Plusnet Bills Itself As SMB Broadband Champion As Mobile Network Goes Live
INTERVIEW: Plusnet CEO Andy Baker says its customer service and no fuss contracts make it ideal for small businesses. But is a business mobile launch on the cards?
Using LIFE as a basis for the Plusnet Mobile network is a bonus, he says, as the team has already done the network testing and acquired a user base. However he insists that this is simply more than a rebrand.
“The LIFE brand had very little awareness and Plusnet is at a different level. But its more than just changing the name. We’re changing the level of service, the product is 4G whereas it was previously 3G. It’s SIM only and it offers great choice.”
Customer service focus
Plusnet’s focus on customer service has seen its satisfaction rating exceed that of the ‘big four’ of Virgin Media, Sky, TalkTalk and its parent BT in Cable.co.uk’s rankings, but it has been cited for complaints in Ofcom’s regular reports.
In the regulator’s most recent rankings, it received the joint-most landline complaints with 18 per 100,000 customers (the industry average is 11) and the second most broadband complaints with 23 (industry average is 15).
Customers have also suffered from significant outages in recent years and Baker acknowledges there is no point in delivering value if users cannot access the services they pay for. He says Plusnet continues to invest in its network and its support operations.
“We are constantly investing,” he says. “In the last couple of years we’ve dramatically changed the network Customer expectations continue to rise.
“We have put a huge focus on the insight we gain from our customers. We’ve got to take on board anything from Ofcom. We never rest on our laurels.”
