Category: Modem returns

Modem Returns – for reissue or repair?

Yesterday, I received 33 Modem Returns forms; six of these had been incorrectly classified by the person completing the form (Jump Partners and Skinny Care Team). This is not that unusual, which suggests to me that there are different ways to interpret these classifications, so I thought it worth explaining what difference this makes.

There are 4 options in the Modem Returns form for classifying a ‘returned’ modem; only the first two of these should be used by Jump Delivery Partners – the other two are additional options for the Skinny Care Team.

So what do each of these mean?

Yes, this modem is suitable for reissue

This is for situations where the customer no longer wants the Skinny Jump service. Partners are expected to make the call on the physical state of the modem, i.e. is it in a condition that means it would be suitable for reissue. This means the modem would be not be broken or physically defaced, nor would it be dirty. It would also have an installed SIM card and the person returning the modem would advise it is still in working condition.

If the modem has just been dropped off, it is worthwhile starting with the assumption it is suitable for reissue. Skinny Support will delink the modem from the customer’s email and reset the modem with 35GB start-up data, ready for reissue, or they will advise that the modem cannot be delinked and needs to be treated as faulty.

If there are missing parts, e.g. power supply, ethernet cable, customer guide, then DIAA can supply these on request – see my earlier blog post about this. Also my post about the different power supplies.

No, this modem should be recovered for repair

This option is to be selected when the returned modem is known to be faulty or is otherwise unsuitable for reissue. This includes obsolete B315 and B618 Huawei modems – all these are to be recovered for recycling.

Customers are expected to report all faulty issues to the Skinny Care Team and if the modem is assessed as faulty, the Care agents will complete a Modem Returns Form. This results in DIAA couriering a replacement directly to the customer, along with a recovery bag for the faulty unit. The Form is also used by the Skinny Support team to initiate the delinking process so that the customer can use their same email address in setting up a new account when the replacement modem arrives.

However, we know that some customers do not follow this procedure and simply turn up at a Partner expecting a replacement. We have also been unable to prevent some Care Agents advising customers to go to a local partner to get a replacement. In these cases, Partners have the discretion to issue replacement modems, but they must alert customers that they will not be able to set up a new Jump account using their existing email until the faulty unit is delinked – this can take 24-28 hours, but sometimes longer.

Yes, this modem only requires a new SIM (this option is only for use by the Skinny Care Team)

This option is to be selected when the Care Team determines that a simple SIM Swap will correct the fault. This generates a request to DIAA to initiate the agreed SIM Swap process, which results in a replacement SIM being couriered to the customer, together with instructions on how to activate the SIM Swap while retaining the same Broadband number (albeit with a different Verification Code). Jump Delivery Partners can not use this option if the modem has been returned to them – it must then be classified as faulty.

No, this modem was stolen or lost (this option should normally only be selected by the Skinny Care Team)

Our agreed procedures require all lost or stolen modems to be reported by the customer to the Skinny Care Team. They can verify the identity of the customer and arrange to block the lost/stolen modem as well as delink the customer’s account. If the customer requires a replacement, the Care Team will request DIAA to send a replacement by courier. By the time this arrives, the customer’s email will have been delinked, so they can proceed to set up a new account using their same email.

What should Partners do when a customer reports a lost/stolen modem to them?

They must direct the customer to contact the Skinny Care Team. Jump Partners must never issue a replacement modem unless customers can produce the faulty unit, which clearly they can’t do if the modem has been lost or stolen.

My Jump modem doesn’t have enough data

Nearly every day, I see modems being returned because “Jump doesn’t have enough data”.

One of the 6 C’s (“Capped”) that we expect partners to discuss with new customers is about the data cap (which is actually 225GB, when you take into account the free 15GB). And in particular to explain that Jump is a pre-pay top-up service where customers buy plans in bite-sized, affordable chunks ($5 for each 35GB).

So when I see a modem being returned after just a few days or even a few weeks, with the explanation of ‘not enough data’, I do wonder if they have set up their Skinny Jump account before leaving with the modem and if they really understand the top-up process. Or have they just used the free start-up 35GB data and decided that isn’t enough for them.

The Skinny Jump team produced a really helpful flyer explaining the top-up process and we expect that partners take the time to explain this two-step process (‘top up’ and ‘buy your plan’) to new customers. And to make sure that every customer takes home one of the flyers with them (suggest they stick it on the fridge as a reminder!).

If you have run out of these, remember you can always order more online here.

We understand that there are situations where 225GB really isn’t enough, e.g. for households with lots of teenagers or for people who watch hours of movies every day, and of course they are welcome to move to other services. But we do encourage all partners to have this conversation when modems are issued – Jump may not be the right product for them – this might prevent disappointment when they reach the cap.

Modem Returns – No boxes or wires?

This is a question that is frequently asked by Jump partners. A returned modem doesn’t have its box or “wires”, so can I reissue it? It most cases ‘no wires’ means no ethernet cables (the yellow and blue ones).

The modems normally come with two short ethernet cables, but most Jump customers never need to use them. So what are they for? In the old days before WiFi was invented, people used these cables to connect their devices to the internet modem, but these days, WiFi is so good that you hardly ever need a cable connection. In fact most new devices like laptops no longer have an ethernet port, so there isn’t even a slot that you can plug these cables into.

So again, you are probably wondering why do we need this cable with a Jump modem. The answer is on page 27 of the customer guide (“How do I change my WiFi password?”). For this, we recommend you connect a computer to the Jump modem using one of the ethernet cables.

But then you might be wondering why are there two ethernet cables in every box. Well, this really has nothing to do with Jump. The same modems can be configured for fibre connections and you then need an ethernet cable to connect your modem to the fibre ONT (Optical Network Terminal).

But to add further confusion, there is another cable in most Jump boxes – it is grey with telephone connectors and looks like the one in the photo below. This has nothing to do with modems configured for Jump, as unlike fibre connections, these don’t support telephone devices.

So, to cut a long story short, all you need with each modem is one ethernet cable and of course the power supply and user guide. We (DIAA) can supply spares if needed (just drop us a line at jump@diaa.nz).

But wait, there’s more – what about returned modems with no box? You are welcome to issue modems without boxes. We know that most Jump boxes are put in the recycling bin as soon as they are opened. Some library partners have bags for their customers to use in transporting books home and they use these for Jump modems. Others use one of the Jump “zero” bags – we can supply these on request.

As always, there is a moral to the story – let’s “reuse” Jump modems wherever possible and only return those that are faulty or obsolete.

Jump Partner Survey – Final Results

A huge thank you to the 206 partners who responded to our survey. We have now consolidated the responses into a summary report and provided some comment on matters we are following up. We are also planning a Partner workshop in Auckland on 14 October to consider the many excellent suggestions put forward.

Some highlights from the report:

(1) 89% rated their overall satisfaction with 4 or 5 stars

(2) Many respondents were not using or aware of all the Jump resources available

(3) Email is the preferred and most effective communication channel for Jump updates

(4) Demand for printed collateral is low

(5) Many partners never access their Jump registers

(6) 95% rated their satisfaction with modem supply as 4 or 5 stars

(7) 68% rated their satisfaction with the modem return process as 4 or 5 stars, suggesting this is a particular area for improvement

We can supply some spare parts for Jump Modems

From time to time customers return modems without their power supply and/or their ethernet cable. This does not necessarily make the modem faulty. We can supply spares if needed.

But what we do need to know is the IMEI number of the modem – or the type of modem, as the power supplies are different. Here’s a 1-minute refresher on the 4 types of modem used for Jump over the last 10 years.

First there was the Huawei B315 modem with a 1 Amp power supply, followed by the Huawei B618 modem with a 2 Amp supply. We consider both of these modems to now be obsolete, so when they become faulty we will recover them for recycling. But please note, there is no need to replace these modems if they are still working.

The third model to come along was the Smart Modem 2 and this uses a 3 Amp power supply. And our current Futura modem uses a 3.5 Amp supply.

We can also send spare ethernet cables; these are normally only required if customers want to change settings such as the WiFi password. We can also supply new copies of the User Guide.

When you need spares, please email jump@diaa.nz, providing the IMEI number of the modem (if a power supply is required) and any other parts needed.

Reducing Duplicate Skinny Jump modem issues

Skinny Jump exists to provide affordable internet access to households that need it most. Every year Spark NZ invests millions of dollars in the programme, with one of the largest costs being the purchase of new modems. Every modem that is returned when no longer needed can potentially be refurbished or reissued, helping more families access affordable internet while making the programme more sustainable.

Recent analysis of Jump records has shown that many customers have been issued with multiple modems without any record of earlier modems being returned. This year alone, we have recorded 560 instances. While some of these cases have genuine explanations, others suggest opportunities for improving our processes and reducing unnecessary replacement issues. 22 partners were invited to provide feedback on why this occurs and how it might be reduced. Their responses revealed many common themes and practical ideas.

Most partners are not asking for more complex systems – they are asking for a more consistent process:

  • ask the customer if they have already had a modem,
  • check the Jump Register if in doubt,
  • verify replacement requests or ask the customer to contact the Skinny Care Team,
  • do not issue a replacement modem unless the faulty modem is returned,
  • reinforce these practices regularly with staff.

Partner feedback presented a very clear message:  

The prevention of duplicate issues depends more on consistently following a few simple processes than introducing new rules.

We have developed a Partner Guide, based largely on the feedback from partners. This Guide outlines a simple 5-step process for use by all Jump partners when issuing replacement modems. You can also find a link to the Guide on the Skinny Jump Partner Resources page on our Stepping Up website.

And you can check how you are doing by keeping an eye on line 5 of your GSheet. Cell A5 records the number of duplicates issued so far this year – note this excludes ‘legitimate’ duplicates, such as faulty replacements, or replacements for lost or stolen modems. And if you want to drill a bit further, scroll along line 5 to find the number of duplicates issued by month (cells I5 to T5). Line 5 is shaded turquoise blue, the colour we use to identify duplicates.

And another note, if you find your Line 5 is not shaded turquoise, that means we haven’t updated your GSheet yet – this is a work in progress – with 264 sheets to update, this takes a while, and we have prioritised the most active partners.

We need your help to get unwanted modems returned

Every year, Spark invests millions into the Skinny Jump programme, with one of its largest costs being the purchase of new Jump modems and we want to make sure we are using this generous investment wisely.

Our approach has been to encourage customers who do not need their modems any more to return these so that they can be delinked and reissued in much the same way that libraries issue books. But the main difference of course is that there is no time limit on the Jump ‘loan’ modems; customers are welcome to keep the modem for as long as they need it.

But the challenge is how to encourage customers to return it when they don’t need it. Here are some things you can do to help:

(1) Make sure every modem you issue has the “Stopped using your Skinny Jump Modem” sticker attached.

Maybe you have run out of these? If so, you can order these using the online order form for Jump collateral.

(2) Display the Modem Returns poster, as a reminder to Jump customers. You can also order copies of this poster through the online order form. Note the default quantity is 100; you can change this in the comments field at the bottom of the order form. I suspect you might not have enough wall space to display 100 copies!

(3) Always stress the importance of returning the modem if not needed any more. This is part of the 6 C’s discussion we expect you to have with every customer receiving a Jump modem. Now here’s a quick test for you – which of the 6 C’s is about modem returns? (answer at bottom of this post).

(4) Never issue a replacement modem unless the customer returns their faulty unit. This appears to be part of the problem. We are currently consulting with our 22 largest partners (the ones who issue the most modems) and have discovered that over 1600 modems have been issued without the faulty ones being returned. This doesn’t include modems reported as lost or stolen. Remember that you can monitor this yourself in your Jump Gsheets. Cells B1:C2 report the number of duplicate (or more) issues:

Thank you to the partners who have already responded to my email about this issue and I do understand that it is often difficult to remember whether individuals have already been issued a modem (especially when you have had over 1500 Jump customers in 10 years!). We keep stressing that Jump is a high trust model, where we encourage partners to take applicants at their word, unless you have local knowledge that suggests someone is abusing the opportunity. We don’t want to add any complications into the signup process, like asking customers for ID or requiring staff to pre-check the Jump register before issuing modems. We know that some partners use their ‘book a librarian’ service to assign a timeslot for Jump signups and this does provide an opportunity to check if they are a repeat customer before they arrive. But we also know that some customers can be quite devious using different names and emails to secure additional modems.

I will be compiling a brief report on the feedback from our largest partners and sharing how they are tackling this issue in a further post. But I welcome feedback from any partner with suggestions. I am waiting with baited breath for feedback from one of the top 22 partners, with a stunning record. Despite issuing nearly 1000 modems, their Jump register only reports 7 duplicates and none with 3 or more modems!

Answer to 6 C’s question: Community – returned modems can be reset and re-issued; faulty modems can be repaired; old modems can be recycled. This helps more homes get access to a truly affordable internet service, it keeps Skinny Jump sustainable and it’s good for our environment. Reference pp.4-5 of Partner Guide.

Get ready for Jump stocktake day – tomorrow 30 June

This is just a reminder about our planned modem stocktake tomorrow. Why tomorrow and not today you might be asking?

Simply because we want to make sure our records are fully up to date, so that you are comparing “apples with apples”, so to speak. We will be updating your Jump Gsheets this evening to include all the Profile Forms received today.

Now is a good time to check that you have access to your Jump GSheet so that you can check if the number of modems that you have in stock matches the number in cell E2 (Actual stock on hand). If there is a match, all you need to do is send a brief email to jump@diaa.nz, confirming the match.

If there isn’t a match, you will need to send us an email with the IMEI numbers of the modems you are holding.

I was impressed with one of our Auckland partners who did their stocktake last week, as they were planning to be on leave this week! And I’ve also been impressed with partners who have suddenly realised they don’t have access to their GSheet, often because the person who did have access no longer works there. This is easily fixed too – just drop a line to jump@diaa.nz requesting access. If this request comes from a personal email, as opposed to your work email, I may have to confirm your identity. This is just a precaution to make sure I don’t provide access to unauthorised people.

We are also using the stocktake to make other updates to our records – in particular if someone new is now the main point of contact for Jump. You can check who we have in our records – their name (or names) are in Cell A2 of your GSheet.

We would also like to recover any of the first generation of Jump modems (B315) – our records indicate there are 11 of these still being help in partner stocks – you can check this in Columns Y2:AC3 of your Gsheet (see example below). Please note the IMEI numbers of any B315 modems you are holding in your email to us and we’ll get recovery bags on their way.

SIM SWAPS are only for Jump Customers (not Partners)

When a customer returns a modem to a Jump Partner and says ‘my SIM card has been stolen or lost’, it appears partners are issuing a replacement modem. That is all good.

The problem occurs when the Modem Returns form is filled in, requesting a SIM SWAP. It is too late to do this when the modem has been returned to a Partner, especially when a replacement has already been issued. So the correct classification is that the modem is faulty and must be recovered for repair.

The SIM SWAP process only applies when the modem is still with the customer and the customer has reported this to the Skinny Care Team.

The Care Team will make a call whether the modem itself is faulty and must be recovered or whether it is just a matter of sending a replacement SIM. The process involves changing the Broadband number on the new SIM to match the customer’s existing broadband number, so it is a relatively simple process to reactivate the modem without the customer having to set up a new account.

So as a general rule, Partners should never select the “SIM SWAP” option. Once a modem has been returned to a Partner, you really only have two options:

(1) Yes, this modem is suitable for reissue, or

(2) No, this modem should be recovered for repair

Of course there is the “stolen or lost modem” option, but you may recall, we have asked that you never issue a replacement modem unless the customer returns their existing modem. Customer claiming “stolen or lost” must contact the Skinny Care Team.

How can customers change the email linked to their Skinny Jump account?

This interesting question was raised during a recent Community of Practice Jump meeting with Auckland Libraries. A bit of “umming and ahhing” on my part but then I suggested a possible solution.

I then followed this up by checking with our colleagues at Spark and they concurred with my solution, so I thought I should share this with everyone.

But first of all why would someone want to do this? In the Auckland case it was simply a matter of a customer wanting to update their email, as they were no longer using the one they signed up to Jump with. Fair enough, that makes sense.

So, we think the best way to do this is to put the modem through our de-linking process, using the Modem Returns form, but indicate on the form that the replacement modem has the same IMEI and Broadband numbers and is suitable for reissue. When the modem is de-linked it will be like a new modem and the customer can set up a new account with their updated email.

But just a warning, because the customer is changing to a new email, they will not be able to transfer any residual funds on their account, so do suggest they wait until their balance is zero before actioning this.

The other slight problem is that we ask partners to always use their email address on the Modem Returns form, so that you receive notification when the modem has been delinked. In this particular situation though, you could use the customer’s email, so that they get the notification directly. Alternatively, you are welcome to continue using your own email and then alerting your customer when they can set up their new account. They will have the free start-up 35GB when their modem is de-linked, so the transfer should be seamless.