Why don't plusnet customer services have more staff?

[#1]

The so called customer service line is staffed with a woefully low number of staff. I had the misfortune to have to call them 3 times in one day and twice a couple of days later. (You got it, it was for the same issue). Anyway not one of these 5 phone calls was answered quicker than 20 minutes and a couple took more than 35 minutes to answer. Now add this to the time taken to actually speak to someone and I reckon those 5 calls took between 3 and 4 hours in total. What an absolute farce!  Surely if we have to make 5 phone calls to resolve a single issue, the very least Plusnet can do is make sure we don't have to wait so long to speak to someone? Woefully inadequate service to their customers

[#2]

I rang them regarding plusnet tv and my call was answered in 3 minutes.  I rang then again the following day and the wait time was even less. When my issue wasn't resolved it was arranged that I would email when I was ready for a call and they would call me back. This worked perfectly.  Sorry, I think it's just pot luck (or I should buy a lottery ticket).
Realistically, off they employed to many people then our bills would have to rise to cover it. It's not going to be possible to answer all calls immediately. Frustrating I know, and you have my sympathy.
I have to phone sky now to cancel my contact, that's one call I need to allow time for as they never accept your cancellation!

[#3]

Long call wait times has been a bone of contention for ages. The new call centre in Leeds didn't appear to fix it and PN have just stopped 24/7 support for residential customers so those that covered night shift could work days to help. I suspect the effect of that is skewed at the minute because of the price increases and customers ringing to say they are leaving.
I have never waited very long for my calls to be answered but perhaps I was just lucky but do confess I hung up after 7 minutes at 08.30 this morning tho' after waiting for more info on PN TV services.

[#4]

Thanks for the feedback, as you might guess we're aware that wait times can be a problem for us from time-to-time.
We're continuing to recruit and whilst not wanting to disagree about staffing numbers for the sake of it there are other factors such as the effectiveness of how we handle calls that may come into this, that's something I'm aiming to bring increased focus on to make sure we're offering the best phone support that we can.

[#5]

Adam...I know it's been mentioned before, but once more won't hurt..what about offering a call back service?  This would at least free people from listening to tinny music, probably not of their choice, and wait times would not be perceived to be so long.

[#6]

If we did that we'd have to have "ring-fenced" team who would have to not be on incoming calls. That's a lot more costly to do and at the moment would most likely take attention and resourse away from other areas that need it.
Nice idea though

[#7]

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_

.... That's a lot more costly to do ...t. Nice idea though

Ah isn't that just the point though!!  Costly for PN, yet it seems perfectly acceptable to keep the punters hanging on the phone line?

[#8]

See this thread on TBB forum
(you need to click the flat button to view all the pages)
It encapsulates the REAL attitude of the punters perfectly.
http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/plusnet/f/4423348-consider-leaving-plusnet.html?vc=1
Starts off by the OP seems to want to leave because the service/facilities are being downgraded - all fair enough.
On page 7 the OP comes back having been given a price cut by Plusnet.
They have now mysteriously decided the having being given this price reduction, their moan about Plusnet going downhill, issues over reduced phone hours and whatever else they don't like....all doesn't matter any more and they are delighted to stay with Plusnet.
THIS is why the service facilities will continue to be reduced because ALL that the general consumer is interested in is CHEAP prices at the point of sale as the above amply demonstrates. (quite why the OP in the TBB thread actually returned to tell us all is a mystery to me - I would  have kept very quiet indeed!)

[#9]

@x47c
It wasn't quite as straightforward with that customer as you portray it there.
One thing delayed his final decision, the strong possibility of having to drop from FTTC to ADSL2+ for a fortnight before regrading to FTTC, highly inconvenient for him at this particular time, and whilst pondering that he discovered that one absolute necessity he has isn't supplied by the prospective new supplier. I don't think I can say more than that.
As for his ranting about the CS system going rapidly downhill, (as opposed to the CRT), he is well known both there and here for rapid wide swings of opinion  :P. His ending up with a good deal so staying is no surprise to me.

[#10]

You are pretty much right there Estragon. But I don't think it's simply a case of being interested in CHEAP prices, it comes down to whether or not you'll accept a poor CSC system for what you do pay. A lot of that will depend on your own experiences and the sort of problems you have had or might get.

[#11]

I do think the cost/service argument is not that simple. Of course everyone wants great service and low cost, but when it comes to trading them off, it does get more complicated. If we were just interested in having the best service, we would all go with one of the 'premium' providers like A&A or Zen. For many, the cost of that is too much to bear, so we have to strike a balance. There is no doubt that PN customer service is going downhill, but then you have to evaluate the alternatives. Is BT customer service far superior? How much more are you willing to pay for better service? And who offers that and stays within the price you are willing to pay?
More questions than answers I think. I moved from TT to PN around 3 or 4 years ago. PN was a breath of fresh air (both in performance and customer service). I have seen a steady decline, and I did have the option to move supplier when the price rise email came in. I could have moved to BT for a better price. PN matched the price. I stayed on the basis that I have read about a lot of people complaining about BT call centres and service.
As previous posters have said, the more problems you have/had, the more likely you may pay more for better customer service. If you haven't had to call support, you will be thinking more about price.
It's a very personal choice. It doesn't alter the fact that PN is changing. I think customer service is declining, and so is pricing for internet (not for phone related services). I know that I am paying much less now for a fibre service than I was paying for ADSL service. That makes the overall price (including phone related services) less than I was paying before.
I think part of the problem is that there is an abundance of cheap suppliers, and a few very highly rated 'premium' suppliers. I think the middle ground where you would pay a bit more for the service but get better customer service is what is missing.

[#12]

Quote from: _Adam_Walker_

If we did that we'd have to have "ring-fenced" team who would have to not be on incoming calls. That's a lot more costly to do and at the moment would most likely take attention and resourse away from other areas that need it. Nice idea though

I suppose this post is quite telling.
Some have speculated that plusnet recently have decided they only care about been a budget provider and have downgraded the importance of customer satisfaction.  Its good with the honesty of the post, but I feel plusnet have got this wrong.
Customer satisfaction means less need of giving people discounts to stay, and dealing with churn.  In addition if someone is waiting for a call back then that is also someone no longer in the call queue and as such that policy would reduce the call queue.
I dont think people need to be ring fenced tho, you can have delegated staff members who are part of the ring back team, but those members can be answering calls (or handling tickets) if there is noone waiting for a ring back.  As someone who has dealt with this situation I always find live calls the least time efficient, so plusnet's policy remains odd to me.
Then there is the fact if you not on a new customer deal or retention's deal plusnet isnt that cheap anymore.
Now I am going to speculate some more, my theory is that someone in plusnet (probably in upper management) has decided its cheaper for the accountants to have customer's always waiting, hence the real reason for scrapping the night hours.  For that reason I expect the higher call queues are actually a deliberate policy.  e.g. they wont want agents waiting for customers to answer on call backs, thats wasted man hours.

[#13]

Easy answer to the original question...why do they not have more staff?.....because they cost and PN are now solely driven by profit motivation. Customers are only regarded as cash cows to be milked.