Zen's treatment of vulnerable customers

A neighbour of mine is a frail but very bright 90-year-old and has been a customer of Zen for several years having seen them highly rated on Which's website. Her internet connection is FTTC.
A few months back I helped her cope with Zen's unilateral decision to move her phone line to VoIP despite there being very poor mobile phone coverage.
Recently her health has deteriorated and she has now obtained a telecare alarm. This was quite easy to set up as it plugs into the router via a LAN cable. The telecare service provider prefers to use a mobile phone based system but that is not suitable here due to the poor signal levels for all mobile operators (O2, Vodafone, EE) in our rural location.
It seems the telecare device has a battery back-up to cover power cuts but, of course, the router will go down and the telecare service will fail.
Fortunately we do not have that many power cuts but there are lot of overhead lines and they are susceptible to storm damage. If there is a power cut during dark hours, there is a greater chance of her falling and needing the telecare service!
She contacted Zen but they were particularly unhelpful. The told her they did not supply battery packs and advised her to contact "BT Connect" whoever they are. She has no contractual relationship with BT or its various companies.
Have others any experience of Zen's attitude to vulnerable customers?

I suggest you go back to Zen and remind them of the Public Switched Telephone Network charter (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-sw...) of which they are a signatory.

Even if they do not supply a battery back-up their attitude it totally at variance with the protocols which they have signed.

I have no experience of Zen's treatment of vulnerble clients, but in general terms I think their customer service has deteriorated in recent years.

As to the root problem, a modest consumer UPS would keep the router going for quite a while in the event of a power failure. If we lose power (we too are in a rural location with overhead electricity supply), our broadband connection will keep going for at least a couple of hours on a small APC UPS. That covers the majority of power cuts, and in your neighbour's case it would at least give her time to let someone know that there is a problem.

In reply to a post by stephen_b:

As to the root problem, a modest consumer UPS would keep the router going for quite a while in the event of a power failure. If we lose power (we too are in a rural location with overhead electricity supply), our broadband connection will keep going for at least a couple of hours on a small APC UPS. That covers the majority of power cuts, and in your neighbour's case it would at least give her time to let someone know that there is a problem.

I'd suggest a LiFePO4 "power station" (with UPS mode!) as opposed to a conventional UPS – the cost will be around the same but you'll get hours of runtime.

For bonus points someone could monitor (a) a UPS backed device (e.g. ping replies from the router) to verify that the internet is up and (b) a non-UPS backed device to alert in case there's a power cut.

All good information but I think the point is being missed here.

The government through OfCOM has mandated that a provider must provide to vulnerable customers a means of communication which will be viable for at least one hour in the event of a power cut. It is not up to the vulnerable customer to provide a means to access that service; it is the responsibility of the phone service provider.

Where there is an adequate mobile signal the provider can supply a mobile phone (although I think it is asking a lot to expect a vulnerable customer to remember where they have put a device which is not their normal means of communication or to remember to keep it charged). Where there is no other means of communication the provider must provide some sort of system that will maintain communication through the existing phone for at least one hour in the event of a power cut. This would typically be a PSU but it is not the responsibility of the vulnerable customer to source that equipment.

In the case put forward by the OP, Zen seems to think that the OfCOM requirements are an optional extra. They need to be reminded of their responsibilities.

Suggest that Zen provide something like this with the appropriate power leads. As mentioned by others, it is at their cost.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/landli...

If you are dependent on your landline phone – for example, if you don’t have a mobile phone or don’t have mobile signal at your home – your provider must offer you a solution to make sure you can contact the emergency services when a power cut occurs. For example, a mobile phone (if you have signal), or a battery back-up unit for your landline phone.

https://dktcomega.com/product/ftth-battery-2/

+1

Thanks for all the feedback. Most helpful of you all.
When Zen forced in my neighbour's VoIP (late last year) there was no offer of a battery for the router and she could just about get a weak mobile signal outside the house but not indoors.
Now she is more frail (hence the telecare system), popping outside to make an emergency call is not a solution.
Since Zen removed the landline prior to the PTSN Charter, I suspect they are now washing their hands of the "problem".
Some letters of complaint are being drafted! Also, I think she wants to get a battery/UPS solution sooner rather than later as who knows how long it will take to get a meaningful response from Zen and when the next power cut is.

Edited by Studium (Mon 25-Nov-24 13:51:44)