Category: Skinny Care

Skinny Care Team impacted by massive typhoon that swept through the Philippines 

What’s happening

Due to bad weather in and around the Philippines, the Skinny Care Team unfortunately have limited agents available to support the Skinny and Jump queues. As a result, the voice queues have been restricted and will only be open between 10am – 2pm today.

Alternative support channels

Messaging channels (Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp) are still open as usual: 8:00am to 07:00pm – please see our Skinny Help page for further info, here.

The Jump IVR (Dial 0800 4 SKINNY > Press ‘3’ > Enter BB Number and Modem Verification code) is also still available to use for balance checks, top-up and Jump plan purchases.

Modem Troubleshooting/Replacement Modem Support

Dial 0800 4 Skinny > Press ‘4’ for ‘Issues with your modem’ to speak to an agent.

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If the terrible weather persists, the above changes to Call Centre channel availability and hours may be extended through to the end of the week.

Skinny Jump Care Team tackling customer waiting times

If your customers have tried contacting the Skinny Care team on 0800 4754669 they would have noticed two recent changes – one is a voice response that estimates the time customers are likely to have to wait to talk to a Care Agent. Unfortunately this is often becoming a rather long wait, like 30 minutes or more.

The good news is that a call-back option was introduced about a week ago. Callers now have the choice of requesting a call-back from a Skinny agent, rather than having to hold on to the call for a long time.

This appears to have been well received, with most callers selecting this option. Please share any feedback from your customers about how this new option is working for them.

Stolen Modems – unknown broadband number?

We get regular reports about Jump modems being lost or stolen. This presents a slight dilemma for customers when calling the Skinny Care Team to request a replacement. The IVR for Jump (press ‘3’ when calling 0800 475 4669) asks callers to enter their broadband number and verification code. But this is pretty difficult to do if the modem has been lost or stolen, or in some cases the transparent sticker with these details has been removed.

The good news is that Skinny Jump Care Agents can retrieve these details if they are sure the person calling is who they say they are. Normally, they would request the broadband number and verification code, printed on sticker on the side of the modem. Or they may ask the customer to retrieve these details from their Jump app.

In the absence of these details, the Skinny Jump agents may request the following details to verify the caller:

(1) registered email address;

(2) service address; or

(3) last top-up.

Once the Care Agent is satisfied they are talking to the right person, they will retrieve the modem details and complete a Modem Returns form, including a request for a replacement modem to be sent if this is what the customer wants.

Of course, all this assumes that the customer has been able to reach a Skinny Care agent. If they choose the IVR path (press ‘3’), they will get caught in a never-ending loop, unless they attempt to enter a broadband number and verification code; if these numbers are invalid they will then be given the option to press ‘9’ to talk to a Care Agent. More on this in my next post.

One Android problem fixed but another emerges

My previous post celebrated the launch of the new Jump Android App that included a bug fix for the shorter broadband numbers. But unfortunately, another bug has emerged with the Android version of the Jump App.

When customers click on ‘top up’ in the App, the App closes – thanks to Noha from Porirua Library who first reported this.

The good news is that the app team has already isolated the issue and submitted code to fix it – and it is only affecting the Android version. The not so good news is that we don’t know how long it might take before the App can be updated on the Google Play Store. This update has to be approved by Google and is outside the control of the Spark app team.

The suggested workaround for customers in the meantime is to use the dashboard on a PC to do the ‘top up’ or a browser on their smartphones. Of course, they can also top up using the Jump Interactive Voice Response front-end on calls to the Skinny Care Team (0800 475 4669).

The Jump team expects to have a definitive timeline next week for the update to be uploaded.

Jump customers being referred by Skinny Care Team to Partners for replacement modems

This shouldn’t be happening, but I get regular regular reports from partners that it is. Our agreed procedures for handing faulty and returned modems are clearly set out on our website.

The Skinny Care agents rely on a knowledge base to provide advice to customers when they call, so the Jump team went on an exploratory mission to find out where the agents were getting this wrong information.

And success! They discovered a rogue flowchart that was directing Skinny Care agents to some obsolete information that instructed them to advise customers with faulty modems to return them to a nearby Jump partner. Needless to say, this has been corrected. Thanks, River.

Thank you also to the partners who alerted us to this issue. We always welcome feedback on processes that are not working as they should. We can then try and fix them.

Jump Credit balances for customers who switch to sponsored plans

A few partners have raised questions this week about what happens to customers’ credit balances when they switch to a sponsored plan like Ciena.

Jump customers will be used to seeing the credit balance on their dashboard when they sign into Jump. However, when they move to a sponsored plan like Ciena this balance disappears from their dashboard. The Skinny Jump team has acknowledged that this shouldn’t happen and have some work in progress to get this re-instated.

The good news is that balances on customer accounts will remain for 12 months after their last plan renewal. However, for customers on multi-year sponsored plans who can not renew a data plan, this can be a problem, as they will eventually lose any credit balance.

Customers in this situation should contact the Skinny Care Team on 0800 475 4669 within 12 months to arrange a refund.

Accolades for Skinny

Skinny has been proclaimed number one amongst the major telcos when it comes to customer service. The results of a independent survey of telcos’ service performance was released this morning by the Commerce Commission.

This is doubly good news for Skinny Jump customers – not only are they getting the most affordable internet service in New Zealand, they are now also getting the best internet service.

The Residential Broadband Rankings for the period from January to June 2023 put Skinny ahead of all other major internet providers when it comes to how likely customers are to recommend their provider to friends and family. Skinny also topped the tables in customer satisfaction with how quickly providers resolve customer service issues.

So well done to the Skinny team; we are fortunate to have you as the Jump internet provider.

Jump Customers changing address

I had a question today from one of our partners about the process when Jump customers move to a new address. I thought this might be a good opportunity to remind all partners.

Here it is in a nutshell:

  1. Use the address checker to confirm that the customer is moving to an address with Jump coverage.
  2. If so, ask your customer to contact the Skinny Care Team on 0800 475 4669 and inform them of the new address.
  3. The customer can then unplug their modem and take it to their new address.
  4. If customers move their modems to a new address without notifying the Skinny Care Team, they could find their modem gets blocked, as this is a breach of the conditions of use.
  5. If their new address does not have Skinny Jump coverage, then the modem should be returned to the nearest Jump partner for resetting and assigning to a new Jump family, or the customer is welcome to contact the Skinny Care Team and request a pre-paid return courier bag.
  6. What they should not do, is just walk out the door and leave their Jump modem behind for the next tenant.
  7. Transferring to another family member can also be problematic, as the modem is linked to the original user’s email and any new user would require access to this email and the password in order to top up the account and purchase new data plans. So it is much better for the modem to be returned and reset (or if it is unsuitable for reuse, it will be responsibly recycled). The family member is welcome to apply for a new modem using their own email and password (assuming of course that they meet the eligibility criteria).

New process for faulty Jump modems to start on 15 August 2022

We reached agreement with the Skinny Jump team today to proceed in implementing a new process for handling faulty modem replacements. This is an attempt to address the continuing shortage of modems and the re-supply waiting time that has now stretched to 6 weeks.

It has also been prompted by the difficult situation that partners are facing when the Skinny Care Team (Helpdesk) refer a customer to you for a replacement modem, but you are unable to help because your Jump modem cupboard is bare.

What is changing from 15 August is that all replacement modems for faulty units will be supplied from our DIAA Wellington office.

We hold a small stock of modems for customers who are unable to travel to a local Jump partner or when local partners are closed. Now that most partners are open again after the Covid restrictions, our priority will be to support existing customers who need replacement modems.

Jump customers must continue to contact the Skinny Care Team first (0800 475 4669) whenever they are having trouble with their Jump internet connection. This is not changing.

If the Care Team diagnose the problem as a modem fault, and the customer advises that they wish to continue with the Jump service, the Care Team will complete a Modem Return Form with the customer’s contact details (address, email and phone) as well as details of the faulty modem (IMEI and broadband numbers) and a brief description of the fault.

This will the ensure that: (a) the faulty modem is delinked from the customer’s account, so that customers can use the same emails to set up replacement modems and transfer any credit balances, and (b) replacement modems are couriered to customers along with a pre-paid bag to recover faulty modems for repair or recycling.

What this means (at least in theory) is that partners should never have to issue replacements for faulty modems. Customers who do not require a replacement will continue to be encouraged to return their modems to a nearby partner, where partners will be responsible for completing a Modem Return form, as you currently do.

We know that some customers will just turn up with faulty modems, seeking a replacement. If partners have supplies of modems, you are welcome to provide the replacement, noting details on the Modem Return Form. But clearly if you don’t have any stock, your only option is to refer customers to the new process outlined above.

Updated Modem Return Form to replace old forms on 20 April 2022

An updated Modem Return form is being introduced from the start of business tomorrow (Wednesday 20 April). This replaces the three previous forms used by delivery partners for modem returns, i.e.

(1) Skinny Jump Account Delinking & Modem Reprovisioning – Delivery Sites & Care Use Only – originally developed for modems that were returned mainly because they were no longer required and could be remotely de-linked from customers’ accounts and rest, ready for re-issue.

(2) Faulty Jump Modem returns – originally developed for modems that had been remotely tested by Skinny and customers were advised that the unit was faulty and should be returned to a nearby Jump partner. We have recently consolidated this form with the standard Delinking Form above.

(3) MOE Modem Activation and Returns – originally developed for modems issued by the Ministry of Education.

The new consolidated form is to be used by Jump Delivery Partners when they receive any Jump modem returned by a customer or if they require a particular Jump modem to be re-provisioned for any other reason. The Skinny Care Team may also use this form when a customer reports they have a modem but there is no coverage or capacity at their address.

The purpose of this new consolidated form is:
(1) to make it easy for Delivery Partners to get a modem de-linked from a customer account and then reset in a timely manner, so that it can be re-issued. This form provides a direct communication channel to the Skinny Support Team who are responsible for delinking any Skinny Jump accounts and resetting modems. Jump Delivery Partners should never call the Skinny Care Team on the customer 0800 number, as this Helpdesk team is not able to delink accounts or reset modems.

(2) to recognise modems issued as part of a special Jump Plan – MOE, CIENA or RED CROSS – and ensure these are recovered or correctly re-provisioned.

(3) to record customer details for the collection of unwanted modems or at locations where there is no network coverage or capacity.

The information provided in this form authorises the Skinny Support Team to delink an account and reset the modem. Faulty or defaced modems that are not suitable for re-issue are to be marked as “faulty” in the form and this triggers a response from the Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa (DIAA) team to send a courier bag to recover the modem for repair or recycling.

Once the modem is reset, an advice note is sent to the Delivery Partner at the partner email entered at the end of the form.