How is Customer Feedback Integrated into Technology Strategies?
CIO Grid
How is Customer Feedback Integrated into Technology Strategies?
In the fast-paced world of technology, customer feedback is a goldmine for strategic development. We reached out to top technology executives, including CTOs and CEOs, to share one way they've woven this valuable input into their tech strategies. From allocating bandwidth for customer-driven development to implementing a user feedback portal, discover the four key insights they provided.
- Allocate Bandwidth for Customer-Driven Development
- Integrate Feedback in Real-Time Interfaces
- Conduct Regular Client Feedback Sessions
- Implement a User Feedback Portal
Allocate Bandwidth for Customer-Driven Development
Listening to your existing customers is by far the easiest method to source new product features and ideas. However, most technology and product development roadmaps are laid out and planned months, if not years, ahead. Finding the bandwidth to include last-minute additions that have not been planned for may be difficult, and would require compromising your existing pipeline.
As a result, in all of the SaaS products and enterprise platforms that I have helped launch and grow, I have always dedicated a portion of our product and engineering bandwidth to customer-driven development. Whether it is bug fixes, feature improvements, or new product additions, this ensures that we can quickly pivot when needed to keep our existing customers happy and engaged.
One of the most recent high-profile instances happened with ChatGPT when it first rolled out to the public with its developer API. It allowed for novel integration applications of a virtual AI assistant into our software platform. Our customers started asking if this could be added to our roadmap. We quickly realized the potential of providing a more human touch by allowing users to unearth our platform's data and insights by using conversational queries. Because of my team's built-in bandwidth for quick roadmap 'detours,' we were able to release a cutting-edge feature to our most loyal customers well before our competitors.
While it is one of the most obvious business notions to 'always listen to your customers,' it is not the most straightforward idea to put into practice in a timely fashion—that is, unless you have the processes and workflows already built into your entire organization from the bottom up.
Integrate Feedback in Real-Time Interfaces
Delivering products and services that customers want and need is paramount to the long-term success of technology-driven companies. A company's technology strategy is driven by many factors, including the recruitment of industry experts within the company, review of external industry-focused consulting groups, and existing customer feedback. The last category can provide real-world input and experiences that can be very helpful in driving the technology direction of your product/service.
We take customer feedback very seriously. We have integrated customer feedback options into all of our user interfaces and applications. We have a user feedback group that reviews app store reviews as well as direct customer feedback forms. In our Streams communications app, we have a @customer_feedback group which allows customers to directly speak to the user feedback group in real-time. This group also allows for direct customer follow-up on specific requests or suggestions, which improves customer satisfaction.
By integrating customer feedback directly into your product and apps, especially in a real-time format, you can add another important input to your technology strategy.
Conduct Regular Client Feedback Sessions
We believe in the power of listening to our customers. One way we've integrated customer feedback into our technology strategy is by implementing regular feedback sessions with our clients. By actively seeking out their input, we're able to understand their pain points, preferences, and suggestions for improvement. This direct line of communication allows us to tailor our technology solutions to better meet their needs, resulting in more satisfied customers and a stronger product overall.
Implement a User Feedback Portal
When we partnered with a software company struggling with user adoption of their new product feature, we initiated a comprehensive feedback loop by implementing a user feedback portal directly within the software, making it easy for customers to share their thoughts in real-time.
This portal didn't just collect data; it categorized feedback into themes such as usability, functionality, and performance. We also conducted follow-up interviews with key clients to dive deeper into specific issues.
One piece of feedback consistently highlighted the need for a more intuitive user interface. Acting on this, we reorganized our development priorities to focus on a UI overhaul. We involved customers in the redesign process through beta-testing phases, ensuring their input directly shaped the final product.
