How can we explain the sudden 25% increase in customer support tickets related to Thomson Reuters's Eikon financial data terminal in the past week?

Introduction

The sudden 25% increase in customer support tickets related to Thomson Reuters's Eikon financial data terminal is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This spike in support requests could indicate underlying problems with the product, user experience issues, or external factors affecting our customers. As we dive into this analysis, we'll systematically explore potential causes, validate hypotheses, and develop a comprehensive plan to address the root cause.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might be a recent update. Has there been any software release or feature change in the past week?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with support ticket increases. Expected answer: Yes, a minor update was released. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd focus on the update's contents and rollout process.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution. Are these tickets coming from a specific user group or spread across all users?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is widespread or localized. Expected answer: Tickets are primarily from institutional investors. Impact on approach: If localized, we'd investigate that specific user group's needs and experiences.

• Thinking about the nature of the tickets, I'm wondering about the content. What are the top 3 issues being reported in these tickets?

Why it matters: Reveals patterns in the problems users are facing. Expected answer: Login issues, data latency, and report generation errors. Impact on approach: Would guide our technical investigation and prioritization.

• Considering external factors, I'm curious about market conditions. Have there been any significant market events or volatility in the past week?

Why it matters: External events can drive increased product usage and support needs. Expected answer: There's been higher than usual market volatility. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd need to consider scalability and performance under high load.