PlusNet Rationing MACs ?

I applied for my MAC from PlusNet on Wednesday morning, but as yet ( Sat
11.55 am) I've not had any contact from PlusNet in response. I've posted a
message on their customer feedback forum but there has been no response from
PlusNet or forum moderators.
I've seen messages from other PN customers saying they recieved thier MACs
within a couple of hours of their request.
No doubt Plusnet are very busy dealing with the numerous MAC requests, but
they've upset many customers with their Usenet policies so shouldn't be
surprised by the volume of requests.
I even updated my contact details to include my mobile number in hope this
might speed things up. PlusNet can contact me by phone, fax, email and
mobile, but some 74 hours after my MAC request they still have done none of
these.

I remember some comments in this forum from Tiscali members suggesting that
Tiscali was rationing MACs some time ago, I wonder if rationing MACs is
PlusNet's latest dirty trick.

In article <43353594$0$73632$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...

[...]

> I wonder if rationing MACs is
> PlusNet's latest dirty trick.

Plusnet, dirty tricks? Perish the thought...

:-/

On 24 Sep 2005 11:16 GMT, "Leaving PlusNet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I've not had any contact from PlusNet in response. I've posted a message on
>their customer feedback forum but there has been no response from
>PlusNet or forum moderators.

Well the moderators cannot easily do anything about getting a MAC, and nor can
the bulk of CS staff, AFAIK, because it needs action from a (limited) number
of staff (comms/networks, I never know quite what section Dave + Bob + Ben
are in). When I asked (after a delay, and having seen a ticket that they
had been unable to reach me), it was sorted for me on a Sunday (request
had gone in on the Friday, from memory). Anyway, assuming they get time to
spot your comment over the weekend, it might be sorted by e-mail by Monday.

I guess if they were issued without asking customers, there'd be the other
view ("they don't even care WHY customers leave the service") and while the
MAC is valid for 30 days, your notice to leave is from when you submitted a
ticket via Contact Us, so should not be too long. Of course, ringing might
be another option, and you can then close the ticket yourself. Peter M.

--

UK ADSL <http://tinyurl.com/5jpa4> - Happy to save cash with Plus.Net!!

Leaving PlusNet wrote:
> I applied for my MAC from PlusNet on Wednesday morning, but as yet (
> Sat
> 11.55 am) I've not had any contact from PlusNet in response. I've
> posted a message on their customer feedback forum but there has been
> no response from PlusNet or forum moderators.
> I've seen messages from other PN customers saying they recieved thier
> MACs within a couple of hours of their request.
> No doubt Plusnet are very busy dealing with the numerous MAC
> requests, but they've upset many customers with their Usenet policies
> so shouldn't be surprised by the volume of requests.
> I even updated my contact details to include my mobile number in hope
> this might speed things up. PlusNet can contact me by phone, fax,
> email and mobile, but some 74 hours after my MAC request they still
> have done none of these.

Most probably snowed under by the demand...
>
> I remember some comments in this forum from Tiscali members
> suggesting that Tiscali was rationing MACs some time ago, I wonder if
> rationing MACs is PlusNet's latest dirty trick.

Tiscali don't support migration (yet?) hence the absnce of MAC's & who
am I to comment about PN dirty tricks (they still haven't stooped to the
level of my last 2 ISP's...yet)..

In article <43353594$0$73632$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> I applied for my MAC from PlusNet on Wednesday morning, but as yet ( Sat
> 11.55 am) I've not had any contact from PlusNet in response. I've posted a
> message on their customer feedback forum but there has been no response from
> PlusNet or forum moderators.

This is most likely because your ticket didn't go directly to the right
team. The cancellation bods pick these up within a few hours (9-6pm
anyway). If you didn't follow the right pathway in the contact us
wizard, this will happen...

Alex

On 25-Sep-2005, Alex Crosby <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> > I applied for my MAC from PlusNet on Wednesday morning, but as yet ( Sat
> > 11.55 am) I've not had any contact from PlusNet in response. I've posted
> > a
> > message on their customer feedback forum but there has been no response
> > from
> > PlusNet or forum moderators.
>
> This is most likely because your ticket didn't go directly to the right
> team. The cancellation bods pick these up within a few hours (9-6pm
> anyway). If you didn't follow the right pathway in the contact us
> wizard, this will happen...
>
> Alex

The thing is that I did follow the right pathway and there was a reply at
12.12 on the same day Wednesday 21st Sept which said
"Assigned : ***Internal***
Unable to contact customer regarding retention process , please re-chase."
I'm not sure how they tried to contact me, but I was in all day Wednesday
and anywayythey have several methods of contact they can use including
email.


Here's the top section from my ticket response

Open : [Support Wizard Journey]
[Account Change Request]
[Cancellation Request]
[ADSL - Post Activation]
[Cancellation Request]
[Outbound Migration Request]
[Reason not listed]
[Unlisted Provider]
[provide MAC key]
[Additional Information]

So having established that I did in fact follow the right procedure and
PlusNet do in fact know about my MAC request it leaves us back at the point
asssuming that PlusNet are rationing MACs.
They've had 2 1/2 working days last week to do something but they have
chosen to do nothing.

On 25 Sep 2005 08:33 GMT, "N/A" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>They've had 2 1/2 working days last week to do something but they have
>chosen to do nothing.

You don't have "ACR" on your phone line, which might block them from
trying to phone you to discuss the matter ? No record of "attempted
to contact the user" shown on the Ticket ? Might be that Plus.Net has
decided to leave such contact calls to some of their more senior staff,
so they will not be "newbies" and (a) be ready for someone giving them a
load of abuse, if the user is totally unhappy because they have been one
of the "heavy traffic club" and (b) to cover all aspects of the policies
which have been adopted, or be able to quickly compare the account which
the customer uses to all those available, in case another type might be
more suitable for the customer. If they have decided on that method,
it might be staff availability which is hampering the number of calls
per day, as well as such staff perhaps not working every weekend. PGM

> You don't have "ACR" on your phone line, which might block them from
> trying to phone you to discuss the matter ?

I have not idea what ACR is, but my phobne has been working fine for a long
time. Nobody has reported problems phoning in.

No record of "attempted
> to contact the user" shown on the Ticket ?

Yes there is a record of an attempt to contact me on the ticket, here it is
( operators name shortened )

2005-09-21
12:12:15
D P
Customer Support Centre Assigned : ***Internal***

Unable to contact customer regarding retention process , please re-chase.

Regards,
D P


Might be that Plus.Net has
> decided to leave such contact calls to some of their more senior staff,
> so they will not be "newbies" and (a) be ready for someone giving them a
> load of abuse, if the user is totally unhappy because they have been one
> of the "heavy traffic club" and

I'm interested in getting hold of my MAC, not abusing Plusnet staff & I very
much doubt they would have bothered to attempt to call me "regarding
retention process" if I was a member of the heavy usage club.
I'm sure that dealing with the public is not always pleasant, but they can't
hide behind the fear of abuse as an excuse for poor customer service.

(b) to cover all aspects of the policies
> which have been adopted, or be able to quickly compare the account which
> the customer uses to all those available, in case another type might be
> more suitable for the customer. If they have decided on that method,
> it might be staff availability which is hampering the number of calls
> per day, as well as such staff perhaps not working every weekend. PGM

Whatever offers or advice Plusnet have to offer during their "retenion
process" are of no interest to me. They operate in a competitive market
place and I can get a product that better suits my needs from another
supplier.



--
Not Available

On Sun, 25 Sep 2005 10:59:46 GMT, "N/A" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have not idea what ACR is, but my phobne has been working fine for a long
>time. Nobody has reported problems phoning in.

You'd know if you had "Anonymous Call Rejection" (phone would not ring if the
caller had "withheld" their number, pretty much standard from call centres,
and then they have the audacity to ask you for details to confirm *your*
identity, when there's not a thing to confirm they are who they say they are!

{Sorry, one of those little niggles, but one which comes back if they try to
get me on the phone but hide behind a withheld call!}




>I'm interested in getting hold of my MAC, not abusing Plusnet staff & I very
>much doubt they would have bothered to attempt to call me "regarding
>retention process" if I was a member of the heavy usage club.

I think it is just policy, because I doubt they check on the customer's
account restrictions (don't even know if they are clearly shown for the
customer support people, anyway)... any comment about "abusing staff"
was not intended as a suggestion that you might do so, just that it may
be expected, given the way some people seem to have reacted...


>Whatever offers or advice Plusnet have to offer during their "retenion
>process" are of no interest to me.

Understood. It might, however, just be policy to ask why each and every
customer is leaving, finding out who they are going to (for statistics,
though I don't know if it is also to see if those same ISPs later on add
something similar in terms of "fair use" policies :-) and because if they
fail to ask, their remaining customers, and also, for that matter, their
shareholders, could legitimately ask "did you do all you could to ask the
customer what is wrong, and offer them alternative accounts". So by not
speaking to you, they'd be failing a "duty of care" so to speak! I know
what it is like, as I might have pointed out in this or some other thread,
as I've been there. I simply made it plain that nothing was going to meet
my needs if I remained with Plus.Net (on the account I was at the time, to
do what I needed to do at that time) so they may as well forget talking to
me to discuss it and just issue the MAC. Whether one would have more joy
by ringing them (and after this many days, have you done so?) I don't know
but I had a response because I used either the ADSLguide or Plus.Net user
forum, commenting on the delay getting a MAC, and someone at Plus.Net was
back in touch using e-mail or a private message. Have you tried either
forum to complain about the delay ? Peter M (just a happy customer!)
--

UK ADSL <http://tinyurl.com/5jpa4> - Happy to save cash with Plus.Net!!

poster wrote:
> On Sun, 25 Sep 2005 10:59:46 GMT, "N/A" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>>I'm interested in getting hold of my MAC, not abusing Plusnet staff & I very
>>much doubt they would have bothered to attempt to call me "regarding
>>retention process" if I was a member of the heavy usage club.
>
>
> I think it is just policy, because I doubt they check on the customer's
> account restrictions (don't even know if they are clearly shown for the
> customer support people, anyway)...

They've always done that. When I first left them, back around the turn
of the century, you had to send them a registered letter cancelling the
account and include your reason for leaving.

FWIW, I went back to them 6 months or so later, I was just trying out
various ISPs at the time to see which I liked, as they seemed the best
available.

My 2c....

I left again a couple of months ago and subsequently got my broadband
elsewhere. It wasn't because of any major problems, although at the
time I was having niggles with the dial-up service, but I just got the
impression that they were getting overwhelmed by the big increase in
their customer base. Coupled with the "headless chicken" model that they
seemed to employing to solve their problems (e.g. the proliferation of
different accounts) I decided it might be advisable to leave. A
decision that, given the current situation, looks like a good one.

--
Ian

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