Hello! Hello! Is there anybody there?

[#1]

Tried all day yesterday to get through on the phone to 0800 432 0200 option 1. Friendly Yorkshire voice told me repeatedly that  there was a 15 min wait.
Because I've now adopted cloud, obviously I had wanted to enquire about implications of upgrading my steam-driven plusnet service to make use of fibre. Clearly I need to consider likely billing increase, particularly if I change ½ way through 1yr line rental  paid up front..
This continued lack of response strikes me, plusnet,, as poor business practice.
 

[#2]

Depending on the Fibre package you pick you may need to watch whether you still have any inclusive calls with your LRS package if you have them at present. Other than that most prices are fairly well explained in the "Legal Bits" but if you have a particular package in mind then I'm sure someone from Plusnet will come along and explain all.

[#3]

I very much doubt that changing broadband/fibre package will have any affect on the inclusion or otherwise of calls in the LRS
As has been discussed elsewhere the renewal of the LRS at the new prices retains any inclusive calls but letting it lapse and then starting again wouldn't include any calls

[#4]

So you fully trust PN's systems not to cock it up when changing packages Jim?

[#5]

[#6]

In grateful response to observations here, my current contract supplies talk anytime, caller display, and unlimited BB - with a year's line rental paid up front. I did manage to blag a decent deal but, sadly, the contract runs until 02/2015 and steam-driven BB @ 3mb no longer meets my needs.
It's obvious from the forum that I'm not a lone voice crying in the wilderness re phone response. What I find interesting is that everyone who wants to contact is directed through that one telephone number (although I've now seen the other one mentioned on the forum, thanks). Now if you're going to use that approach then surely you need to ensure that there are enough lines and enough bodies answering? Otherwise you certainly risk losing biz. And in my case I wanted to discuss the possibility of a higher level of service, ergo more bucks for plusnet!
Perhaps plusnet mgt need to take an example from another Yorkshire co. Drive along to Leeds, HQ of on-line banking co FirstDirect. They also publish just the one number, but when I've rung them response time to a real live person (at any time of day or night) has been measured in low seconds - and without any dial 1, dial 2 irritation.
Maybe BT has adopted the Tesco two level strategy - Tesco Finest v Tesco Value? But the latter is now being phased out! So just perhaps, as has been suggested elsewhere on the forum, BT's hidden agenda for plusnet is now 'death by a thousand cuts'?     

[#7]

'death by a thousand cuts'?  - Nice one, that's what it feels like sometimes
Stick with it here ArthurDent. When you've decided what package you would like,  I'm sure one of the CRT guys here could get the ball rolling and make sure you don't loose any of your phone package.

[#8]

Thanks AO. Really all I'm looking for is unlimited fibre with the bells and whistles I mentioned. Currently I pay way under £20pm for that including advance line rental/12. However bog standard prices listed for fibre suggest approx £36pm in total after the first 6mths and, tellingly, loss of the balance of the line rental already paid. Also an 18mth contract which in the current plusnet climate I wouldn't be happy with.
Guess I'll have to grit my teeth for 6mths then look at the market or, if I really can't bear it, write off the rump of the line rental already coughed up and move on.   
Cheers. 

[#9]

You won't loose your prepaid line rental at all. All I would be concerned about was that the switch didn't accidentally remove some of your phone package. If it's followed through by one of the CRT, all should be OK. That total isn't cheap, are you on a market 1 exchange?

[#10]

There was post here some time ago, AO, with somebody complaining bitterly that on upgrading he/she had lost the balance of their upfront line rental. As regards my estimate of the monthly total -  I picked up plusnet's figure as shown on the home page - £15.95 (doubtless to be upped line with BT's imminent increase). Checking does reveal, however, that I'm in market 3, and this gives slightly more acceptable figures further into the plusnet website.
You'll see that this is precisely why I needed phone clarification -  with hopefully a better offer!
Thanks again for your thoughts.

[#11]

One of the CRT members can no doubt pick up your query after the holiday. Someone like Oldjim may pop some info on here as I know he is quite knowledgeable on a lot of the detail related to this.

[#12]

AD,
The answer to your issue is to ring "cancellations" not support.  I'm not being "funny" here - though generally known as "cancellations" that is the team which deals with package change OPTIONS which is why they are also know as the Customer Options Team.  They can give you a good deal... very much along the lines of what you might be looking for.
They have separate phone numbers, answer faster but do not operate 24x7. They are open until 17:30 on Saturdays.
HTH

[#13]

I'm well aware of that Kevin, but that was not especially relevant at this moment, even they will not necessarily ensure there is no loss of existing phone package options. You need to remember that they will be interested in negotiating a "deal" to still get the "most" especially in terms of contract length, from the customer.. That could also include the removal of options the customer already has, without it being "obvious".
ArthurDent still has 6 months LRS with anytime calls. He also may not want a longer contract. That's why it's a good idea for any change to be "overseen" by one of the CRT once he's fully aware of ALL the package options that may be available, both by knowledgeable people like Oldjim and CRT members before negotiating with COT where they would otherwise have the upper hand.

[#14]

From my experience COT is fair, open and honest, indeed a delight to do business with.  The deal I struck for ADSL unlimited was better than what I was paying for much less and comparable to what was being offered to then new users.  OK since then prices for new users have got even better, but hey ho that's life!
I made a point of confirming the call was being recorded, I then confirmed that the bits I was not changing remained the same - LRS included calls, web space etc...
For those of us on LRS which includes evening and weekends calls, that remains in place so long as it does not lapse.
Having read many other threads on similar lines, CRT seem to make a point of not getting involved in these matter, advising that COTs is the authority for deal making.
Kevin

[#15]

I did not say that CRT would be involved in negotiating a deal, read what I said, that was "overseen" in other words to make sure things did not go wrong. Indeed in my first mention of CRT, I said "One of the CRT members can no doubt pick up your query after the holiday". The key word there is Query, in other words the provision of information. ArthurDent needs some more information to make informed decisions.
Now also telling me that LRS options already in place remain there as long as LRS doesn't lapse, is telling granny how to suck eggs.
See the post I made above -

Quote from: Anotherone

So you fully trust PN's systems not to cock it up when changing packages Jim?

The deal you "struck" was no doubt from a position of "strength" being the knowledgeable person that you are, and knowing what was a good deal.
Nor did I say anything about COT being "unfair". That doesn't mean that they will always offer the best or good deals. Indeed there have been quite a few posts on these forums which show they haven't. Most recently for existing customers, take a look at the deal linked in this post.
That would have been put together by COT and it is abysmal, as I commented in another post, or maybe a PM to someone.
ArthurDent is on ADSL and is thinking of a switch to Fibre, but might have been tempted into thinking that the ADSL offer was good
Back in the day, before DCT, there were some offers made here on the forum for existing users, even in the early days of DCT IIRC. But they would likely have been put together by COT and implemented by them as I would expect future offers will be.
CRT haven't been in existence long enough to "not get involved in these matters" but I see no reason in the future why CRT may not advise of certain special offers from COT, after all there is an "R" in CRT  ie.Customer Relations Team, otherwise the fancy name is a bit meaningless IMHO..
You have tried to read far more into what I said or implied Kevin, and now I've wasted my time answering your points, I'll see if I can post where someone needs some help.