What factors are contributing to the recent 20% increase in customer support tickets related to Smartsheet's Workspace sharing functionality?

Introduction

The recent 20% increase in customer support tickets related to Smartsheet's Workspace sharing functionality 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 feature's usability or performance. 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 product update. Has there been any significant change to the Workspace sharing feature in the last 30-60 days?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with spikes in support tickets. Expected answer: Yes, a new sharing UI was rolled out 45 days ago. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on the new UI's usability and potential bugs.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution of these tickets. Are we seeing this increase across all user types, or is it concentrated in specific segments (e.g., enterprise vs. small business)?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is universal or segment-specific. Expected answer: The increase is primarily seen in enterprise accounts. Impact on approach: We'd investigate enterprise-specific use cases and potential integration issues.

• Thinking about the nature of the tickets, I'm wondering about the specific issues being reported. What are the top 3 complaints or questions in these support tickets?

Why it matters: Pinpoints the exact problems users are facing. Expected answer: Difficulty finding sharing options, permission errors, and slow loading times. Impact on approach: We'd prioritize these specific areas in our investigation and solution design.

• Considering potential system changes, has there been any recent backend infrastructure updates or changes to our authentication systems?

Why it matters: Backend changes can sometimes cause unexpected issues in seemingly unrelated features. Expected answer: A new authentication system was implemented for enhanced security. Impact on approach: We'd investigate the interaction between the new auth system and sharing functionality.