Was I wise to sign up for Plusnet?

[#1]

Hi all, I'm all new here and to PlusNet, but am wondering whether it was wise to Join? I first became a bit wary when it was clear that the signup process doesn't work in the latest version of Google Chrome, specifically on the payment screen, which just shows an unhappy face after you try and submit your credit card information. My nerves have further been 'jangled' by yet more website cock ups, specifically this form https://portal.plus.net/wizard/index.html?help_action=tdl01 for asking a support question, it doesn't work in Chrome or Internet Explorer 11 all it keeps doing is asking you to put a valid mobile number in even when one is in there. So at the moment the impression created is bottom of the pile, and as someone who relies on the phone and internet to work I'm wondering whether PlusNet has been the right choice. If an internet company can't even get it's website working correctly (or properly test it) you've got to start asking questions. So there seems to be no other way to ask any questions other than to phone up. So we're not impressed at the moment. I'll have to try and track down a chat online link which I think there is one, but it may of course only cover pre-sales.

[#2]

A further observation the main Plusnet website just seems to send you in constant loops, why can't you just provide a simply email form to complete where you can ask a question, in my case not a pre-sales question, but a question about what's happening with my order, which may or may not have stalled.

[#3]

From my own experience, being a new plusnet customer no engineer arrived nor did a modem or router. It took three phone calls waiting up to 45 minutes for  a response . It's a nightmare trying to contact customer service. Why on earth do they not get more service representatives to handle the huge amount of calls made to them? 

[#4]

I did get through via one of the online chat tools it took a while but at no real cost. Fortunately my order probably is OK, I'm going to a new build so it would seem there's a Openreach site survey before it starts rolling forward. Although I have to admit that my confidence in Openreach is non-existent and really the government should shut them down and take back control of our telephone exchanges from BT, an organisation that should never have been allowed to have the exchanges from when they were privatised. Unfortunately as we all know privatising services does not make them better, neither does it provide better value for money. What makes services great is the best frontline staff running them, which has nothing to do with whether the service is in Public or Private hands.

[#5]

Taking BT & its' offshoots back into Public Ownership would not improve matters; those of us who remember British Telecom/GPO levels of service, can testify to fact that 3 months wait for a new phone line, was a not uncommon  :'(.
Openreach needs a competitor however, to make it get it's act together, as it's
(current) monopolistic position leads to current dire service levels.
PlusNet's appalling phone response times have been well known for ages, but the Management seem content whilst spending thousands on acquiring new subscribers, meaning Customer service demands will increase even further.
Removing the old ticket system which customers liked, further reduced service levels, and of course increased need to use
phone lines to reach them