Complaint about so called customer service

[#1]

Almost half an hour waiting on the phone to find out that fibre optic is FINALLY available to me, but that dept is closed now, and the cursed website is absolutely useless, revolving me around in a neverending loop of despair, with no way to actually find any more information, select an upgrade or alter any aspect of my current account status?!

Why do we have to put up with such shoddy service?!

[#2]

Hello @jamessc

I'm really sorry to hear you couldn't upgrade to fibre over the phone this evening.

Our Customer Options Team re-open at 8am in the morning and can be reached directly on 0800 013 2632 (Selecting option 1, then option 2) with usually no call queues or very little wait.

Though, you also should be able to place the upgrade order yourself at https://www.plus.net/upgrade_process.html

I hope this helps you.

[#3]

Hi Anoush, thanks for responding, but I'm afraid that link is no help at all, it simply returns me to the same 'account upgrade' page that all the other links do, where there is no way to move forward.

The same is true of links on other fibre optic service pages, whenever I select Plusnet I get locked into the same loop.

And why would I want to make another phone call when I'll probably have to wait half an hour for someone to answer, there's just no excuse for it. If you have too many calls, you need to employ more staff, it's not rocket surgery.

[#4]

If you are UPgrading you'll be paying PN more money and they'll want to hear from you so the number Anoush gave you has a very short wait, if any.  I agree that the on-line upgrade should work; I haven't needed to use it so I can't comment on whether this is an ongoing problem.

[#5]

Same issue but different service.  I tried to register for PN mobile last night filled in the required info hit OK took me back to the, 'are you already a customer' and sent me through the form again - tried 3 times with the same result. Had to ring in the end.

[#6]

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@jamessc wrote:

Hi Anoush, thanks for responding, but I'm afraid that link is no help at all, it simply returns me to the same 'account upgrade' page that all the other links do, where there is no way to move forward.

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Hmm. If fibre is available, the product change webpage should allow you to place the order. I'll look into this tomorrow once I'm back in the office.

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@jamessc wrote:

And why would I want to make another phone call when I'll probably have to wait half an hour for someone to answer, there's just no excuse for it. If you have too many calls, you need to employ more staff, it's not rocket surgery.

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The number I provided above as Jonpe rightfully pointed out has a very short wait.

For the duration I was in the office yesterday (9-5:30) the longest wait was 30 seconds. Interestingly, the tech support call queue dropped to less than 90 seconds for some time as well.

We're still in the process of training new technical support advisers. Once the new group are on the floor I'm hoping the queue stays down consistently.

[#7]

As an addition to Anoush's above comment, there is currently no wait for our Customer Options team at the moment

[#8]

It's always been the case that the sales and customer options (cancellations) teams have far shorter call waiting times.

The truth of the matter is that to the accountants and management getting new customers is a far higher business priority than keeping the existing customers happy.

[#9]

In fairness, the call queues for Sales & Retentions haven't always been zero or very short. At times, it wasn't any better than getting through to technical support.

Obviously, this certainly isn't an excuse to have a long call queue for any department. We are working very hard to bring down & maintain the call queues at a reasonable level across the board.

[#10]

@jelv

I agree but I wish someone could explain to me in words I understand why it is better business sense to attract new customers with TV adverts and freebee deals then spend equal resources keeping current customers who are paying full wack happy.

It obviously works as presumably PN are making a profit.

[#11]

Well, thanks to all for your comments and assistance.

I did call the number and got straight through (thanks Anoush) only to have my hopes and dreams mercilessly crushed when I was told that I had been miss-informed yesterday, and there is no option to upgrade to fibre-optic.

I am forced to continue using smoke signals and plastic cups connected with string until who knows when the promised connections are finally available. Not PN's fault, but nevertheless, [-Censored-] typical.

It is, without doubt, a disgraceful situation.

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Avoidance of swear filter edited as per Forum rules.

[#12]

Who told you that you could get fibre? Is this the same issues I had where plusnet kept telling me I could get it when I couldn't?

https://community.plus.net/t5/Plusnet-Feedback/Email-claiming-I-can-get-fibre-when-i-cant/td-p/14015... 

[#13]

@jamessc - Checking the progress at https://www.homeandwork.openreach.co.uk/when-can-i-get-fibre.aspx our suppliers are in the process of connecting power to the new cabinet. It's estimated to be available within the next 4 months.

[#14]

It was a young lady on the customer service team

[#15]

What a ludicrous waste of effort Mike (Mav) there was precisely no swearing, very explicitly and deliberately, in the comment