Dreadful - just dreadful customer service

[#1]

Since November 2010 I have witnessed, and had to endure, the most appalling customer service from PN / Madasafish.
It should have been so simple - either give me a decent deal to stay or supply a MAC key. Of course you tried the former, and the offer sounded great. The CSC rep even promised to call me back to sign me up again - but then he didn't make the call. So I requested a MAC key and it was not sent. After some ticket correspondence I finally speak to a "Manager" - fantastic I think, someone who can take responsibility. The manager tells me that unfortunately the promises around line speed made by the rep were false. In other words, PN will offer you anything to keep your business knowing they can't deliver. I think you need to look at your commission rates if your staff will tell porkies to keep customers.
I still didn't get a MAC key and then you take another month's premium at the full price - so I am trapped, can't leave but can't get a deal either. The call centre is so jammed it is impossible to get through.
Via the ticket system I plead for said manager to call me - she does eventually and promises faithfully to restore my confidence, offers me a new deal and gives me her word it will be sorted. Was it? No, of course not, another billing error and then a data usage charge. Strangely I can't get through to this manager again.
Another ticket is raised, another answer offered by a different rep who doesn't appear to read the ticket history. More anxiety and frustration. Yesterday call times for customer service were "in excess of 45 minutes" according to the recorded message. GIVE UP!
This morning tried again - at least I got through in a reasonable time and maybe I have found the jewel in the crown. Very pleasant rep who seems to grasp quickly the issues. More promises, more apologies......
Message to PN - make sure your left hand knows what the right hand is doing. If your staff haven't got the skills to deal with problems, don't employ them or at least don't allow them to interface with customers. You're playing a lot with the Yorkshire angle these days on TV so I hope you can cope with the straight talking back from this very disillusioned customer.

[#2]

Quote from: Thebigticker

I still didn't get a MAC key and then you take another month's premium at the full price - so I am trapped, can't leave but can't get a deal either. The call centre is so jammed it is impossible to get through.

Hi Thebigticker , Welcome to the forums.
From request of mac PN have 5 working days to provide this to you , have you checked your closed tickets ?
You are not trapped as you put it contracts are only 10 days notice , but will will be charged if you have any deferred costs with the last 12 month , (router, house move,, new install)
I am sure one of the digital care team (staff) will be along soon to help
Regards
Miike

[#3]

Ticket 37367420 shows a formal request for a MAC key and one was issued back in December, nothing since then though I'm afraid.
I can see since then that there have been discussions and an agreement to give you some discounts but no request for another MAC key, please do let us know if that's still a route you wanted to go down.
I apologise for any difficulties we had and for any broken promises. As always I'll be picking over the details of what happened here to see what can be learned.

[#4]

Adam
The MAC key was requested by phone on 23 November. It never came. I had to try several further calls and tickets - see 37367420 (as you have highlighted) plus 37918181 on 12th December and 37939960 on 13th December.
I'm pleased you will pick through this lot to see what went wrong and hopefully you will learn from it.
Mike - ITWorks - PN did not issue the MAC key within the 5 days, hence the repeated desire to either get one, or get a new deal. It was either clever and cynical tactics to delay over the next billing period, or just unfortunate incompetence.
Anyway, we've just about got there in the end - taken 2 months to transact something that really should have taken 20 minutes.
cheers

[#5]

I also have experienced extreme frustration and poor customer service from Forec9. My broadband problem first reported on 31 December has still not been properly fixed. I did have a BT engineer out about 10 days ago and we thought it was fixed but alas it reverted back to the same old problem after 7 days. Along the way I've been told by the CS staff  the wrong appointment date when the BT engineer was booked, hence was not in and had to re-book. I thought the positive would be that the job is left open for a fortnight in case the fix hasn't worked and so a speedy follow up would ensue. Silly me - It was as if i was back to the start and had to go through all the checks once again before the CS staff would contact BT. When they finally contacted BT, BT said the job was done (which it wasn't) and only daily phone calls from me prompted any further action at all, though I am still waiting for an appointment to be set up. All in all I reckon i will have been without broadband for the best part of a month and of course i've still paid for it, but no-one at plusnet/force9 really appears to care about that or the fact that my wife and i cannot get vital work done at home.
All in all i cannot possibly have had any worse experience of this company and would not recommend them to anyone.

[#6]

welcome to the Forum Shaun
Reading through your post you have a problem with BT Openreach not Plusnet

[#7]

I'm sorry but that's ridiculous. Force9 are my provider, they charge me so they are responsible for sorting out any problems!

[#8]

shaunwj,
Indeed we'd also agree that your complaint is with us. Where as it sounds like the issues lie with Openreach, we are your provider and must bear that responsibility.
I'm going to look at your account again now and see what I can do to intervene and hurry things along.