{"id":23685,"date":"2015-09-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-09-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inmoment.com\/?p=23685"},"modified":"2024-08-01T10:12:46","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T16:12:46","slug":"how-to-get-rich-product-feedback-when-you-can-no-longer-talk-to-every-customer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inmoment.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rich-product-feedback-when-you-can-no-longer-talk-to-every-customer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Rich Product Feedback when You Can No Longer Talk to Every Customer"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a startup founder, you were probably on a first name basis with many of your early users. \u00a0Some became cheerleaders and champions, others churned. And, in those early weeks and months, everyone\u2019s detailed, anecdotal feedback was critical. Those first 5, 10, or 50 customers helped you hone your product into something that hundreds or even thousands of customers now rely on. <\/span><\/p>\n

As more and more users come on board, you can no longer develop personal relationships with each and every one. Plus, your attention is pulled to hiring, infrastructure and funding. \u00a0Now, more than ever though, you need to know what customers think of your product and stay connected. \u00a0You need a solution that scales.<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you do when you can\u2019t talk to every customer any more?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Homebase,<\/span><\/a> a startup that offers free employee scheduling and timekeeping software, has thousands of customers, uses Net Promoter Score to continue its personal response to customer feedback and to shape the product roadmap<\/a> as the company grows.<\/span>
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\u201cWhen we were smaller, it was easy for us to keep track of how we were doing because we were talking to people every day,\u201d John Waldmann, Founder of Homebase, told us. \u201cThe original intent with Net Promoter Score was to give us a more quantitative view of how are we doing on the product, but it\u2019s actually become a new channel of communication and feedback from users that we wouldn\u2019t have received otherwise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTurn NPS on sooner than you think you need to.\u201d –\u00a0John Waldmann @gethomebase<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Waldmann may be somewhat unique among founders. Many startups do not think to \u201cmetricize\u201d customer feedback, with a system like Net Promoter Score (NPS)<\/a>, until long into the company\u2019s life. \u00a0This is a \u201c<\/span>tragic mistake<\/span>\u201d according to startup advisor and Wall Street Journal columnist Kevin Colleran. \u201cIt is never too early for a startup founder to obsess over customer satisfaction,\u201d he says. \u00a0As Waldmann learned, one benefit of an NPS system is that you also continue to receive the rich anecdotal information from customers you relied on in early stages. <\/span><\/p>\n

NPS is Both Rigorous and Lean<\/span><\/h2>\n

Startup founders man small, lean companies, which is great because you can act quickly. But it also means you don\u2019t have the benefit of a developed customer success program<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to finding out what customers think of you and your services, you need something that\u2019s credible, fast, and lean– something that will resonate with your stakeholders. You don\u2019t want a solution that sucks up time to set up or maintain, or costs a substantial amount of money. \u00a0You may have read about <\/span>NPS as a lean, effective tool<\/span> for listening to customers and getting feedback. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve always been very user-centric and really focused on improving the product for our users. We were growing to the point where it was harder to keep in personal touch with people,\u201d Waldmann told us. \u201cIn a series of conversations, one of our investors suggested using Wootric to measure NPS.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to have hundreds of customers to start thinking about NPS measurement. \u00a0At Wootric, we started using our own tool as soon as we reached what we would consider a \u2018critical mass\u2019 of customers — around 50. \u00a0We were still only two people and it was amazing to just \u2018turn us on\u2019 and experience the instant magic of a rigorous customer feedback program. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

NPS tools can be inexpensive. For example, <\/span>Pearl-Plaza offers a free version<\/span><\/a> to meet the needs of young startups.<\/span><\/p>\n

Large tech companies like Airbnb and Amazon use NPS, but smaller SaaS companies, such as Homebase and Unbounce, use the system as well. <\/span><\/p>\n

NPS is an Essential Operating Metric…<\/span><\/h2>\n

Net Promoter Score is the metric your board wants,<\/a> and for good reason. Tracking NPS demonstrates customer centricity and commitment to a cycle of improvement. <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Net Promoter Score cycle<\/span> (or, Net Promoter System) is the process of collecting, analyzing and acting on data. It\u2019s a cycle that should be repeated and improved upon.\u00a0<\/span>As Net Promoter Score creator Fred Reichheld <\/span>said<\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/p>\n

A customer feedback program should be viewed not as \u2018market research<\/a>\u2019 but as an operating management tool.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

…and a Product Management Tool<\/span><\/h2>\n

Waldmann has applied the cycle to drive product development. His SaaS company, Homebase<\/a>, helps small business owners streamline employee scheduling, which is a\u00a0major time suck<\/a> for owners and a source of uncertainty for employees. \u00a0In essence, his product serves two user groups– those who create schedules, and those who receive schedules. Homebase has segmented NPS survey results by these two user groups, which has been easy to do with Wootric. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn our case, NPS has allowed us to segment out the feedback and look at how happy are restaurant managers with the product after the recent changes versus how happy the wait staff are,\u201d said Waldmann. \u201cAre we skewing too heavily toward one side or the other? Do we need to spend some more product cycles to improve the employee experience?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Get the ebook, The Modern Guide to Winning Customers with Net Promoter Score<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Learn eight ways to leverage Net Promoter Score for product optimization, loyalty and growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Value of In-Product Feedback<\/span><\/h2>\n

For a company like Homebase, it was a no-brainer to gather customer feedback inside their product. Email is another option, but surveying your customers when they are logged into your website or SaaS platform has important benefits. Here\u2019s why you should consider it:<\/span><\/p>\n