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How Your Calls are Handled

When a school contacts our helpdesk (helpdesk@broadbandsandwell.org.uk or 0121 569 2400) to log a broadband fault, it is dealt with as follows:

• Our helpdesk staff log the call, requesting as much detail from the caller as possible to help to enable to scope of the problem. We will often ask the caller to carry out some simple diagnostics (or to confirm that these have taken place) to ensure that the fault is a broadband fault, and not a local school based fault, or something that the caller is doing wrong. We will usually try to emulate the fault for ourselves to see whether the fault is global or a local issue.

• If the fault is diagnosed to be a technical broadband fault, we will immediately pass itto the contract supplier. The contract is currently with Synetrix Ltd, but is managed under the BT Transform Sandwell partnership. Your calls are logged by Broadband Sandwell staff directly with Synetrix.

• The Synetrix contract defines four call priorities:

   

  • Priority 1: Problems affecting a large number of schools, such as total loss of the Internet feed
    • these have a contract "target fix time" of 8 hours from the time that we log the call.

   

  • Priority 2: Problems affecting a small number of schools, or having a major impact, although the service remains "available"
    • these have a contract "target fix time" of 1 working day from the time that we log the call.

   

  • Priority 3: Minor faults
    • these have a contract "target fix time" of 3 working days from the time that we log the call.

   

  • Priority 4: information and change requests
    • these have a contract "target fix time" of 5 working days from the time that we log the call.
• You will note that the times given do not start until we log the call with Synetrix. Ensure that you do not increase this time by waiting.

 

• Special calls, such as calls for schools during an Ofsted inspection, or on the PLASC return day, can be escalated to Priority 1, please ensure that you advise our helpdesk of any special circumstances that might allow us to request that your call should be upgraded.

• We will be in contact with Synetrix on a regular basis during a Priority 1 and Priority 2 problem and will usually try to notify you periodically by telephone or through the Current Issues section of our website (this is located on the schools' broadband network and so will usually be available even if the Internet feed is down: you may need to remove any proxy settings from your browser window to access it.)

• If the call does not get resolved within the target fix time, it will be escalated to the Contract Service Manager at Synetrix, and later to director level within the company. Their directors do not like to be told of problems (or to have to apologise for them) and so will apply extra pressure to the staff working on the call to obtain a swift resolution.

• Broadband and internet faults are subject to a service level agreement in place between Sandwell MBC and the contract supplier. This includes expected levels of service below which penalties are payable, please see the table below. Where penalties are payable, these are usually set against subsequent charges made to schools for Internet service. 

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