Wholesale customer support & call handling

Use this page to learn how to identify a Wholesale customer (MVNO) and escalate an existing ticket or WSP case

Wholesale support

  • Wholesale Customer: Companies who purchase service from T-Mobile and use it in products they sell to their end users/subscribers.
    • Also known as MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators).
    • Maintain their subscriber base and customer billing.
    • Provide service which uses the T-Mobile network (may use other service providers’ networks as well).
    • Purchase unbranded and unlocked devices from T-Mobile.
  • End user/subscriber: People who pay for service from Wholesale customers.
    • Use devices that have their Wholesaler's logo and branding.
    • Must contact their Wholesale service provider for any questions/support.
    • Not serviced by T-Mobile.

  • Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO): 
    • A mobile operator that does not own spectrum and usually does not have its own network infrastructure, instead uses business arrangements with T-Mobile (and possibly other carriers) to buy voice, SMS, and data  for sale to their end users/customers. These Wholesale Customers provide service via handsets and hotspots. Example: QLink, TracFone, GoogleFi, Mint, Boost (via Dish).
  • M2M/Internet of Things (IoT) service providers:
    • A mobile operator that does not own its spectrum and usually does not have its own network infrastructure, instead using business arrangements with T-Mobile (and possibly other carriers) to buy primarily data service for sale to their own end users/customers. Voice and SMS, may also be purchased as a supporting service to the data device.
  • Mobile Virtual Network Aggregator (MVNA):
    • Unlike MVNOs these Wholesale Customers do not typically sell or market service using their brand name. They provide back-office support for smaller MVNOs. MVNAs do not own spectrum and usually do not have their own network infrastructure, instead using business arrangements with T-Mobile (and possibly other carriers) to buy voice, SMS, and data for sale to their end users/customers. These Wholesale Customers provide service via handsets and hotspots. Example: PWG, Ultra.
  • Your Name, Our Wireless (YNOW):
    • YNOW is a Wholesale offering that provides a one-stop-shop for all platform, applications and care support needed to offer a wireless service for a potential MVNO. LotusFlare (LF) is the YNOW Vendor/Supplier that will be provide back-office and Care Support for the YNOW MVNOs. (This program was formally referenced as WaaS (Wireless as a Service).

Review the table below to understand the scope of the Wholesale Customers support and T-Mobile's scope.

  • If the Wholesale customer asks to put you on hold, offer to hold for up to 5 minutes. If the hold exceeds the agreed upon time, you may disconnect the call.
  • Important! T-Mobile representatives are not authorized to contact the end users/subscribers directly. Wholesale customer representatives are responsible for basic troubleshooting, all subscriber contact, including troubleshooting for network issues.

 

  Wholesale customer T-Mobile
Voicemail
  • Perform voicemail set up and troubleshooting
  • Voicemail PIN reset via Atlas Troubleshooting fix flow
Account
  • Perform Account maintenance
  • Add(s) and remove(s) feature(s)
  • Verifies the account is set up for services.
  • Does not add or remove features.
Device
  • Confirm device configuration
  • Perform equipment-related troubleshooting
  • Ask the Wholesale Customer to confirm all settings in the Account view in Atlas Troubleshooting have been validated.
  • Validate the APN by asking the MVNO to provide you the APN for the MSIDN they are calling about. Compare it to the APNs on the Detail page in the NextGen billing system.
  • Only advises a master reset when directed to do so by the process.
  • Does not troubleshoot equipment.
Network
  • Perform basic troubleshooting including data speed troubleshooting, site content troubleshooting, and validate APN
  • Please use the Wholesale Atlas Troubleshooting fix flows to troubleshoot Network Issues.
  • Examples of Network issues:
    • Signal issues, network connectivity, and service problems
    • Switch-related issues for individual users
    • Problems calling specific numbers
    • Switch-recorded messages
  • Limit data troubleshooting to APN provisioning and network connectivity.
  • Skip basic troubleshooting and device configuration because the customer does it

 

  • T-Mobile sends notifications to wholesale customers when unplanned outages occur:
    • Network outage notification: When a network outage occurs, engineering communicates the outage by email.
    • System/Provisioning outage notification: When a system or API/provisioning outage occurs on tools and applications connecting T-Mobile and the wholesale customer a notification is sent via email.
       
  • T-Mobile also notifies the Wholesale Customer when Atlas Troubleshooting complaints are opened and closed. No follow up is needed by T-Mobile Tech Support Reps.

  • Atlas Troubleshooting
    • Typically 8 digits
    • Searchable in Atlas Troubleshooting
  • WSP (Wholesale Support Portal)
    • A WSP case starts with CS (typically 9 characters i.e., CS0001234)
    • Most WSP cases open a corresponding ServiceNow ticket via e-bonding.
  • ServiceNow (as of 2023 Wholesale Customers no longer open tickets directly in ServiceNow)
    • Typically, 8 numerical digits with a prefix that starts with "INC."

Calls from a Wholesale Customer

Call handling (Wholesale customer)

If you are not in BTS (Business Tech Support) and receive a call from a Wholesale customer, ask the customer to call their Wholesale Support TFN and use their PIN (instead of contacting T-Mobile Customer Care). All Wholesale Customers have their own separate TFN and PIN and using it will route them correctly for their service.

Wholesale customers call T-Mobile to report both single subscriber issues and multiple subscriber issues.

  1. Obtain the name of the Wholesale customer, the rep ID or name (if available), MSISDN, device type, issue description and troubleshooting steps already completed.
  2. Determine how to handle the Wholesale customer's issue below.

 

Issue type What to do
Escalate an existing ticket impacting multiple subscribers, WSP case or an issue related to APIs/Provisioning
  • Wholesale Customers may provide you with a ticket number you are not familiar with, starting with CS. This is a WSP case.
    • Go to Escalate an Existing Ticket for next steps.
  • Note: Provisioning issues can generate API errors known as GEN-00xx and may prevent the Wholesale Customer from activating new customers. If they mention a GENS error go to Escalate an Existing Ticket for next steps.

 
Assorted cases or topics to be escalated

If the caller refers to any of the topics below, transfer the call to a Lead or Coach.

  • Network issues impacting multiple subscribers
  • API/Provisioning for multiple subscribers
  • Wholesale Tools - unable to access
  • Ongoing Wholesale Outages
Porting

Is the issue associated with a Wholesale provisioning error code? (GENS-XXXX)

M2M Provisioning

Refer to M2M provisioning & APN.

  1. If caller requests an outage analysis, look up the Atlas Troubleshooting ticket and offer details.
  2. If they request more details, refer them to their Operations Manager via the Wholesale Support Portal. at http//:wholesalesupport.t-mobile.com/.

  1. Refer rep to their sales engineer for hardware and handheld support via the Wholesale Support Portal. at http//:wholesalesupport.t-mobile.com/.
  2. Wholesale provides full support for M2M SIM card and network related issues.

Existing complaint & follow up

If a wholesale customer calls about an existing Atlas Troubleshooting complaint, use this table to determine what type of issue it is and how to follow up.

Ticket type Identify & follow-up
Atlas Troubleshooting complaint
  • 8 digits typically (66666920)
  • Searchable in the Complaint Dashboard in Atlas Troubleshooting (see Complaints, forms, & tickets)
  • Follow-up: Provide the most recent update on the ticket to the customer.
  • Re-open: If the Atlas Troubleshooting ticket has been closed but the Wholesale Customer reports the issue has not been resolved, re-open the ticket.
ServiceNow ticket
  • 8 digits typically with a prefix that starts with “INC”
  • Transfer the call to a Lead/Coach who will provide the Wholesale Customer with the updates.

Note: The Lead/Coach is available to provide additional details via the Coaches Toolkit.
Wholesale Support Portal (WSP) ticket
  • 9 characters that starts with CS (Example Case Number: CS0001234)
  • Transfer the call to a Lead/Coach who will provide the Wholesale Customer with the updates.

Note: The Lead/Coach is available to provide additional details via the Coaches Toolkit.

  • If a Wholesale customer asks to escalate a ticket, Ask the customer if they are escalating a single-subscriber ticket or a multiple-subscriber issue or outage ticket.
    • If they are escalating a single subscriber ticket, ensure that the ticket has been open greater than 5 days. Follow the policy outlined in the ticket playbook.
       
    • If the ticket has been opened for more than 5 days, ask them to provide the following information:
      • Ticket or Case Number 
      • Issue Type (Data, SMS, Full Outage)
      • Description (What is the issue being escalated?)
      • Issue Impact (How many users are having this issue?) (Does it  appear to be   an emerging issue? Yes or No?  If yes, provide examples to lead/coach).
      • Caller Name
      • Customer Company Name
      • Location of issue (If available)
      • Date ticket was opened (If the ticket was opened less than 5 days ago and the Issue Impact is less than 50 subscribers, let the customer know the ticket cannot be escalated.)
      • Use these talking points if the ticket cannot be escalated:
        • To enable our support teams and fix agents to focus on the high priority/high impact issues this case or complaint cannot be escalated at this time.
        • Because this case was recently opened, please allow the T-Mobile support team time more time to address/resolve the issue.
    • Inform them that we are no longer transferring escalation requests for cases or tickets impacting single subscribers; the support team will be notified of the request.
    • Send a Teams message to your lead/coach with the information above and they will escalate the ticket.
  • If they are escalating a multiple subscriber network or API/provisioning ticket, it must go to a Lead or Coach immediately.
  • Follow Multi Subscriber issues or outages to escalate to a Lead or Coach.

  • When a wholesale customer calls to update a Caller ID display (aka CNAM), advise them it takes up to 72 hours post subscriber activation for Caller ID to be updated. If it has been more than 72 hours, Caller ID can be updated through an email process. Below is the process the Wholesale Customer must follow.
    • Note: Do not send the email on behalf of the Wholesale Customer.
  • Requests must be sent directly to First Orion and Neustar (Caller ID Vendors): 
  • cnam_escalations@firstorion.com
  • communications@support.neustar
  • The Wholesale Customer must include the information below. 
    • Subject: Wholesale Caller ID Name Escalation
    • Wholesale Customer Company Name: [Name of the Wholesale Customer initiating request]
    • MSISDN: [Insert 10-digit mobile number]
    • Current name that is displaying: [Insert displayed name]
    • Terminating number: [Insert the 10-digit number that the subscriber is calling that receives the incorrect Caller ID display]
    • Caller ID Name to Display: Wireless Caller
    • Reason: Wholesale Change Request
  • Advise the Wholesale Customer once the email is sent, a reply will take up to 72 hours.

Multi-subscriber issues or steps to escalate

To escalate a wholesale issue affecting multi-subscriber outages.

  1. Ensure the issue is shown as an escalation in Call handling (above).
  2. Ask the caller for the following details before transferring:
    • Issue Type (Data, SMS, Full Outage)
    • Description (What is the issue being escalated?)
    • Issue Impact (How many users are having this issue?)
    • Caller Name
    • Customer Company Name
    • Location of issue (If available)
    • Ticket or Case Number (If available)
  3. Warm transfer the call and provide the details above to the lead/coach before leaving the call.
    • Lead (Atlanta)
  4. Close the call.
  5. Wholesale Leads/Coaches: Use Multi Subscriber issues or outages.

 

 

Cybersecurity incident reporting 

If a Wholesale customer calls to report a cybersecurity incident:

  1. Capture the following information:
    • Customer Name:
    • Issue Type:
    • Incident Date:
    • Total Number of records compromised:
    • Total Number of customers impacted:
    • Location of servers – City/State:
    • Incident reported to Law Enforcement? 
      • If so, who?
  2. Email this information to SingerEscalations@T-Mobile.com and copy your lead and manager.
  3. Let the Wholesale customer know that the appropriate teams have been notified and will handle the issue from here. 

Wholesale Customer Care contact information

Provide the contact numbers below to wholesale end users/subscribers who need support.

Wholesale Customer Customer Care Contact
321 Communications, Inc
Affiniti Ventures
  • Phone: 866-766-6253
  • noblemobile.com

AiR_by_Lexvor_Inc
AUS Information Systems
Bark Technologies
Charter Communciations
  • Phone: 866-782-2681​ 
  • www.spectrum.com​
Comcast MVNO
Compax Software Development
DISH  (Boost, Ting) - MVNO Ting
Boost
Google Fi This Phone is only for Project Fi. Customers cannot get support for any other Google product.
Humane
i-Wireless
Joonto, Inc. (IoT)
Joonto, Inc. (MVNO)
Kajeet IoT
Kore M2M/IoT  
KVH Industries
LycaMobile Plus
MVNO Connect
New York Mobile
  • Phone: 212-212-6969
  • www.nymobile.com 
Nova Labs, Inc
Plintron (Roam Mobility, Otono, Ready SIM, Krew)
  • Refer Plintron end users/subscribers to their place of purchase for support.
  • Plintron does not provide customer service directly to end users because they are an MVNA.
Reach Mobile
  • Phone: 978-856-7872
  • www.reachmobile.com 
Really Communications
  • Phone: 412-979-7179
  • www.REALLY.com 
Simple Mobile (TracFone)
Smartless Mobile - YNOW
  • Phone: 888-767-8577​
  • ​​www.smartlessmobile.com​ 
PWG (Prepaid Wireless Group)
  • Phone: 855-655-3097
  • http://www.Cintexwireless.com 
The DaaS Company
  • Phone: 610-655-0199
  • daasmobile.com 
TracFone (Net10, SafeLink, Straight Talk, Telcel US)
  • Phone: 800-867-7183
  • www.tracfone.com 
Walmart Family Mobile (TracFone)
Ultra (Ultra UV, Mint)