PlusNet Plusses and Minuses

Since I've had a experiences interacting with PlusNet, the broadband providers, I've decided to maintain a tally of positive and negative experiences with them to provide an overall customer satisfaction score.

PlusNets :)

1. It was easy to get through to customer service. Having tried to speak to a BT representative who had a clue how to help me, this was a positive.


2. They all sound very pleasant and helpful on the phone.


3. They don't tie you into a lengthy contract.
4. Very transparent. It is possible to track all actions relating to the account via their messages.
5. The broadband connection itself is fast and reliable, which is the opposite experience I had with NTL a few years ago.


6. They have 24/7 support.

MinusNets :(

1. I called their switchboard and asked to speak to 'Carl' only to be told that there wasn't anyone of that name in the company (there was).


2. I made the mistake of emailing them and assuming that my email would be read by the right people, but apparently not as is indicated (but not explained) in this response: "If you sent the telephone number by email unfortunately this will not have been received due to the fact that we do not take emails as a form of communication on accounts and there is no detail of this on this account".


3. Although I gave them a correct address (via postcode and house number), they somehow managed to end up with an incorrect address that missed off the apartment complex where I live ("Could you please contact us asap to let us know your full address due to the fact that we cannot match it in BT records. Thanks for your help."). I suspect that this may have been because their postcode-to-address database was out of date, but they never did apologise or try to explain what happened here.


4. They couldn't contact me to resolve the above issue, because they hadn't taken my phone number.


5. Although they didn't have my phone number, they *did* have my email address, because I had communicated to them with this before. However, they didn't think to use it. Instead they leave a message on their own 'member centre' which requires the user to log in. There is also a service that emails you whenever a message is posted however this apparently did not work.


6. Due to the problems above, the broadband line was delayed by about a week and they were powerless to do anything about it.


7. The date I was give for the broadband going 'live' was not adhered to. They blamed BT, although ironically BT owns PlusNet. However, as a customer I expect PlusNet to take responsibility for the problem.


8. I use an online feature to increase my download limit from 15GB to 30GB. They process this and mistakenly set me to the package that I was already on.


9. After pointing out the above error, they put me on the 30GB package, but at a higher rate than it should have been.


10. Although I point out the above and it is acknowledged as a mistake in the log, a week later PlusNet still manage to take the incorrect amount via Direct Debit. They assure me they have credited me this money ("Apologies for any inconvenience caused on looking into your account (...) this will not happen again.").
    

So using my unscientific method of comparing plusses and minuses, it's an overall minus score of -4. One thing that surprises me is that they are only casually apologetic about their errors and although they clearly try to put them right, I have never been offered any form of explanation or offer of compensation in acknowledgement of the stress and hassle suffered at my end.

Because of this, I can't yet recommend them, although they were recommended to me in the first place. I've heard good things about http://www.zen.co.uk/ and if PlusNet make a few too many mistakes, I might think about moving on.

I've since found this: http://www.petersblog.org/tag/plusnet. I'm pleased that a PlusNet employee found the blog and has taken measures to rectify the situation. The cynical view is that they were trying to recover a lost customer. In my case I'm still with PlusNet, but it won't take much for me to consider my options.