC staff they have NOW...
If Plusnet had enough CSC staff to deal with the number of complaints/problems on a daily basis, then there would not be a backlog, and there would be good reason for seeing the following on Martin Lewis`s email today..
Quote
Plusnet - part of BT - broadband & line rent equiv £12.65/mth (BT line only £15). MSE Blagged. Plusnet's Essentials* (b'band, eve & wknd calls) is half price at £3/mth for 9mths of the 12mth contract. Pay a year's line rent upfront (£126) and it totals £171/yr. This link gives £25 cashback, factored in it's equiv £12.65/mth. See Home Phones.
What are Plusnet thinking of...... EMPLOY MORE STAFF to cope with the increased number of customers....BEFORE you advertise for more customers.... BASIC.
Hey shutter, why don't you raise a ticket for your questions and record how long it takes to get a sensible answer 
If you get a reply, post it in this thread so we can bring this topic up in another three and a half years time !
Keep up the good work
If you get a reply, post it in this thread so we can bring this topic up in another three and a half years time !
Keep up the good work
My point was that we haven't been in a bad place for the whole period since you started the initial campaign, if we had been then we wouldn't have won so many awards
We've hit a patch of problems which have impacted response times, whilst it might seem easy to throw more advisors at it, there's much more to it.
We know response times are high, there isn't a magic fix, there's a combination of things that need to happen (including our *continued* recruitment).
We've hit a patch of problems which have impacted response times, whilst it might seem easy to throw more advisors at it, there's much more to it.
We know response times are high, there isn't a magic fix, there's a combination of things that need to happen (including our *continued* recruitment).
Let's clear up one fact - the target is 24 hours not 35 hours - see the attached screen shot. If you look at the link in the first post it used to be 8 hours.
The important thing here is that the response time was hovering around the 8 hour average and when it crept above efforts were made to get back to the target.
Now the target is 24 hours it means that we will NEVER see the response times back to where they were. Once they get the average back below 24 hours Plusnet will say they are hitting their targets. What worries me is that if in three months time the response time is still stuck around 36 hours they will just change the target again and then say there is no problem - we are hitting the target.
Given that Plusnet makes a great play of their service in the advertising, if someone had looked at the publicly viewable Customer Support Statistics and seen the 8 hour target and that had been a factor in their signing up to Plusnet the change in the target constitutes an adverse material change in the service which would allow them out of their contract for free.
What really stinks about this is that it has been slipped out with no announcement - hoping it would be some time before anyone noticed? I would like to see a proper announcement about this from the MD or another person at the top of the management structure explaining the reason why this change has been made.
The important thing here is that the response time was hovering around the 8 hour average and when it crept above efforts were made to get back to the target.
Now the target is 24 hours it means that we will NEVER see the response times back to where they were. Once they get the average back below 24 hours Plusnet will say they are hitting their targets. What worries me is that if in three months time the response time is still stuck around 36 hours they will just change the target again and then say there is no problem - we are hitting the target.
Given that Plusnet makes a great play of their service in the advertising, if someone had looked at the publicly viewable Customer Support Statistics and seen the 8 hour target and that had been a factor in their signing up to Plusnet the change in the target constitutes an adverse material change in the service which would allow them out of their contract for free.
What really stinks about this is that it has been slipped out with no announcement - hoping it would be some time before anyone noticed? I would like to see a proper announcement about this from the MD or another person at the top of the management structure explaining the reason why this change has been made.
