The decline in customer service

[#1]

I've been with Plusnet for about 8 years and usually had to wait only a short time to have a query answered by phone. Over the last year the waiting time has increased markedly and now to unacceptable levels. Frankly any company content to have its' customers waiting for 30 mins as I've had in the last few days doesn't deserve my business. I've hung up each time before making contact. To listen to a message saying unusual levels of calls etc cuts no ice at all. Get more staff! Being a long-standing  member of Which - the consumer mag. they will shortly be hearing of my experiences and hopefully, if other customers can do likewise, Plusnet will receive the negative feedback it now deserves and will be published for all to see. If such action costs the company business that's good and then maybe they'll get their act together.

[#2]

"Which" are already aware of the problem & they made comment in their latest annual survey of ISPs. Plusnet are also aware, that's why they're training additional staff.

[#3]

Hi walakalulu,
Welcome to our Community forums.
Firstly apologies for any wait you have had, it's not good and not something that we want having customers wait about.
We are working to reduce the wait times, we're hiring more staff while looking at ways to improve tools for our support staff and customers so there is less need for a customer to contact us.
Is there anything you're needing assistance with?

[#4]

Quote from: walakalulu

If such action costs the company business that's good and then maybe they'll get their act together.

Whilst I sympathise with what you are saying I don't believe at the end of the day that would be in any of our interests. As Plusnet is a subsidiary of BT they might turn round and decide to merge it into the rest of the organisation. Then we'd have the problems of off-shore call centres to deal with and an even worse customer service. I know that there's a lot of good staff here that service these forums and try very hard to ensure everyone's problems get resolved even if it takes a bit of time, some are a quick fix. I would loathe to see that disappear.

[#5]

I agree with the above and what someone said elsewhere on the forum, I'd rather wait longer for good support than have my call answered in 5 seconds by some monkey who hasn't got a clue what they're doing.

[#6]

Quote from: Chris

Hi walakalulu, Welcome to our Community forums. Firstly apologies for any wait you have had, it's not good and not something that we want having customers wait about. We are working to reduce the wait times, we're hiring more staff while looking at ways to improve tools for our support staff and customers so there is less need for a customer to contact us. Is there anything you're needing assistance with?

Waiting for an answer to a billing query sent online last Saturday. Thought the response time was within 3 days. Obviously not.

[#7]

That's been sorted for you now.

[#8]

Thanks Chris  :). Strange that to get things done have to go via the forum, but hey - whatever works ta.

[#9]

as i stated in my last phone convo with PN support  if the waiting time is 30 mins you need more staff.    going on from that i agree  with walakalulu.  PN you advertise and promise the world on the TV ads but you deliver well below that.  I am on the verge of going to contact my MP regarding the internet issues and supply of a permanent stable internet connection.  you will probably tell me im not allowed to post this as a reply to another members original post but i dont care      .  if the connection dies or gets slow or gets intermittent maybe trading standards and my Mp will be more interested than plus net that  you have been advertising on the tv 24 7 support  etc etc

[#10]

The moderators are not Plusnet staff, they are customers just like you and me. There's nothing wrong with your reply here as long as it remains on topic, and it always best to keep the full details of your problems in your own thread so that it's easier for others to help you get your issues resolved. Plusnet have dug a bit of a hole for themselves with the CSC and the very large volume of new customers, however, they have opened a new call centre and are still playing catch up. I suggest you re-read my reply #3 above.
You will get a reply phoning CSC 24/7, that does not mean however that Openreach engineers are going to be going out at 2.00 a.m to fix your fault at the drop of a hat. Whilst I have little sympathy for Openreach as an organisation that is badly managed, a lot of their engineers are brilliant chaps and dedicated to their jobs - there are a few rogues in any organisation that big, but they have had an inordinate amount of extra work to do as a result of the extreme weather, for example see http://usertools.plus.net/status/archive/1406132089.htm
If your connection dies or gets slow or gets intermittent, it's not Plusnet's fault that this happens, whilst it is their responsibility to get BTw/Openreach to get it fixed. All ISPs have to rely on Openreach for supply and maintenance of lines, so any unfixed fault on your line would move with you to another ISP if you changed ISP.
And finally, Trading standards would tell you that you have to give your "supplier" (which ever ISP that was) a reasonable time to get your fault fixed, and that will include the customer complying with the Ts&Cs and doing the relevant internal checks that are required. You will find exactly the same from the majority of ISPs. If you don't want to be bothered with any of that sort of thing, then you need to go to a specialist ISP and be prepared to pay the price. So when complaining you need to have a good understanding of where the problems actually are. Apart from the wait times which we've all been moaning about, most of the real problems lie at the door of BTwholesale and Openreach.