LIVE CHAT is NOT busy... it isn`t working (was: How long is a "short wait" ? ? ? ?)

[#1]

@JonoH 

I see there is a thread on the Community Feedback, bemoaning the fact that Live Chat is not working properly... i.e . We`re busy message and refresh the page..

I refer you to this current thread,

https://community.plus.net/t5/Plusnet-Feedback/Is-online-chat-unavailable-I-need-to-talk-to-someone/...

which is not dissimlar to many other complaints about Live Chat not working....

It is now 19:36 on a saturday evening... and I would expect Live Chat to be more responsive at this time... and it has been when I have tried before at this late hour....

I am getting the distinct feeling that there is some underhand behind the scenes working going on, to reduce the demand for Live Chat, in the same way as Beeching cut down the railway network, by preventing scheduled services from running, and thus diminishing the passenger numbers on certain branch lines, giving the overall impression , ( when the statistics were quoted) that there was little demand for the service, so it should be closed,

Obviiously, if you deny the customer the useage of a service, the figures collated of actual users ( i.e. those who persevere and manage to get through) will start to decline and thus be a good reason for curtailing the service altogether,    This is what I feel is happening to Live Chat.

Let me remind you, that Live Chat is a VITAL resource for people with hearing problems, such as, tinitus or acute deafness.. who are unable to use the phone... and don`t give me that stuff about text  phone either, because 90% of sufferers are of an age when using a text phone system is alien and not easily accessible, as you would expect from a younger customer base.  Certainly from my personal point of view, I would rather write in and cancel my contract than try to use the textphone system... it is cumbersome, tiresome, and very slow compared to the response times on Live Chat once connected.

10 minutes further on. @  19:46 .. and still the same message appearing on the Live Chat page.....

so how long is this "refresh" the page going to keep me hanging on?  

another 10 minutes later @ 19:56  same message .... busy .. refresh ...try later...

What is even more annoying is the " Thank you for connecting with us"..

.. actually, NO!... it`s not annoying.... it`s an insult...

because I never got the chance to connect with "you" ... did I ? after such a frustrating wait and refresh session...

Whatever happened to the "you are number 31 in the queue" ?  

you got rid of that because there was too long a queue  ? ? ?..............  probably,...

            but at least you knew you were going to be number one ......... eventually.... 

the way the system is at present...as a customer,  you are just a ghost, who is tryiing to contact the real world from the depths of despair.

another 10 minutes   20:06   and still the same insulting messages

another 10 minutes 20:12     ditto      ditto   ditto

another 10 minutes 20:18    ditto       ditto   ditto

another 10 minutes  20:24      ditto        ditto    ditto

another 10 minutes  20:30       ditto   ditto ditto

NOTE THE TIMES IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER.>..... just to show that I am ....(was) actually trying to access Live ????? Chat  at the times stated... and not just making it all up for effect...

ONE HOUR.... since I started waiting for a connection to live chat...NOW>>>>>20:36   still same message(s)

At this stage, I am getting the feeling that I am being ignored... and that the guys who are supposed to be on the other end, have just thrown a switch to give the "busy" message, so that they can play on their games machines,... and get paid for it by PlusNet, until 10 pm, when they can go home wiith a ( almost ) clear conscience, as to having a good Saturday Night.... ( and no hangover in the morning ) .

20:42   still same messages ..... still busy... still try later...

20:48  still same messages...... still busy ... still try later...

20:54    still same messages....... still busy..... still try later....

21:00  . still the same insulting messages.....

again...check out the time on the bottom right...

21:06    still same messages....

21:12    still same messages....

21:18    still same messages...

21:24    still same messages...

21:30    still same messages.....

TWO HOURS   ...... TIME NOW  21:36   AND STILL THE MESSAGE IS THE SAME...

there might be a short wait...... REALLY ? 

  how short, is a "short wait"..... 

Of course... this is exactly what new customers sign up for... ( and existing customers ) .. remind me... what is PlusNet`s catchy gimmick?

ah yes...

we`ll do you proud

certainly not doing anyone proud, with this ( lack of ) customer service...

21:42    still the same......  no change.....

21:46   a new insult....  shown below..

21:48   still insulting me.....

OK... i know I am pushing my luck right now... it`s 6 mins to knocking off time.... and I reall don`t think I am going to get a LIVE CHAT with anyone tonight...but

21:54    YUP! ... still insulting me.... and many others.... but ... hey   "SALES" is still open. 

22:00   Yup.... all gone home.... and still the messages say .... might be a short wait..... and "thankyou for connecting with us"

How insulting can you get?

But...look.... Live Chat... does work ... 

If this is what is classed as "DO YOU PROUD".... I

Are YOU proud of this kind of customer service ?

Again... I remind you that LIVE CHAT IS A VITAL SERVICE TO DISABLED CUSTOMERS.....i.e. those with hearing problems, as mentioned..

. YES>>>>> THEY AE Disabled too.... you don`t have to walk with a limp or crutches, or be in a wheel chair to be disabled.....

BEING HARD OF HEARING, OR PARTIALLY, OR TOTALLY DEAF, IS VERY ISOLATING... AND THE USE OF THE LIVE CHAT FACILITY IS A REAL HELP TO THEM,.....BUT...

ONLY IF IT WORKS PROPERLY....   OTHERWISE ...IT IS JUST AN INSULT TO THEM.,

Moderators Note: Title updated at op request.

[#2]

Far more patience than me, I think the pc would have gone up against the wall by now!!

Seriously disturbing to see your results 😞

[#3]

Sorry for the inconvenience but we've paused Live Chat for everything apart from Sales and Mobile whilst we investigate how best to use the facility. In the meantime, though it will continue to just say that we are busy for any other option.

[#4]

Surely it makes sense to announce this so that user's don't get frustrated and wait in what is a finite queue?

[#5]

Hey @Mook,

We have no further info at this juncture in relation to notices on the live chat feature - I can certainly understand how it may seem an inconvenience, however, we do have other options for our customers who may utilise live chat due to certain vulnerabilities/disabilities - all can be found here. 

Thanks.

[#6]

Hi @Mads, the other options aren't in question here. The user will only know to use them when the chat is Offline, if the Chat says it's busy then a lot of users will use it on the assumption that they will get a response!

[#7]

Absolutely ironic - on the "hearing" disability page - https://www.plus.net/help/legal/support-for-customers-with-disabilities/?_ga=2.6574193.279545108.157...

it says to ring up or have a live chat (which takes you to them same continous non-existent live chat !!!)

"(To set up an authorised user for phone and broadband please contact us on 0800 432 0200 or by using our online chat service)"

[#8]

@CockapooLover to me it takes me here

Edit* I can see how you'd get to that now. 

[#9]

The responses from staff on this thread seem to be pretty contemptable 🙁. To take something out of use, but not tell people and let them assume it is working as usual is wrong. PN already get a battering in the wider world of forums, when this gets out it's something else to beat the company with ☹️. How difficult can it be to show the support department as closed all the time on the chat box?

[#10]

This is just not good enough. 

Castigation time...... firstly...

@JonoH shame on you.....

You obviously think that spending 2.5 hours waiting and refreshing a page is just an inconvenience....

.like waiting for a bus, that never comes.....

." oh  shuck.....  that`s inconvenient....."

To state that "we are sorry for the inconvenience".

His posting is the answer. 

Sorry for the inconvenience but we've paused Live Chat for everything apart from Sales and Mobile whilst we investigate how best to use the facility. In the meantime, though it will continue to just say that we are busy for any other option.

@JonoH   You do not have the "inconvenience" ...

so I suggest you try it out,

and see how INCONVENIENT life is..

get some cotton wool , or bluetak... and stuff it hard down in your ears... then try to use thelephone system ...

and hear what the guy at the other end has to say.? 

  Of course...you will have to wait in an extended long queue due to the fact that you have DISABLED live chat for the DISABLED customers, who RELY on LIVE CHAT to communicate their needs to the PlusNet staff.

Leaving the Live Chat as " busy" is pure laziness...

        You should be "doing us proud" and at the very least. have a flash across to say"

Live Chat is not busy.... just DISABLED..."  

but please do NOT add insult to injury by an insulting "sorry for the inconvenience"  notice.. 

This statement ......

                                            whilst we investigate how best to use the facility.

What does that actually mean?  

         surely the best way to use the facility , is to have it working so that disabled i.e. DEAF & Hard of Hearing customers CAN use the facility...

It `s not rocket science.... and should not need to be closed down, for a week.... month... to work that out..

.     I did it in 10 seconds.... 

************************************************************************************************************************************

Castigations to @Mads  Shame on you also.......

suggesting the use of  the telephone systems as an alternative..... to customers who are DEAF or HARD of HEARING... is an INSULT of the FIRST DEGREE. 

@Mads also thinks that Disabling Live chat is nothing more than an inconvenience  

She says   "I can certainly understand how it may seem an inconvenience,"

REALLY?     It MAY seem an inconvenience ? ? ? ? ?

  again....how can it "may seem"  an inconvenience......  to someone who has good hearing?  

try the cotton wool or bluetack in your ears, and see how "inconveneint" it seems to you then, when trying to answer your phone in the office. 

Shame on you for suggesting  old age pensioners, with little love of text messages... big clumsy fingers and small buttons on touch screen phones with small screens. should use .........

"Next Generation Text/Text relay services.."   clumsy and difficult to get working the first time round, ... and the frustration that causes on top of waiting all day for the Live Chat and the problem that needs someone on the end to talk to about it.... Texting is not as quick as typing on a keyboard with a big screen and big letter buttons.

Emergency SMS ?   Huh ?   again the same as above.... not exactly customer friendly when you need to TALK to someone...

Third Party account manangement.... how does that solve the problems usually notified ( and solved ) by direct communication via LIVE CHAT...?

Free Priority fault repair ( phone line only)

                                                how do you notify plusnet that you have a faulty phone line? 

Oh Yeah....   you have to get on the mobile phone and speak to someone.... although.... being deaf or hard of hearing... the customer won`t be very well informed as to what the other person replies back to them...

Even @JonoH  had trouble finding the "hearing" section  on the link provided...  (not that it is of any real use) except , perhaps to try and comply with the legal "niceties" of providing .....

__________________________________________________

  2hours ago - last edited 2 hours ago

@CockapooLover to me it takes me here

Edit* I can see how you'd get to that now. 

I_______________________________________________________

And he SHOULD know where to look !...

so , with no indication as to "where to look" on the LIVE CHAT page .... due to laziness, or inconvenience.......

How do you expect DEAF and Hard of Hearing customers to communicate their problems...

Once upon a time....... ( yeah..... always a good start to a fairy story )...

Plusnet was famed for it`s customer service.... the quality of help available, and the speed at which it dealt with problems...

All that seems to have gone to the wind , and the famous advert "WE`LL DO YOU PROUD"..

Has a distinctive Hollow Ring.... to it.......

[#11]

@CockapooLover to me it takes me here

Edit* I can see how you'd get to that now. 

[#12]

@JonoH Click on hearing.

Not great is it really

All these threads read like PN has made a knee-jerk reaction to something and not fully looked at WHO might need to use the Live chat service.

[#13]

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@shutter wrote:

@JonoH shame on you.....

You obviously think that spending 2.5 hours waiting and refreshing a page is just an inconvenience....

.like waiting for a bus, that never comes.....

I do not think that at all, I'm genuinely sorry that that's the experience you have. however, the business has made the decision to pause offering live chat and as of yet we still do not know how long for.

The decision was made and we were unable to change the messaging on the live chat widget in the same time frame. We are working in doing that as we speak.

For customers who need accessibility assistance, Next Generation Text Relay remains available.

As soon as Plusnet makes a decision regarding the reinstatement of chat, I'll let you all know.

Also, I do know where to look to find accessibility however the first option is Next Generation Text Relay. 

[#14]

Moderators Note

Two topics merged to allow comments and replies to be in one place about one subject.

[#15]

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@JonoH wrote:

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@shutter wrote:

@JonoH shame on you.....

You obviously think that spending 2.5 hours waiting and refreshing a page is just an inconvenience....

.like waiting for a bus, that never comes.....

I do not think that at all, I'm genuinely sorry that that's the experience you have. however, the business has made the decision to pause offering live chat and as of yet we still do not know how long for. 

Unfortunately.... the way your posting was worded belies the "genuineness". of your sorrow!

Have you tried "the inconvenience" that I suggested with the cotton wool or bluetack? 

probably not......

The decision was made and we were unable to change the messaging on the live chat widget in the same time frame. We are working in doing that as we speak.

The decision was made....but it was ill-conceived, and executed, without proper planning in place... and the consequences of the way it was progressed, has caused a lot of stress to DISABLED ( DEAF  & Hard of Hearing) customers, due to the blatant lie that is showing on the Live Chat access page. Never mind....it happened before, when they closed Live Chat (  a VITAL SERVICE for DEAF & Hard of Hearing customers) ...so they could use the staff to help out the hearing customers as a PRIORITY service for them on the phones.

LIVE CHAT IS A PRIORITY SERVICE FOR DISABLED CUSTOMERS...

For customers who need accessibility assistance, Next Generation Text Relay remains available.

as mentioned previously..... the "accessibility assistance"  of "Next Generation Text Relay,

is more inconvenience, piled on the inconvenience already meted out, to the Deaf & Hard of Hearing.

That system is geared to competent users of mobile phones... those with dexterity of small fingers and a quickness of use, of small keypads, with small screens...

Most "DEAF & Hard of Hearing" customers are of the "older generation"... who do not aspire to being au-fait with such devices... and by the very nature of it....  prefer a full size keyboard and a screen they can type on, and read, with the abiliity to respond quickly and accurately with the person on LIVE CHAT.

As soon as Plusnet makes a decision regarding the reinstatement of chat, I'll let you all know.

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That is very good of you...... what a pity that forewarning that Live Chat will be DISABLED for an unspecified period, could not have been made prior to the BLATANT LIE that appears on screens now.

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Also, I do know where to look to find accessibility however the first option is Next Generation Text Relay. 

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Hmm.... didn`t seem that way from your post...... 

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Quotes fixed to make it more readable.

[#16]

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@JonoH wrote:

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The decision was made and we were unable to change the messaging on the live chat widget in the same time frame. We are working in doing that as we speak.

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A classic case of "cart before horse".  🙄

It's surely imperative to change the widget message before disabling the service.

Someone in the PN heirarchy should be held accountable for this fiasco, and steps taken to ensure it doesn't happen again!