Feedback to PN re changes lets fill the thread. PN Mangaement this is for you!

[#1]

for the price - in a Market B exchange - no
the options are fairly limited except when you are on fibre with a speed of 40 Mbps or less and don't want 40/2

[#2]

Yes, Peter - I've already looked, but on my finances, and what I use the 'net for, I just can't do it. Had I still been working, I think I would have moved by now.

[#3]

I've had a happy relationship with PN to date. I've 40/20, PNTV, LRS, discounted 2 year contract, referrals, and have sacked SKY so am quids in. But I won't be recommending them again because new signups can't get what I've got. But I don't think they want people like me so they probably don't care. I'll have to reassess the situation when my contract is up or I have a fault. 

[#4]

Quote

Yes Zen

"Which" agree, but at an additional £150.00 per annum. I guess that's the problem, service v price.

[#5]

What's this 40/2 all about? I'm on fibre and get 25/6. Will it effect me?
Agree with others here, fed up with fewer features for more money, especially line rental hikes which by itself will have me looking for alternatives for my own and two other accounts.

[#6]

Well in line with x47's thrust on matter of consolidation in to large groups. It seems to me that in other industries the big players end up as nor more than five. Transport is a very good example, once the faux brand names are stripped away. Eve tnen not wanting something a minnow is doing successfully on their patch, they still try to ruin it.
Such is modern capitalism!
I know OT;sorry!

[#7]

For many of the reasons mentioned in this thread my relationship with Plusnet will be ending on Monday of next week.
After using the likes of Idnet for many years i moved to PN as they offered the balance of customer service and cost. They were the middle ground between what today would be AAISP/ZEN as a high end service focussed provider and Talk Talk "sell it cheap and pile em high" at the other end of the spectrum. Sadly PN seem to now be chasing the TT model.
Real shame as some of the PN guys on here are very good.
The decision for me was made against the following points -
1 This forum seems to have recently filled up with failed orders and BTOR non attendance as a result.
2 Moving to a 40/2 product instead of 40/20.
3 PN Tv seems shaky compared to BT and despite the trials going on forever it still does not look like the bugs have all been ironed out.
4 Self install. I'm moving to BT. I don't need to take a day off to wait in for an engineer to potentially not turn up.
It's all down to personal choice i guess. As an average user PN no longer has the attractions it used to have and in all honesty BT are cheaper for what i think i will see as a better/wider service level. All the best PN.

[#8]

@CRT
One understands that comment from CRT on behalf of Plusnet might be near impossible here given that these days CRT respnoses do appear to be being moderated, however are you able to confirm that the management team are giving consideration to what is being said here ... or are forum members simply being ignored, left to 'vent' whilst PlusNet are content for long standing, loyal customers to simply float away?
It is more difficult to attract new customers than to keep existing ones.  One can presume that the CEO has a bonus on reaching the 1m customer mark.  Clearly attracting new customers is key to achieving that artificial target.  However retaining existing customers enables that target to be reached sooner and thereby the bonus attained sooner.  Where is the focus on retention?  Do the senior management really believe that the current detrimental changes are conducive to the need to retain customers?
Something has gone very wrong - or the strategy is nolonger about being the best ISP in the UK.

[#9]

Quote from: Townman

Something has gone very wrong - or the strategy is nolonger about being the best ISP in the UK.

I doubt that this was ever the intention at least after the initial phase when they were going after quality not quantity and growing via referrals
Certainly with the recent aggressive price cutting policy and the fact that they are the low cost arm of BT I would say that it definitely hasn't been the case for a long time

[#10]

i'll be leaving shortly after being a long time customer  (was my first and only broadband)
its all only opinion...but
ive never been sold on the 'we've got good customer service' .... you dont need customer service if everything works as it should....and thats a better sign of service in my book. 
prices hiked up (more to come)....some facilities closed down........in my view its just becoming BT  .... which it is isnt it.
lost its way from when it started out.  always the way.....start out, get successful by having a really good competitive service, get taken over by greedy profiteers ......... ruined, unless get back to roots!
as an aside, in my view line rental (standing charge in effect) is a con these days with all services............it costs little to maintain..........and that's gone up rapidly...perhaps not PN fault, but dont see em trying to do owt about it
etc
i'll take my chances elsewhere.....  this is not a Yorkshire company anymore........  and i hate the TV ads  (cost loads by the way).
enjoy.

[#11]

Quote from: badbetty

...it costs little to maintain..........and that's gone up rapidly...perhaps not PN fault, but dont see em trying to do owt about it

But that is just the point - it does cost a great deal to maintain and the network has not been maintained.
The marketers are to blame here.  It is "broadband" not "voice" services which people want.  However the whole pricing and selling model is "expensive" phone line (perceived as a voice only service) along with a "cheap" broadband service.
Unless one is "within reach" of a fast enough 3G/4G network, broadband over wires is the only viable technology.  Until we are all honest about the real cost of broadband there will be unrealistic expectations from users.  ADSL / FTTx needs a wires / fibre network - there has simply not been enough investment / maintenance in the d-side copper network (cabinet to home) to sustain the demands being made by modern high speed BB services.
What would be more honest is to raise the price of broadband services in line with speed increases and capacity usage.  Yes, I know this will be unpopular with the big bandwidth consumers, but if you want fairness in pricing, there is no alternative.  ISPs pay for bandwidth consumption - and the faster a line can go, the quicker it can consume.

[#12]

@townman
Generally, I don't agree with you (without specific response), but its hardly worth much discussion because we've both made up our minds.
In addition i will admit i've become very cynical about costs of a lot of things these days and this PN thing is just one very small issue wrapped up in a bigger worrying picture. It is hard for a lot of people who are immune to alternative 'out there' ideas to see there are other 'better' ways to consider than the corporate/private profiteering approaches we see today.
There's always clever ways for vested interests to convince you all it costs as much as it does and needs to!
One thing is clear [for me].......PN from when i joined does not seem 'better' now than it was....not in my experience....but perhaps I am mistaken due to my cynicism.

[#13]

Quote from: Kremmen

What concerns me is that at the end of my current contract will I be silently forced or slipped onto the 40/2 product with little or no notification or being an existing customer does my current package continue?

You stay on 40/20 on a monthly contract. But if you try for a retention deal you will probably only be able to get one on 40/2 or 80/20.

[#14]

Hi badbetty,
Seems that the only thing we do not agree on is "it costs little to maintain" and "we've both made our minds up".  It would indeed cost less to maintain properly than it does to deliver repeated bodge ups but that is not the way things are being delivered by BTOR.  The marketing model creates the impression that people have to pay for something they perceive they do not want - a voice service - not realising that delivers the essential connectivity for BB.
Discussion / debate is about exploring different perspectives to bring about deeper understanding and thereby possibly influencing minds.  I agree with you that PlusNet is not the quality provider it used to be - the powers that be have moved it from a high spec well engineered supplier to a volume least functionality service provider where not quite enough will have to do.  The delivery model is creaking at the seams as it seeks to expand the customer base using an inadequate infrastructure supplier - are we still in agreement?
I have no vested interest in anything, but I am realistic about the costs of running infrastructure, customer service and support.  If one has no need of customer support, then there is some margin to be made each year on the fees charged.  If a user needs but one contact with support, much of that margin will have been spent in support costs - especially when cash back schemes have "refunded" most if not all of the first year's BB costs and customers are free to leave after 12 months.
The bit of the equation which is wrong both here and in BTOR is that in the long term it is cheaper to prevent issues than to fix issues - that though is the difference between engineering and accountancy perspectives.
Kevin

[#15]

Any idea when we MIGHT get a response to all this comment from Plusnet - and I don't mean the 'we're looking in to it' type from CRT, but a truthful reply from Andy Baker? I assume he is the man who has instigated the wholesale destruction?