Disconnected Early on house move

[#1]

I arranged to have my connection disconnected, and reconnected at a new property for today (14th), however dates got changed around.

I informed Plusnet of this, and the date for the connection at the new property got pushed back to the 21st. However the connection at my current property still got cut today, leaving me a week with no internet connectivity.

Additionally the reason for the push back was because I won't be available should an engineer need to come into the property to inspect the line. I asked twice as to if my presence is even required but that was never answered.

'Question' number #152844872

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear your services have been disconnected at your current address today. It looks like the required-by date wasn't changed on the cease order, just the provide at your new address.

The cease order is still in progress on our suppliers systems, but unfortunately it's past point of no return so the required-by date can't be amended. That should complete today.

Once it's complete, I'll place an order to reactivate the phone line which should go through the next working day so possibly Monday. And we'll place your broadband order back on the line. It's highly unlikely that a fibre order will complete before you move out, so I'll be happy to place an ADSL order and try to expedite it which should take a further working day?

Incidentally, it also looks like the amend for the provide order didn't go through, because the adviser just changed the required-by date on the phone order instead of the fibre order. As the two orders are linked together, the fibre order controls the phone order.

It's a new line installation, so an engineer will require access to your property to complete the work.

I've contacted our suppliers now and they've unfortunately advised me that the earliest available appointment date is the 1st August because of fibre trained engineer availability in your area.

Many apologies for the inconvenience caused.

Anoush

[#3]

@Gandalf,

So you're citing agent error in the context of multiple inter-linked orders - current services cease, new service phone install and new service fibre?

Is this a training issue or the absence of appropriate process controls (within BTw?) to inhibit the alteration of one date in a pool of interlinked orders thereby creating the discordance reported here?

[#4]

Every provisioning agent should be aware that fibre is the leading order in SIM2 FTTC provides for changes to the required-by date. For ADSL, the phone is the leading order.

[#5]

Anoush,

Thank you. One understands that agents should know certain key stuff... but!

Are you implying that if the agent had turned the correct key here (for the BB type) BTw systems would have sorted the dates across all of the orders?

If BTw systems knows that one element is part of a SIM order, why does it ensure that asgents cannot unwittingly make such errors?

Now playing devil's advocate with you (if for no other reason than it's fun!) ...

In the context of a house move where the current service is ADSL and the new service will be FTTC ... and the cease and provide dates are all nicely joined up within BTw's wonderful ordering system - which order should the agent alter the required date on so that they all change together?

[#6]

I'm on ADSL and according to what I read on the PN website the phone line would be switched to PN first, then the BB.  This makes sense since PN takes over the line, then adds their BB to it.  However, it happened the other way around, i.e. I got PN BB one day and PN phone service the next day.

[#7]

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@Townman wrote:
Are you implying that if the agent had turned the correct key here (for the BB type) BTw systems would have sorted the dates across all of the orders?

Yes.

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@Townman wrote:
If BTw systems knows that one element is part of a SIM order, why does it ensure that agents cannot unwittingly make such errors?

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I'm not sure that's something we can answer.

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@Townman wrote:
In the context of a house move where the current service is ADSL and the new service will be FTTC ... and the cease and provide dates are all nicely joined up within BTw's wonderful ordering system - which order should the agent alter the required date on so that they all change together?

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The fibre order with BTW.

[#8]

@Gandalf,

Thank you - I confess to being impressed that if the correct knowledge is applied, BTw systems will work things out properly ... sadly I'm conditioned into believing they need too much smart agent knowledge to deliver the goods!

[#9]

It's not a fault with BTW systems.

It's how SIM2 orders progress through the Openreach and BTW systems that interact with each other.

[#10]

Anoush,

Thank you for the illumination - we have strayed a long way off topic, but I think your last comment is really key here.

To manage phone and broadband orders TOGETHER the ISP needs to mange disparate poorly integrated systems across two quasi independant telecoms companies - that needs agent knowledge / skill whilst the computer systems fail to inhibit errors.

Personally I had forgotten that not everything is provisioned via BTw - which one would hope might enforce coordination. Broadband via BTw whilst the phones are direct with BTOR must at times take some juggling and readily illuminates the opportunities for SIM order failure in the absence of agent insight.

[#11]

Would just like to say everything appears to have been resolved and I'm currently connected at my new address. Thanks! 

[#12]

Awesomeness, happy to hear it! Let us know if I can ever be of further assistance.