How has Plusnet support gone so badly wrong?

[#1]

The faults page can be found here - https://faults.plus.net - which after logging in redirects to Broadband Troubleshooter - Telephone Number Check (plus.net)

[#2]

@Townman Ooh now that is *very* interesting and useful, thank you!

That page appears not to be linked from *anywhere* on the Plusnet website. Everything about reporting faults leads to this page:

https://www.plus.net/help/report-a-problem/broadband/

which does not link to the URL you shared at all, or mention online fault reporting. I don't think the URL you shared is linked from anywhere at all.

Unless anyone from Plusnet can advise me otherwise, it still seems to me that what I was told on the phone by the staff was incorrect, because unless you have a kind forum expert sharing a link with you, there isn't any findable way to report a fault online.

But I am certainly going to save that link for future reference, and hope it continues to work even now they've hidden it from the site!

Thanks again!

[#3]

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@paulspeller wrote:  snipped

or by using the SMS fault bot (which didn't work for me because it claimed my number was not associated with my account, even though it was).

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You may or may not have done the same as me when I used their Bot for the 1st time.

I found their text number and asked 'it' for help

However, being as SWMBO was ranting that she couldn't get online I panicked and didn't text the word FAULT before giving them our landline number, which their bot then said this:

By including FAULT and my landline number (a simple thing to miss whilst getting ear ache), it then responded with:

By then I'd changed our DNS and rebooted the hub but it still kept sending messages!!🙄

The above was 'it' testing. Then it didn't stop, note the times

(and no I didn't respond to 'it')

(still no input from me, our connection was back on the default DNS by then and yes I spotted refresh)

Good job we don't pay for incoming texts...

(please stop, but 'it' said no)

'It' gave up after 21:47, thank goodness

[#4]

@DS That all sounds very confusing but it's not what happened to me. In my case I gave it my number and it just said it wasn't linked to an account and I'd have to call to raise a fault.

[#5]

(see 1st image, it didn't know mine - although I'm not the main acc' holder - but I am authorised)

You could always double check (if you're the main account holder) that your mobile number is correct by logging into your account. It'll look something like this -

Ignore the arrow as I posted it for another reason elsewhere so you don't need to click on that tab

But the top line should be the main account holders name and their mobile, if it's not up to date you can edit it from there.

(and authorised users will be listed too if you have any)

[#6]

@DS I know, the number on my account was correct and I got it double-checked by staff as well when I called up to raise the fault, but it didn't work anyway, the text bot could not help.

So the text bot doesn't work, and the link which @Townman kindly shared is not made available anywhere on the Plusnet website for customers to find - but it seems the customer services staff and management are not aware of this and will still insist to customers that faults can be raised online 24/7, when this is untrue (unless someone on a forum has shared a secret link with you).

Following the manager's insistence on the phone that you could raise faults online, I asked on my ticket for them to explain the path to follow on the website to raise a fault. They ignored this question and have now closed the ticket after applying the agreed credit. And that was a customer service manager so no wonder the staff are also unable to help properly if that's the example set by managers.

[#7]

@MatthewWheeler 

Could the general availability of the link I shared be reviewed please?

If CS and their managers believe that it should be possible to raise faults on-line 24/7 then it ought to be more accessible than it appears to be.  If it is deemed that it is the bot test suite which should be the go to means of accessing 24/7 support then that needs to be more dependable that it appears to have been here.

There is already an open escalation on the SU boards regarding the operation of the bot, particularly its dependence of a phone number being associated with the service / account ... which might not be available on FTTP or SoGEA accounts.

[#8]

Thanks @Townman - I would add that the SMS bot is also not available 24/7, which was part of my complaint, in that I couldn't raise my fault at the time of day I discovered it (even if the bot had worked), so am one day's compensation down as a result. (I really didn't understand why it wasn't available 24/7 either, bots don't need to sleep do they?!)

The link you shared looked familiar from 'back in the day' and I wonder if a decision was taken by Plusnet for some reason to hide this from the website deliberately - but I have no idea why they would do this.

Links elsewhere that sounded like they might lead to it, led to the page I linked to above, which felt like it would have your link on it, but didn't. I felt like perhaps it used to be on that page and had been removed.

[#9]

@paulspeller Well the only other thing it could be (total guess here) is that the account number is stored as 07********* and possibly the text you send to the Bot is seen as +447*********

(I could try using my wife's mobile as a text to see if this does the same as you, but knowing my luck something else would go wrong)

Regarding that link, I personally had* (*been deleting them over the last few days) quite a few Plusnet URL's that used to work and now they're either dead or I get an 'oops something went wrong' message now. There's every chance certain links were public facing historically (O/T - I did find one that was discussed with JonoH (<-community gaffer) regarding the Plusnet Content Delivery Network) which I personally found to be a very interesting read and not only has that URL gone so has any other references to it anywhere on the www.

Yes I'd have to agree that certain staff members wouldn't be aware of such links, maybe PN's owners didn't like how honest, open and transparent PN used to be. But having only recently come back to these forums I've noticed some things have changed and it saddens me to say that IMHO not in a good way. Anyway I digress.

Raising faults online won't (IMHO) be going anywhere as computers and robots will eventually replace us mere humans

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@paulspeller wrote: snipped

and will still insist to customers that faults can be raised online 24/7, when this is untrue (unless someone on a forum has shared a secret link with you).

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I did read something recently that if you report an issue after a certain time (I've forgotten ATM) then the staff will respond when the office is next open - I see the business sense this makes but it doesn't help you or I when you're getting ear ache of family

If I have time to find that text regarding the response time I'll pop it up - it won't help you now but future readers may gain from it.

[#10]

@DS - that text you refer to is in here: https://www.plus.net/help/report-a-problem/broadband/

[#11]

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@Townman wrote: snipped

There is already an open escalation on the SU boards regarding the operation of the bot, particularly its dependence of a phone number being associated with the service / account ... which might not be available on FTTP or SoGEA accounts.

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In my case (and at that time due to the most recent DNS issue) I had to use my mobile (via my very weak mobile data network) to 'speak' to this new fan-dangled Bot. I genuinely thought the Bot was looking at the account holders mobile phone number held on the plusnet account.

I'm assuming this Bot also works on a browser? - IDK

[#12]

@DS 

If (when it works) the BOT determines that the issue is on user premises, then the problem must be referred to the support staff to arrange an appointment with the customer.  If the issue is detected to be external it should be referred direct to BT Openreach as no customer engagement should be required.  Such has though brought about an unexpected BTOR visit and consequential user complaint!!

[#13]

@DS 

The SMS BOT is just that.

The web page I linked to might use some of the same technology in the background - IDK for sure!

I like your international number prefix confusion hypothesis!  I will ask when the escalation (for discussion) topic gets picked up.

[#14]

@jab1 thanks for posting it up, I have it bookmarked - until Mother kills that off too!! 🙄

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@Townman  wrote: (my highlight)

@DS 

If (when it works) the BOT determines that the issue is on user premises, then the problem must be referred to the support staff to arrange an appointment with the customer.  If the issue is detected to be external it should be referred direct to BT Openreach as no customer engagement should be required.  Such has though brought about an unexpected BTOR visit and consequential user complaint!!

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Oh, so it can be a WoBOT - Works occasionally But Often Trips (over) - I always thought it was a robot!! (I'll get my coat)

So, referring back to my images (I didn't expand the full content of the received BOT texts), when it asks if I would require it to refresh my connection 'it' doesn't do this and has to ask a human to do this either if PN are still open or when s/he walks into the office in the morning?

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Plusnet Diagnostic Bot wrote: snipped

.... appears to be working well, so next we need to refresh the connection to your hub.

This may cause you to lose connection for a few minutes, but it fixes a lot of common problems

Just reply the word REFRESH when you are ready .....

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If that's the case and a human does this, what's the point of the BOT <insert a long ponder> ?

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@Townman  wrote:

The SMS BOT is just that.

The web page I linked to might use some of the same technology in the background - IDK for sure!

I like your international number prefix confusion hypothesis!  I will ask when the escalation (for discussion) topic gets picked up.

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You may have answered my question then about a refresh, the BOT can't do anything - so why have it?

And hopefully if it is the prefix it can get sorted PDQ as imho it does create some confusion when one is flustered

[#15]

"You may have answered my question then about a refresh, the BOT can't do anything - so why have it?"

I do not know about every aspect of this beast but it can do a lot of the line test investigations.  If there are external line issues it can deal with on its own - such as pass an external issue to BTOR with minimal additional touches. then that probably gets the bulk of issues dealt with then without human intervention.  So there's real merit in having it, even if it cannot do everything.

You've asked challenging questions on what it does / does not do without the aid of HI (AI still being in its infancy).  I do have an escalation on BoT functionality in the SU space - I will try to see if more details of how it works what it can / cannot do can be shared here.

Just love WoBoT - I only said "when it works" in recognition that it does not fix everyone's issues which is not the same as it not doing what it is supposed to do within its intended limitations.  We just do not know where those edges are.

@paulspeller was not even able to engage with the BoT which is quite fundamental.  Your experience could not be concluded by the automated processes ... potentially a candidate for enhancement if such can be undertaken without human oversight.  If a "reset of the line" is what I think it might be there will be a commercial charge to Plusnet for that action.  If it were my business, I am not sure I'd want a WoBoT flushing money into the hands of my supplier under unrestrained automation!!

Really great discussion - if we get more insight into the beast which we can share, I will do so.