PN & Openreach

[#1]

or the problem is much worse with Plusnet because of their rotten systems

[#2]

Do any ISPs automatically pass on the missed appointment fee?
The same goes for when you have a line fault. As long as the fault is within Openreach's control and not due to external factors, then the ISP gets paid a month's line rental for every day the fault is not fixed beyond the SLA. Most ISPs will just compensate the end user with the equivalent daily rental charge though.

Quote from: jafreer

it would appear a large percentage of the affected people post about their issues on the forums. In other words, there are so many people complaining about missed appointments, that if the number is only in the order of 500 per week, it seems an unlikely high number of people complaining about it on the forums.

I would put money on that more Plusnet orders fail than actual appointments missed.
Try to find some threads over the last week so we can see whether this is the case.

[#3]

@oldjim - I am sure there is more than en element of truth to that. I do also see a lot of complaints on other forums about the same issue.

[#4]

@andyh - I think to simply look at a weeks worth of data won't tell you much. Looking at various forums, there are certainly a lot of complaints of engineer no-shows. I do appreciate there are a lot of engineer appointments with a big organisation, but equally, there are a heck of a lot of people complaining.
I also agree that given the PN systems, a large percentage of apparent no-shows will be PN's fault, and not OpenReach's. If the OpenReach figure of 500 no-shows per week is added to the number of no-shows that are caused by PN failures, that number may start to be quite significant.

[#5]

And how accurate is the 2% figure ?
What methodology is used to determine this figure, I suspect it's a general estimate, if it's based on complaints remember not everyone complains.

[#6]

This was the reason given 10 months ago to why the new system was delayed . I bet there still busy testing for another few years  
This one reason why orders fail

Quote from: I

I was told by provisioning  no i can not see the order on the system , my response i can see it on the closed tickets, yes its on our system , but not on our suppliers system.

Quote from: Linn

Hi I.T.Works, I'm sorry to hear that the system failed to order the broadband automatically. It is a known issue, it doesn't affect every single customer, however, it's still a problem. Quote Why has the " big system update" been put back to next year? In order to ensure that the issues that currently exist with the automated system don't replicate in the new automated Provisioning system it is being put through extensive testing and this results in the completion date being pushed back. As much as we'd loved for the system to be in place by now as it would improve the customer experience and in turn make our lives easier/better, we'd rather it took longer and was done correctly than releasing it without testing it properly and running into potential issues.

[#7]

I believe it's set by OFCOM, although I'm not entirely sure.
OR produce a lot of figures for the industry - every region has complete breakdowns on performance of all products.
There are monthly meetings with ISPs/OFCOM and the number of missed appointments is not really a major topic. I think overall the industry is happy with the lead times/missed appointments performance. When the ISPs are unhappy with something, they really do let OR know.

[#8]

In my case so far as I'm concerned OpenReach are two years behind their announced scheduled date for delivery of FTTC and no amount of complaints to PN, Chamber of Commerce, Local MP, OpenReach CEO is going to shift them. In my book it is down to poor management by OpenReach.
As to the 2% figure of DNA I think there should be independent verification.
Fortunately OFCOM are consulting with the industry about making BT Fibre available to competitors as Dark Fibre, that will really open up the competition.

[#9]

Dark fibre refers to the commercial/business side of fibre (backhaul/leased lines etc), where the fibres are in place but not being used. I'm not sure how that would help you in your case though.
I'm assuming your area wasn't part of BT's commercial deployment plans?

[#10]

Quote from: AlaricAdair

Fortunately OFCOM are consulting with the industry about making BT Fibre available to competitors as Dark Fibre, that will really open up the competition.

If I was BT I'd immediately re-classify dark fibre as for "essential spares" and bring some other into use for 'load balancing reasons'.
I also hope of course that the altnets also have to open their dark fibre to competition.....and that will include the likes of Virgin, B4RN, City Fibre etc who I expect will be simply incandescent with fury at this proposal.

[#11]

Quote from: gleneagles

Van breaks down ? you mean they have no spare vans ? Engineer is sick ? Well the chap who installed my fibre was on a zero hour contract with openreach so I guess they would have no problems in getting a replacement engineer at short notice. A company that cannot deal with issues like this has no business to be in business at all, a bit of competition is what's needed.

How long  it takes to get an appropriate substitute needs to be considered. Sometimes things are not as simple, as we would like to think.

[#12]

Quote from: lucerne

How long  it takes to get an appropriate substitute needs to be considered. Sometimes things are not as simple, as we would like to think.

Agreed but, how long it should take for a 'communications' company to actually advise people of unexpected delays is another matter.
Some delivery companies now advise customers in real time if their delivery is delayed (breakdown, accident, traffic), why can't BTO / Plusnet manage something similar?  Knowing that an appointment is delayed or cancelled would make all the difference for most people.

[#13]

I agree with the negativity about OpenReach.  They truly are an appauling company, and as someone said, what incentive have they got to pull there finger out ?
Oh, and yes, when I get round to doing a post to "thank PN", you will understand why I feel OpenReach should win the award for the most "incompetent" enterprise.....

[#14]

Back on topic - being parochial - splitting BTOR out from the BT group (or splitting PlusNET out of the BT Group) would mean that PlusNET can be openly and publicly honest about the failures of BTOR and the damage being done to PlusNET business.
I have spoken in detail with agents about poor BTOR service and been advised that they are not allowed to "dish the dirt" on BTOR failings.  I have written to the CEO's office asking what is he doing personally to improve BTOR's performance and been met with non-answers cloaked in "commercial sensitivity".
Whilst the only infrastructure supplier lays in the same bed as the only wholesale supplier and two retail suppliers, there will be no step improvement in service levels, as the in house parties will be in no position to call on their common supplier to do better.
I believe that within BTOR there are significant differences in performance region to region.  I have had numerous dealings in the Runcorn area and found then challenging.  Even with the benefit of PlusNet's business support team, as I have found recently, if BTOR are not responding to chase queries, there are no escalation routes other than "a complaint to the the CEO or an MP" - in the meantime ordinary PlusNET staff have to sit and await BTOR response / action.  It is all barking mad and needs a major review yesterday.
One lives in hope that Andy Baker is quietly leading change within.
I note with interest 3 pages of comments here and zero comment from PlusNET on any of the issues raised.  Not even, we are working on it....

[#15]

well lets see what happens with SKY http://hexus.net/business/news/telcos/84338-sky-calls-ofcom-investigation-uks-broadband-marketplace/