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Author Topic: Helpful PlusNet  (Read 6424 times)

jazz

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Helpful PlusNet
« on: January 11, 2012, 05:40:51 PM »

I've been with Plusnet for a good few years now and been quite happy with them.  This week I had what I consider to be a surprisingly high level of helpful customer care.  As we so often complain about service I feel it only fair to speak out as loudly when someone does a good job.

I use the Plusnet Community Forum occasionally and a couple of weeks ago someone was asking about the effects of changing from BT 20CN to 21CN.  I was changed over last autumn so I joined in the thread to say the benefits may depend upon current speeds on ADSL.  Whilst many have found a big improvement others like me (I am on a fairly long line) have found their speed has gone down slightly since the changeover.

Out of the blue this week I got a phone call from Plusnet Customer Services offering help to improve my line speed and after checking the equipment I was using they adjusted my SNR target and my speed has improved.  I was impressed with the trouble they took - phone calls, emails etc over a couple of days.  Considering how little I pay for my broadband, and the fact that I had made no complaint, I was bowled over by their service and help. :)
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waltergmw

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2012, 11:53:57 PM »

Gentlefolk,

I have been dealing with Plusnet since the start of last December. After a rather shaky start, I have been conversing with the "organ grinder". We have been methodically making changes and recording the results to do with Impulse Noise Protection (as mentioned elsewhere here) on this infamous Ewhurst horror story.

I have nothing but praise for the way this is being addressed, despite the quite appalling infrastructure involved.

Kind regards,
Walter
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Bald_Eagle1

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2012, 06:54:17 AM »


I have nothing but praise for the way this is being addressed, despite the quite appalling infrastructure involved.



I would also add that I too have been a Plusnet customer for many years.

Despite what may have occasionally appeared to be my negative comments regarding my still ongoing speed/stability "issues", Plusnet are still in there with me.

As recently as Tuesday of this week, Plusnet took the trouble to contact BT, requesting the engineer's notes from when my FTTC service was installed back in June, in the hope that some of the initial JDSU connection stats would be available for comparison against my current connection stats.

The hope was that some evidence of my connection's "repairable" deterioration would be available that could prove a "fault" is now present (possibly of a HR type) that wasn't pesent until BT accidentally cut off my telephone & broadband services in July.

Unfortunately, the notes didn't include those stats:-

"**RAstart Customer R A-RA **RAend
Home Wiring Solution : Authorize Installed - Yes
Home Wiring Solution Type: NTE5 Shifted Existing NTE5 And Extension Socket Swap
Notes - all tests passed...test and demo done"


It is the case that I have needed to develop my own systems (with much assistance & advice from other users of this forum) to be able to report my connections stats/performance.
This is entirely down to BT's decision to supply locked modems for FTTC services.

However, Plusnet have reacted positively each time a new piece of "evidence" has come to light, arranging BT engineer visits accordingly.

Plusnet's hands are completely tied in this respect as the systems currently available to them for FTTC services simply do not see all the regular disconnections & errors as exhibited on my connection.
Once CIDT testing is available to them, Plusnet will contact me with a view to using the enhanced testing on my connection.

From what I read about some other ISPs, I am convinced they would not have persevered with a matter such as this for this length of time.


Paul.
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kitz

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2012, 11:44:05 AM »

I'm an ex-Plusnet User and never had any real problems with my own line whilst I was with them other than constant stuck bRAS profiles which obviously was not under their control. I went LLU as the temptation of a full Annex_M line would be something I'd be stupid not to take up when it became available and finally freeing me of BTw stuck IP profile woes.

They got a lot of their bad press from traffic shaping and being one of the first ISPs to introduce it...  and the way it was handled.  Yes I did my fair share of ermm "discussions" back then.  Even so I opted to pay a bit more for Premier and found that the way it worked didnt actually bother me and I got full pelt on practically all I wanted to do... so Ive no personal complaints against them and feel that they do actually have one of the better support teams if you get through to the right people as some of their staff are very dedicated.

IMHO Neil Laycock was an excellent CEO who REALLY had time for his customers and who managed to pick PN up and turned them back round  after Lee Stafford and the BT buyout. I was sad to see him (and a few other key names) go during a shuffle a few years back.
That said they do indeed have some very good staff with a sound understanding of how adsl works, which is more than can be said for some of the larger ISPs.. and IMHO you could do far worse than Plusnet in a choice of ISP. :)
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renluop

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2012, 05:08:23 PM »

Another modest but very satisfied user for some years, has anyone else noticed the latest recruits' difficulties in expressing problems politely and reasonably. Despite all that the reps still want to help.

Sometimes I think such people deserve the k-up-b treatment. ;D
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mark

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2012, 09:28:20 PM »

Fantastic to read the feedback here folks.

We're certainly not perfect but there's no shortage of passion about what we do. There's a few of us who've been around Plusnet from before the BT acquisition and the core ethos remains.

We've grown massively in the last few years but the level of customer satisfaction is very high and a source of much pride.

Thanks for the kind comments.

Hi Kitz  :drink:

Mark
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GigabitEthernet

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2012, 12:16:27 PM »

Hi Mark,

I am just about to leave Plusnet unfortunately. Plusnet have been good but are now saying that my line is only capable of 3.5Mb which isn't true and they won't do any more SNR resets for me as I have requested quite a few. I understand that having lots of resets isn't the best idea but it is my line and I should be able to choose what happens to it.

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AdrianH

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2012, 05:57:26 PM »

Hi Mark,

I am just about to leave Plusnet unfortunately. Plusnet have been good but are now saying that my line is only capable of 3.5Mb which isn't true and they won't do any more SNR resets for me as I have requested quite a few. I understand that having lots of resets isn't the best idea but it is my line and I should be able to choose what happens to it.


Your comments about Plusnet on ISPReview were somewhat less charitable. What they are telling you about your line is accurate but you are not understanding what they are saying.
The maximum achievable rate and the maximum stable rate are 2 very different things. Your line may be able to synch at a higher rate BUT that means your SNR is smaller, ie; the difference between SIGNAL and NOISE on the line is small, there is less margin and as soon as the SNR drops your line loses viability and crashes.
SNR varies on all BT copper lines, no matter where you are everyone has fluctuations, it is a normal function of the system. If you snch your line at a lower rate, ie; the 3.8mb quoted by Plusnet, your SNR margin (think of it as room for manouver) will be greater and your line remains stable.
With my line it is possible to synch at over 18mb but that means a low SNR margin and as soon as noise increases my line becomes useless, catch a synch at @ 15.8mb I have a stable line that runs for months on end.

Changing ISP's and constantly swapping routers is not going to help you.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2012, 06:55:06 PM by AdrianH »
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mark

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2012, 09:09:34 PM »

Hi there

Always sad to lose a customer, however what I've read thus far seems to indicate that we've tried to explain whats happening yet you disagree. Thats your perogative and if you excercise your rite to move then so be it.

That said, if you want to post or PM me a ticket ID, I'll happily review our handling of the issue and I will ask one of my team to cast an eye over the history. If there is anything which can be done to improve your experience we'll do it.

One final note and at the risk of being pedantic
Quote
I understand that having lots of resets isn't the best idea but it is my line and I should be able to choose what happens to it.

It's actually BT's line and they have fairly clear product rules when it comes to that line. They'll give us, and any ISP, a little kicking if we bend those rules too far :)

Any way, let me take a look and if we can help we will. If not then the final choice is yours. On a BT based service with any other ISP you'll have the same challenge. An LLU service might give you further options due to the somewhat different technology, however I stress might.

Mark
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Simon_Gardner

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2012, 10:19:10 AM »

I’ve been with PlusNet since 2009 after I was effectively forced out of my long term local ISP who no longer wanted the business - by aggressive throttling. I have to say PlusNet have been very good. I've been getting a 6-7MB/s service pretty consistently and on the odd occasion when I’ve needed to contact them, they’ve been very good (once they admitted to me the only way to get a response was to phone up - and not bother with electronic communication). Best of all, I normally have no occasion to think about them. Oh and they speak

I have a legacy contract which it turns out is pretty unusual. It’s unlimited unlimited. Sadly, they won’t extend this to the higher speeds now finally available to my newly upgraded 21cn exchange. They no longer offer an unlimited unlimited contract. If I find one elsewhere (probably other than Sky), I’m regretfully jumping.

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4candles

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #10 on: April 16, 2012, 07:55:37 PM »

Another modest but very satisfied user for some years, has anyone else noticed the latest recruits' difficulties in expressing problems politely and reasonably. Despite all that the reps still want to help.

Sometimes I think such people deserve the k-up-b treatment. ;D

Seconded.

It must be very frustrating for an ISP to be slagged off all over the 'net by a customer who doesn't appreciate how broadband works, and how the ISP is subject to the vagaries of BT Wholesale and BT OpenReach, which surpasseth all understanding.

Everything Mark says about PN's ethos is borne out by my experience.
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c6em

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #11 on: April 16, 2012, 08:35:38 PM »


I'm with Plusnet
Sometimes I do really wonder how some of the posters function in normal life.  Do they have any ability at all to function in a team and ask questions, get answers and interact with other people.  Do they ever consider that there is just a possibility they might be wrong in their rants.
I half wonder if in fact the people posting are not the payers of the broadband service/house owners but the 15 year olds - indeed I did once realise that one poster was just that by a slip of their tongue in a post.

Mind you other forums like the MSE forums also suffers from strangeness.  There are posters who spend more time posting questions on the savings board about some savings offer than it would take do do the work themselves and look at a banks' savings site and get the answer themselves.  I can only assume they can't be arrrrrsed even to do that.

Quite why anyone would want to employ them escapes me.  Well actually we don't, we employ polite, enthusiastic, educated people from the far East who can speak English better than some natives.
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GigabitEthernet

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #12 on: April 16, 2012, 08:50:14 PM »

I don't know if these posts are about me or not but I chose to leave Plusnet mostly because of their (in my experience) scripted responses when I asked them a question. I am sorry if I appeared to be ranting, I was on a bad day.

I was very happy with Plusnet in the year I was with them, but when an excellently reviewed ISP (Zen) became better value (by increasing their usage allowances) along with the option of better support I would have been silly not to take it :).
« Last Edit: April 17, 2012, 12:55:41 PM by arobertson545 »
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renluop

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Re: Helpful PlusNet
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2012, 10:16:44 AM »

No, my comment was not directed: I do not post against any person. ( See my comments elsewhere in Kitz :))

I would say that the ability of call centre staff of most organisations seems limited by both the remit they are given, the performance targets and sanctions for not achieving. One government department's processors are measured on key-stroke rate, another on time to clear a call. My guess is that against such and much better Plusnet achieves very well. Place that with an excellent forum and the support excels.

 
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