What factors are contributing to the recent 30% increase in customer support tickets related to GOAT's mobile app?

Introduction

The recent 30% increase in customer support tickets related to GOAT's mobile app is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This surge in support requests not only impacts user satisfaction but also strains our support resources and potentially signals underlying problems with the app's functionality or user experience. To address this challenge, I'll employ a systematic approach to identify, validate, and resolve the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term strategic implications.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might be a recent app update. Has there been a major release or update to the GOAT mobile app in the past 30-60 days?

Why it matters: Recent updates often correlate with spikes in support tickets. Expected answer: Yes, there was an update about 45 days ago. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on changes introduced in that update.

• Considering user segments, I'm wondering if this increase is uniform across all users. Are we seeing a disproportionate increase in tickets from any particular user group (e.g., new users, power sellers, specific device types)?

Why it matters: Helps narrow down potential causes to specific user experiences or device-related issues. Expected answer: There's a higher increase among iOS users and new sellers. Impact on approach: We'd prioritize investigating iOS-specific issues and onboarding processes for new sellers.

• Thinking about the nature of support tickets, I'm curious about the content. What are the top 3-5 categories of issues being reported in these increased support tickets?

Why it matters: Identifies specific problem areas to focus our investigation. Expected answer: Login issues, payment processing errors, and item listing problems. Impact on approach: We'd drill down into these specific functionalities within the app.

• Considering potential system changes, I'm wondering about our backend. Have there been any significant changes to our backend systems or APIs that the mobile app interacts with?

Why it matters: Backend changes can sometimes cause unexpected issues in the mobile app. Expected answer: There was a recent update to our payment processing system. Impact on approach: We'd investigate the integration between the new payment system and the mobile app.