Fibre install delays, normal enough?

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › Fibre install delays, normal enough?

Batwing

499 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 106

Trusted

Subscriber

Topic # 232098 29-Mar-2018 18:12

I've been getting the run around with dates from Bigpipe and wondered if this was a normal by-product of them being the middle man when a customer requests a fibre install, and common across ISPs. Install is a standalone old state house which we own, with very easy access to street frontage so I wasn't expecting any issues.

I put request in at the start of the month and was given a scope date of following Tuesday 6th March and install booked 9th March, requested change of scope date on the Monday to attend birth of my child, got email on the 7th saying scope date was moved to 6th of March and install to 13th of March.

Replied querying "new" scope date in the past, got given scope date of 9th (which happened to be neighbours install date) and install date of 14th, bigpipe said this was chorus' mistake.

Chatted to the techs next door on the 9th who said I wasn't on their sheet but they'd follow up and get me added to their jobs for the day if possible since they were already on site. Emailed bigpipe on the 9th too just to check we were still on.

Chorus guys left without updating me so I emailed bigpipe again on the 12th to query no-show and they hadn't yet responded to email from the 9th. Bigpipe replied on the 13th ignoring my query of the no-show and giving a new scope date of the 14th even saying "there will be no change to the date of your installation appointment" so of course I thought great they'll scope and, if all good, install the same day. I thanked the bigpipe guy for this confirmation and they quickly replied saying nope install date is 19th if March, I said that's not the same date (14th) and was told it was chorus' mistake again.

Scope happened on the 14th, yay! Chorus guy said expect install in about 2 weeks and that pole work might be done without me noticing, it's a dangerous pole to climb so they'll request a cherry picker. Fair enough I guess the neighbours was easier and at least that's progress.

Bigpipe must've got the report back from chorus because they emailed me again on the 15th and said install is expected for 19th June. More than 3 months after I initially was led to expect. I of course queried the discrepancy between what chorus said (2 weeks) and bigpipe (3 months)and was told 6 weeks an optimistic estimate.

As a result of the poor communication I requested my VDSL plan be charged at the cheaper fibre price I reasonably expected to be paying by now and was offered a one-off 25% reduction instead. No work completed on the roadside pole, so the two weeks wasn't right, I'm really hoping the 3 months was wrong too.

1 | 2

3524 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 698

Reply # 1985737 29-Mar-2018 22:02

2 people support this post

I've seen some difficult installs take up to six months. Three months isn't that long a wait compared to what some people are currently experiencing (and you still have your VDSL connection you can use).

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
7493 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1488

Trusted

Spark

Subscriber

Reply # 1985788 29-Mar-2018 23:09

One person supports this post

If it's a shared pole and there are access issues ontop of the accessibility issues i could understand the situation.

It's hard to comment though, Fibre installs can be seriously messy.

i honestly don't quite understand how copper installs (be it they are infrequent as can be) are so easy and yet some RSP's require full teams to manage this order in progress stage.

From my reports, chorus are clearly the biggest hitter in this. but then they also cover the most area so one does have to account for all that...

Hopefully at some point, Chorus will wake up and become more customer focused.

in the meantime, @chorusnz may be able to assist a little.

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Try Wrike: fast, easy, and efficient project collaboration software

Batwing

499 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 106

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1985893 30-Mar-2018 12:04

Other than requiring a cherry picker I can't foresee any complication and the neighbours with nearly identical dwelling got installed within a couple weeks of their order.

The chorus guys who scoped were pretty confident it was a very easy install, very close to road, flat property, huge underfloor clearance if needed, they just weren't allowed to climb the pole and the delay was described as only what was necessary to book the cherry picker.

It still came as a disappointment as I was told on more than one occasion to expect install a matter of days after scope and thought being home for 4 weeks would easily accommodate this.

I can understand that some have it worse and I should be grateful that I have a solid connection as is. What's difficult to reconcile is the unapologetic misinformation

fe31nz

319 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 67

Reply # 1986214 30-Mar-2018 23:38

Batwing: Other than requiring a cherry picker I can't foresee any complication and the neighbours with nearly identical dwelling got installed within a couple weeks of their order.

The chorus guys who scoped were pretty confident it was a very easy install, very close to road, flat property, huge underfloor clearance if needed, they just weren't allowed to climb the pole and the delay was described as only what was necessary to book the cherry picker.

It still came as a disappointment as I was told on more than one occasion to expect install a matter of days after scope and thought being home for 4 weeks would easily accommodate this.

I can understand that some have it worse and I should be grateful that I have a solid connection as is. What's difficult to reconcile is the unapologetic misinformation

You are lucky that they suggested a cherry picker. When they did our install, they told us we would need to replace our power/phone pole before they would start the job, even though the scoping guy seem to think it was still OK. Fortunately we got a lucky break with the local company that does pole replacements - they had a delay on another job and were keen to do it the next day for us to avoid having an idle crew. And they had a suitable second hand pole to offer us too. So the next day they showed up with a brand new special truck that does poles, and a full team, and it was all done in two hours. What struck me was just how different it was dealing with them and Chorus - the pole guys were helpful and keen and got the job done rapidly and professionally. Chorus (or their subcontractors, Downer at the time) were all bureaucratic and hard to get hold of and did things wrong and never owned up to it, and took months to do it.

Batwing

499 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 106

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1986227 31-Mar-2018 07:30

I see chorus has been tagged and people are mentioning dealing with chorus. Chorus, when they were at the neighbours, asked if I had one of their ref numbers for the scope. Shouldn't I be dealing with bigpipe? Bigpipe didn't give me a ref# at any stage.

Oh on the 7th of March as well as telling me in a conversational style email about scope moved (but not yet moved) to the 6th that I mentioned in my first post I also got another of the auto-generated booking confirmations versions about 5 mins before with an install date of 3rd April and no scope date, a date which has never come up again in discussion and I assume is another mistake.

Batwing

499 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 106

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1987470 3-Apr-2018 10:27

Bigpipe have come to the party and reduced the amount I'll be paying this month in acknowledgment of very poor communication.

Still don't know why a few days turned into a few months that chorus thought would only be a couple of weeks.

Bigpipe have now started spelling my name wrong in emails and Facebook messages which they managed to get right previously - it's a minor thing but I think speaks volumes about how much attention their communication with customers means to them.

trig42

Banana?
4254 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 967

Subscriber

Reply # 1987479 3-Apr-2018 10:40

One person supports this post

Same thing is happening at work for us.

Fibre ordered last December.

I was told on the phone by our ISP that it was an MDU situation (even though there is only one 'tenant' here, the building is in three different tenancies). I told them I was fine with that, emailo/send me whatever forms you need, and I would get them on to the landlord.

Fast forward to February. ISP contacts me to say they have everything in place, Chorus techs will be onsite in a week to do the install.

Chorus techs show up - no lead-in (I could have told them that - no-one has been here).

CHorus tech goes away, saying they have to get the build plans and will return once done.

ISP contacts me a couple of weeks later - all sorted, they say, chorus will be there is a coupl eof days to do everything.

Chorus techs arrive at appointed time.

Them: 'Where is you lead-in?'

Me: 'There isn't one, like last time, I was told you were here to do that'

Them: 'Oh, no, we are here to do the install into your comms room'

Me 'Oh, dear...'

After them talking back to Chorus dispatch (or whoever they talk to), I hear (they were on speaker phone) that this install needs to go to the MDU team.

Cue: Banging head against nearest brick wall.

TL:DR - ISP knew it was MDU (they got that from Chorus), chorus haven't done any of the MDU work, and we are still waiting for a fibre install.

I can't talk to Chorus, I'm not their customer. They remind me of the old Telecom. Too much Bureaucracy, not enough giving a s**t about their customers.

timmmay

13743 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2388

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1987516 3-Apr-2018 11:09

Took eight months for my install after the date it was requested. That was a while ago now though, but at least a year into the rollout and having people coming onto fiber. Seems like the runaround is not completely normal but many people get it.

AWS Certified Solution Architect Professional, Sysop Administrator Associate, and Developer Associate
TOGAF certified enterprise architect
Professional photographer

Batwing

499 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 106

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1994240 11-Apr-2018 12:15

To add a bit of humour to this, a few minutes ago I got an email from Bigpipe saying fibre is now ready in my area here's how to request an upgrade etc.

I wonder if there's any attempt at screening customers who already have an active request

Snackos

192 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 9

Reply # 1994253 11-Apr-2018 13:03

I've been waiting nearly four months and haven't even got the outside bit done yet. Four visits, four confused techs that left.

Item

750 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 199

Reply # 1994273 11-Apr-2018 14:27

I will report back on mine shortly!

Fibre finally completed in my street and I logged my install the day it was finished.

With 2Degrees and intend to stay there at the moment. Scoping scheduled for Friday 13th (any superstitious types around?) and the install for the week after on the 19th.

Fingers crossed...

ResponseMediaNZ

244 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 48

Trusted

Emergency Management

Reply # 1994364 11-Apr-2018 16:40

trig42:

Same thing is happening at work for us.

TL:DR - ISP knew it was MDU (they got that from Chorus), chorus haven't done any of the MDU work, and we are still waiting for a fibre install.

I can't talk to Chorus, I'm not their customer. They remind me of the old Telecom. Too much Bureaucracy, not enough giving a s**t about their customers.

Hmmm common theme here....I am trying to get a 2nd ONT for a second connection at work... Currently I am sitting on 3 months for it.

I already have a ONT and its an MDU as well - already scoped job for 2nd ONT... Now have been told that this got sent back by Chorus to say to 2D that I need a Secondary Service off the Primary ONT not a 2nd ONT installed.....
Miss Commit on the install date and no notification either...

Item

750 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 199

Reply # 1995611 13-Apr-2018 16:29

3 people support this post

So, my fibre installation experience went like this:

1st April - logged request with 2Degrees for upgrade from VDSL to fibre...same day it became officially available in the street
3 April - get texts from 2Degrees to provide 3 dates for scoping, build and handover
13th April - Chorus Engineer turns up 08:00 as planned to do scoping and advises he can complete the full install today if I was able to hang around
13th April 12:30 - I have fibre and it all works beautifully.

To be fair, my installation would have been on the easier side of the scale - full section, I own the property, overhead cables into house from pole with no trenching etc required.

Still - was mildly impressed after all the horror stories on here!

sparkz25

153 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 31

Reply # 1995622 13-Apr-2018 16:54

trig42:

Same thing is happening at work for us.

Fibre ordered last December.

I was told on the phone by our ISP that it was an MDU situation (even though there is only one 'tenant' here, the building is in three different tenancies). I told them I was fine with that, emailo/send me whatever forms you need, and I would get them on to the landlord.

Fast forward to February. ISP contacts me to say they have everything in place, Chorus techs will be onsite in a week to do the install.

Chorus techs show up - no lead-in (I could have told them that - no-one has been here).

CHorus tech goes away, saying they have to get the build plans and will return once done.

ISP contacts me a couple of weeks later - all sorted, they say, chorus will be there is a coupl eof days to do everything.

Chorus techs arrive at appointed time.

Them: 'Where is you lead-in?'

Me: 'There isn't one, like last time, I was told you were here to do that'

Them: 'Oh, no, we are here to do the install into your comms room'

Me 'Oh, dear...'

After them talking back to Chorus dispatch (or whoever they talk to), I hear (they were on speaker phone) that this install needs to go to the MDU team.

Cue: Banging head against nearest brick wall.

TL:DR - ISP knew it was MDU (they got that from Chorus), chorus haven't done any of the MDU work, and we are still waiting for a fibre install.

I can't talk to Chorus, I'm not their customer. They remind me of the old Telecom. Too much Bureaucracy, not enough giving a s**t about their customers.

this is a classic example of chorus's ability to show how they cant organise jobs and or do jobs on time and the lack of communication, a monkey would be quicker at doing your installs than a chorus tech!

i suggest you start dealing with them directly and escalate it through chorus and keep on their case, as the office is as useless as the techs, but if you do find some one good in the office that knows what they are on about and get things rolling deal with them and them only, thats what i have found in my experience of dealing with chorus.

ring your isp and get all the chorus case numbers and that stuff and deal with chorus direct until you get some response, emailing the isp is a waste of time they usually dont respond until 24-48 hours later unless its a emergency, and even then its to late

quickymart

3524 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 698

Reply # 1995742 13-Apr-2018 21:21

You can't escalate jobs directly via Chorus, it has to go through the RSP.

1 | 2