What factors are contributing to the sudden 30% increase in customer support tickets for Pearson's eText app in the last month?

Introduction

The sudden 30% increase in customer support tickets for Pearson's eText app in the last month 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 correlation with the academic calendar. Has this increase coincided with the start of a new semester or academic year?

Why it matters: Academic cycles often impact educational product usage. Expected answer: Yes, it aligns with the fall semester start. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on onboarding and scaling issues.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution of tickets. Are we seeing a higher proportion of tickets from a specific user group, such as first-year students or faculty?

Why it matters: Identifies if the issue is widespread or localized to a particular segment. Expected answer: A higher percentage from new users, particularly freshmen. Impact on approach: Would guide us to focus on new user experience and onboarding processes.

• Thinking about recent changes, have there been any significant updates to the eText app in the weeks leading up to this increase?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with support ticket spikes. Expected answer: A major update was released three weeks ago. Impact on approach: Would direct our investigation towards the impact of recent changes.

• Regarding the nature of support tickets, are we seeing any common themes or specific features mentioned more frequently in these new tickets?

Why it matters: Helps pinpoint specific problematic areas within the app. Expected answer: Many tickets relate to login issues and content loading problems. Impact on approach: Would focus our technical investigation on authentication and content delivery systems.