What's causing the sudden increase in customer support tickets related to OakNorth's mobile banking app over the past week?

Introduction

The sudden increase in customer support tickets related to OakNorth's mobile banking app over the past week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. As we delve into this product root cause analysis, we'll systematically identify, validate, and address the underlying factors contributing to this surge in support requests. Our approach will be comprehensive, 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 have been a recent app update. Has there been any significant changes or updates to the mobile banking app in the past two weeks?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with increased support tickets. Expected answer: Yes, a minor update was released 10 days ago. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on changes introduced in that update.

• Considering user segments, I'm wondering if this issue is affecting all users equally. Are we seeing a disproportionate increase in tickets from any particular user segment (e.g., iOS vs. Android, specific age groups, or account types)?

Why it matters: Helps narrow down potential causes and affected user groups. Expected answer: iOS users are reporting issues more frequently. Impact on approach: We'd prioritize investigating iOS-specific problems.

• Given the nature of banking apps, I'm curious about the types of issues being reported. What are the top 3 categories of complaints in these support tickets?

Why it matters: Identifies specific areas of the app causing problems. Expected answer: Login issues, transaction errors, and balance discrepancies. Impact on approach: We'd focus our investigation on these specific functionalities.

• Thinking about potential system changes, has there been any recent updates to the backend systems or APIs that the mobile app interacts with?

Why it matters: Backend changes can sometimes cause unexpected issues in the frontend. Expected answer: A new API version was implemented last week. Impact on approach: We'd investigate the integration between the new API and the mobile app.