End User Idea Lounge
We do not just say we care about our customers. We show it!
Problem Statement
How can business brands ‘show’ they care about their customers?
Problem Background
As market competition is on the rise for different variants of products, companies need to ensure they are retaining existing clients and not only attracting new clients.
A recent survey carried out by a leading online reputation management firm showed that, on the average, businesses lose about 10% to 25% of their clientele every year and that 67% of a client base are repeat customers. Thus, it is of extreme importance to retain existing customers and not only attract new ones.
Initial user interviews conducted on 20 end users, showed that 81.3% of users leave brands, because they feel the brands do not care ‘enough’ about what their users want to see in a product and 80% of users will stay with brands who they felt ‘showed’ that they cared about their user needs.
Landing on the Solution
Thus, it is of utmost importance for brand’s to show they really care about customer ideas. Take for example, businesses that produce smartwatches. Over 85% of the users interviewed had changed smartwatch brands In the last 3 years, because the product lacked a feature which the competitor brand had and users had no concise means to communicate feature ideas to the brand before they moved over to a different brand. The users interviewed, agreed that if they had a clear cut opportunity to submit feature suggestions, which they believed the businesses will actually evaluate, possibly implement or receive feedback from the brand on their suggestions, it would have increased brand loyalty and they would not have swapped brands, as this will have showcased the brand’s interest for their user needs.
The user interviews conducted, validated that, to promote client retention and buy-in in the ever-changing market, it is important for businesses to ‘show’ they really cared about the types of feature enhancement their users want, provide a clear and concise way for users to suggest feature enhancement ideas and also for users to see the businesses evaluate feature ideas provided.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Joanita Ibhaze
- It is important to take some time to think about the problem, thoroughly understand your users' problem and how they are already solving it.
- A Lot of times, user needs don't necessarily change but how it is solved can change. Thus it is important to think of unique ways to solve user problems.
- As a product manager, prioritization of features and delegation of tasks when necessary is key.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
&
As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
&
As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
&
Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
&
- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
&
All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
&
I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.