Account validation for moderator support

[Luddite]

Hi all and @CS_Agent. Have just been informed that from now on in order to validate PM customers' accounts this is the link to use: https://about.telus.com/authenticationform.jspa?c=pm0.

Instructions 

· Select "Twitter"*
· Enter your Community User name
· Enter your phone number + 4-Digit PIN in appropriate boxes

Invent your own way to incorporate this into your helping responses. This will be my "canned" response.

"Unfortunately, you need assistance from the moderators. First fill in this form to authenticate your account/message https://about.telus.com/authenticationform.jspa?c=pm0. Be sure to click the "Twitter" button and enter your Community handle as the Twitter Username".

Then immediately click this: message to moderators to send a private message to the moderator team with a description of your issue noting that you have validated the account."

Be patient. I'm sure this is going to confuse many. 🙏

[Luddite]

@Jorno "Secure" authentication has been abandoned for now. We're back sending a private message to moderators with phone # & PIN. Sorry for the confusion I triggered.

[will13am]

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@Jorno wrote:

@Luddite, there are now two knowledge base articles on Moderators (listed below):

Updated: How to Contact our Community Moderators

The Public Mobile Moderator Team

While both contain information on contacting moderators, only the first link mentions a secure link for account authentication.  Do you know if these articles will be updated with a uniform set of clear instructions for contacting moderators using the authentication form?

The clear instructions you provided are a good example.  If authentication time-out is a possibility (as mentioned by @will13am), the instructions could be to send a private message first and then immediately submit the authentication form.

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These two knowledge base articles should be merged together.  Sadly, I believe this new authentication thing came out with such great haste, a lot of questions and concerned expressed were likely not even thought about let alone resolved.  This is why it is back to the drawing board for now.  BTW, from what I have learned there really isn't an official time out with the authentication.  Although, this might change in the future. 

[Jorno]

@Luddite, there are now two knowledge base articles on Moderators (listed below):

Updated: How to Contact our Community Moderators

The Public Mobile Moderator Team

While both contain information on contacting moderators, only the first link mentions a secure link for account authentication.  Do you know if these articles will be updated with a uniform set of clear instructions for contacting moderators using the authentication form?

The clear instructions you provided are a good example.  If authentication time-out is a possibility (as mentioned by @will13am), the instructions could be to send a private message first and then immediately submit the authentication form.

[Luddite]

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@daredogg wrote:

Hey @Luddite I entered my actual twitter handle, and not my community one by mistake. Do you think that'll be an issue in having the mod team contact me? I haven't got a message on twitter, so I'm thinking maybe.

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Yes that will not work; you must use this Community handle. Secondly, the moderators do not respond to that authentication but rather use it after you send a private message outlining your issue.

[daredogg]

Hey @Luddite I entered my actual twitter handle, and not my community one by mistake. Do you think that'll be an issue in having the mod team contact me? I haven't got a message on twitter, so I'm thinking maybe.

[Jorno]

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@Luddite wrote:

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@will13am wrote:

@Luddite, when I tested the link, I selected the community and it worked as well.  I am totally flabbergasted that customers are expected to use this new well tested process, select twitter link but use community forum credential.  Sure of course this combination makes a whole lot of sense. 

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I double checked and we MUST click "Twitter" for the script to reach the moderators. 

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I had an experience with this link two weeks ago.  I received a request from a moderator to provide "authentication" via the link.  No further instructions were provided.  Naturally, since I was communicating with the moderators through the community, I selected "Public Mobile community", submitted my phone number and PIN, then informed the moderator I had provided the authentication (as requested).

Two hours later, I received a message from the same moderator asking me for my phone number for authentication

Going forward, I hope all moderators will provide customers with clear instructions for the correct usage of this authentication link.

[NDesai]

It seems like this is coming from the upper management. The link itself is on Telus.com domain and Telus logo as a thumbnail. I think Telus or Koodo uses this same validation link to provide email/online support. Public Mobile being different (support over community only), they do not want to change the key components for some reason. Hence why Twitter and Facebook options are there. What i don't understand is that why can't they just create a different webapp page on PM's domain? Creating something as simple as this is not so complicated for web programmers. 

[computergeek541]

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@koimr1 wrote:

I'm all for being more secure and all but couldn't the two steps have been combined into one?

Example: Put a textbox on this new authentication form to enter the problem details right there?

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probably because that would actually make sense

I'm sure Public Mobile has its reasons but from a customer standpoint, needing to go to 2 different websites to get customer service is just downright silly. 

[Luddite]

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@will13am wrote:

@Luddite, when I tested the link, I selected the community and it worked as well.  I am totally flabbergasted that customers are expected to use this new well tested process, select twitter link but use community forum credential.  Sure of course this combination makes a whole lot of sense. 

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I double checked and we MUST click "Twitter" for the script to reach the moderators. 

[Luddite]

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@koimr1 wrote:

I'm all for being more secure and all but couldn't the two steps have been combined into one?

Example: Put a textbox on this new authentication form to enter the problem details right there?

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Asked. Answer was "maybe later".

[koimr1]

I'm all for being more secure and all but couldn't the two steps have been combined into one?

Example: Put a textbox on this new authentication form to enter the problem details right there?

[will13am]

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@stonechucker wrote:

At this point, may as well have 24/7/365-1/4 support via twitter DM, or Facebook Messenger.

Stupid.

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It sure is a slippery slope.  It will be interesting to see how a real time authentication works with private messaging which is not real time.  What happens if the authentication keeps on timing out.  Sure, let set the time out at 48 hours.  Nice and secure.

[stonechucker]

Lucky for me, my Twitter name is the same.  

Good to be an an early adopter of new web services.

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[stonechucker]

At this point, may as well have 24/7/365-1/4 support via twitter DM, or Facebook Messenger.

Stupid.

[will13am]

@Luddite, when I tested the link, I selected the community and it worked as well.  I am totally flabbergasted that customers are expected to use this new well tested process, select twitter link but use community forum credential.  Sure of course this combination makes a whole lot of sense. 

[will13am]

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@stonechucker wrote:

What’s wrong with what we’re doing now?  I see Facebook is on that page you’ve linked as well.

All this run around, might make some leave.

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I said the same thing.  There was no direct response.  I take the response to mean the ship has sailed.

[stonechucker]

What’s wrong with what we’re doing now?  I see Facebook is on that page you’ve linked as well.

All this run around, might make some leave.

[ShawnC13]

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@computergeek541 wrote:

Thanks for the information. 

I'm wondering about if Public Mobile has gone through all the trouble to set this authentication up, why not just have us send the message to the moderators through this same process?  Why the 2-step process?   Oh well - I guess people will eventually get used to it. 

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Believe us when we say the Oracle's have thrown many questions back to the mods i on this process and we were only informed yesterday

[computergeek541]

Thanks for the information. 

I'm wondering about if Public Mobile has gone through all the trouble to set this authentication up, why not just have us send the message to the moderators through this same process?  Why the 2-step process?   Oh well - I guess people will eventually get used to it.