Quality assurance expert Vontz Benoit explores how effective communication along with a quality product can increase customer loyalty for SaaS companies.
For any company, keeping your customers pleased should be a top priority; A satisfied customer can become an effective advocate for a product that they enjoy, creating both customer loyalty as well as brand advocacy. I strongly believe that best practice for achieving this goal is in producing a high-quality product as well as having strong and effective communication with your consumers.
Produce Great Quality Products
One way to keep your customers happy and praising your product is to make sure their needs are met by delivering a high-quality product and customer experience. Having a superior product within your competitive industry will drive rapid growth in a company, while a poor product can do the opposite. A software-as-a-service vendor is no different from any other company, and it needs to make sure enough time and resources are allocated to quality assurance in order to guarantee a high-quality and successful product. That does not mean there will be necessarily no bugs, but the aim is to reduce the number of bugs to a minimum.
Quality assurance is achieved through a collective effort, and should be implemented through all phases of the software development life cycle. Product managers, developers, and quality assurance team members must work collaboratively in order to focus on quality and functionality. It is vital to test the product constantly, and well in-advance of its launch. The purpose of the testing efforts is to ensure that the client does not find any defects once the new code goes live. Unfortunately bugs do creep into production from time to time, which leads us to the second element that I like to recommend in order to keep the customers satisfied and advocating for your brand.
Communicate Effectively With Your Clients
If a client is unable to accomplish a task due to a bug, the experience can be frustrating. That frustration will likely increase if the issue does not seem to be addressed. Therefore, the right way to handle live issues is to address them as quickly as possible, and keep the client informed with regular updates. Communication with your customers should continue on an ongoing basis. This means, after your initial contact with them, you need to supply more information as it becomes available to let them know the current status and when they may expect a final resolution. This will help them adjust and plan as the problem is being resolved. If no new information is available, you should still let them know so they do not find themselves in a guessing-game situation.
Having effective communication produces good relationships, which is important for both the client and the SaaS vendor. For this reason, there should be multiple communication channels open, not just to address issues when they occur but to also hear concerns from your clients and address them, as well as anticipate problems and work to prevent them. A solid relationship with clients will make them think twice before seeking to explore other solutions or services.
Great Quality Product + Effective Communication = Win-Win Formula
Having both a high-quality product and effective communication with your clients is a winning combination that has the potential to produce customer satisfaction, brand advocacy, and growth for a company. In other words, it is a formula that has proven to be successful and should be implemented by any organization. Satisfied customers may be the best advertisement for a business; Their testimonies are trustworthy and credible because they experienced the product first hand. Great quality assurance leads to great quality products, and being transparent with your customers leads to exceptional communication, forming a partnership that will achieve growth for any SaaS vendor.
