Shockingly bad customer services - witsend

[#1]

Quote from: themathiesons

But I really have had enough now.  I was getting 3.5mb reliably until a month ago. Now about 30 disconnections per day and down to 1.5mb consequently.   PN Customer services have managed to: Add unwanted tickets I cant close, blocking me from seeing fault ticket Close my fault ticket TWICE "accidentally" send me a BT engineer who didnt turn up (not PN fault), but then tried to tell me he "must have worked at the exchange" (wasted day off work for me, no improvement, no communication, clearly BT nowhere near) Adopt a patronising offensive manner when clearly I am not a novice (tried new router in test socket for days etc) Say too many times "we have no contol over BT", they are your contractor not mine. PN seem to be focussing on getting as many cheap connections as they can and are letting service fall.

Hi themathiesons, I agree with your views completely. I've had all these negative experiences... although I get 1.5Mb when the connection is working "properly" (which it is not presently (0.12 Mbps downstream, frequent disconnections and failure to autoreconnect)).
I've been advised that a BT engineer will need access to the property, but I can't see why (simply to test the cable as it passes through an exterior wall (which can be done externally) ?), and your experiences of engineers not turning up or "working from the exchange", I see little reason to take a day's unpaid leave and add to the amount I'm spending to provide a resolution to a problem which PN seems unable/unwilling to fix.
Reading the forum there are multiple and frequent comments about poor customer service experiences, which PN seem totally unwilling to accept and acknowledge, let alone rectify.

[#2]

@witsend
May I suggest you start your own thread detailing your specific issues rather that tacking post onto other people's threads.
They are unlikely to get the right attention from those who can assist if you continue.
Regards
Dick (Strat) Forum Moderator

[#3]

Hi Strat,
I indeed have a problem... it's logged with Support... why start a thread, when I should be getting the proper responses through the proper channels ?
My updates are simply me agreeing with another person suffering the same issue (not the technicality of the issue, but PN's handling of it). Isn't that what forums are all about ?
It strikes me that PN are using the forum to replace their call tracking system. And many users are reporting a faster response as a result of "logging calls" on the forum. Doesn't this dilute the service offering and distract resources away from attending to everyone's support calls, logged in the right way and on the right system ?
More to the point, why aren't PN collating these repeated concerns and responding by fixing the underlying problems ?

[#4]

bye bye witsend was going to suggest some checks but why should we, you know better

[#5]

Hi pierre_pierre,
Not sure where/how I gave the impression I "knew better"... I'm simply looking for some positive progress/resolution to my outstanding fault as quickly as poss. So, if you have any "suggestions", I'd happily try 'em out and, if it fixes my problem, I'd even support your application to work in PN Support. 

[#6]

HI witsend,
I understand we are now just waiting for you to confirm available times for an engineers visit.
Jojo

[#7]

Hi JoJo,
Many thanks for the update... but I certainly wouldn't want any Moderator to be thinking I might be looking to hi-jack anyone else's thread... 
witsend.

PS... as regards engineering appointments, I've updated my call... 

[#8]

You did but I have split it off

[#9]

I wish as much oversight, dedication, process, concern and prompt responses had gone into the progression of my FAULT CALL... !! ...logged with the SUPPORT TEAM !    (...and yes, I'm shouting at my computer !!)
Tut... sigh... what is the point of having proper channels if these aren't used properly ?
Do PlusNet really want to send the message that, logging a support call, you'll wait a month. Log it on the forum, you'll get multiple responses within a day ? Is it any wonder you guys are struggling... ???? 
Or, as that's a different question, have I got to start a new thread... !?!?!?
Give me strength !!!!

[#10]

Hi witsend,
As requested on your ticket, in order to try to get to the bottom of this for you we need you to select an engineers appointment between 8.00-13.00 or 13.00-18.00 Monday to Friday.
Jojo

[#11]

And, btw, this is a community forum, so the help offered is generally by other customers, separate from the Plusnet support channels. There really is no point venting your anger at other customers (including moderators) who are only trying to help.
Regards
Chris

[#12]

Hi Witsend,
sorry you have had similar experiences as me.  I have to say my experience of  BT/openreach engineer coming into the property (once they turned up) has been positive in 3 out of 4 visits in the last 2 years, but it would save a lot of time and money if they could do a maximum DSL connect/throughput test before they leave instead of "speed will rise in 3 days time" - because if it doesnt, you may end up with another visit.  It must be possible for them to overide the automatic systems.
Quite agree on the plusnet response - quick and courteous through here, very slow and unreliable through tickets, patronising and unhelpful on phone from many CS staff (there are some exceptions).  PN need to address this so everyone benefits and not assume they are doing a good job because they scored well in a ranking 2 years ago....
Ticket system needs to be improved:
Need response within 4 hours to each user post/response, not 72 (or more). People rely on BB for their business, life & health.It's not a luxury item any more
All PN replies should be texted
Show concise summary of response in list with click for more detial - pasted data etc important but messy
Remove restriction of 3 tickets - Dont block user seeing main/original ticket by PN adding/splitting tickets themselves
Allow user to rate each PN action
PN to clearly state in each response, in clear lay terms, but not patronising script, what has been done, expected outcome, when it should happen, when next review will take place
Don't push ticket to "back of queue" if a user adds something
Hope these are taken as helpful comments
Stuart

[#13]

Hi themathiesons,
You sound like a man "in the business" of support. I couldn't agree more with your suggestions  :), and these would do well to be formed into a service mandate, and made public in the absense of a public- facing SLA.
@ChrisL - you say that the help offered is generally by other customers.... I'd have to disagree. In all the threads I've read, help is generally provided by PN staff (albeit that pierre_pierre said he wouldn't help me as (for some reason) I'd given the impression that I "knew better."  So, I have to take issue with you perceiving my venting at other customers... I say, bring on the help ! 
As regards the Moderators, I've exchanged emails with a couple directly, and understand their job to be made worse by orders of magnitude due to PN's treatment of its customers.
So, if I've given any impression previously that I 'dis' Moderators or that I'm not open to customer suggestions, then let this serve to be corrected.
@JoJo - have responded to my fault call............. sigh... 

[#14]

Hi Jojo,
I'd updated (one of) my (many) call(s) and, as usual, the quickest route to any response from PN seems to be via the forum... (sigh...)
I've just received confirmation that you're taking more money from me... yet my fault remains without resolution.
If I stay with PN, I will clearly be without any usable broadband service for the foreseeable future, but PN will continue to charge me, yet provide no service.
I get vague and inconsistent, or repetative responses.
The commonality of my technical problem with issues reported elsewhere in the forum, and PN's total ambivalence to this, leads me to conclude that...
a). the problem is not likely to occur with another ISP, and
b). if it does, it's likely I'm going to see a better service response.
PN's inability to deliver any semblence of service in its dealings with BT mean that PN can provide no assurances of a fix in the foreseeable future. And I'm not able to take leave from work at BT's whim without either a more realistic and narrower window of when an engineer will definitely turn up and/or a sense that the problem will ever be resolved.
Usable broadband for me is a distant memory... but a requirement I need to return to quicker than PN are able to deliver.
I've asked to speak to a member of PN management, in the hope that I might get some reassurance that PN even care, and are working to fix what is obviously broken in their service capability... but clearly there's no one there.
So I see that I have no other choice but to leave and obtain my broadband service from a more reputable and technically competant ISP.
Please can you action the closure of my account and allow me to move to another ISP as quickly as possible.
To all the other badly abused customers out there... if you want servicable broadband, just leave PN. Leave at your first and quickest opportunity. The current service issues will clearly persist until people vote with their feet.
Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish. 

PS... don't s'pose you'd consider refunding my last month's subscription, seeing as I'm giving you money for nothing ? 

[#15]

They will not accept a request to close an account be an unofficial channel (i.e. these forums), must either ring in or write a letter.
PS If you just ask for your account to be closed you will have to pay for the broadband to be ceased and probably for it to be started again with another ISP. Requesting a MAC is the quickest and most cost effective method.