Nov 263 min read

Implementing Process Changes To Contribute To 40% Improvement In Customer Experience

Case Study: Changing Customer Support Process

This case study shows how small process changes significantly enhanced the customer experience for a B2B SaaS product.

I presented this case study at conferences a few years ago. See other presentations here.

If you have any questions or want help to improve your product retention, get in touch.

Product plus process changes to improve customer experience

You may have a well-researched product. You've interviewed stakeholders, conducted thorough testing, and feel confident that a new feature will solve customer problems. Yet, after launch, metrics stagnate, and complaints pour in about a poor experience.

This situation can unsettle you. Before assuming the feature is flawed and rushing into product changes, see how customers interact with your product. Often, minor adjustments to these processes can resolve the issue entirely.

Case Study - Why Were 10,000 Customers Angry?

At one point, we received 10,000s of emails from angry customers who believed the company was ignoring their complaints. This reaction surprised us because our customer query system seemed reliable. We couldn’t find any bugs in the product. We couldn’t find any bugs in the customer support software. Then, why were customers angry? Why were we ignoring their complaints?

angry customer email to support after emailing somebody else and not receiving a response.

I investigated the issue and discovered a clear pattern. Customers were bypassing the normal process and sending their emails directly to the expert team instead of contacting the support team. This is part of the video here.

The intended process was simple: customers would send queries to the support team, which handled most issues. If the support team couldn’t resolve a problem, they would escalate it to the expert team through an internal channel. This approach balanced workloads and ensured timely responses.

3 channels for customers to get help from the business.

However, customers skipped the support team entirely and emailed the expert team directly. With only 2 members, the expert team became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails and couldn’t keep up. Their inbox turned into a black hole of unanswered messages, leaving customers increasingly frustrated. While the system itself worked as intended, the breakdown occurred because the process wasn’t followed.

Solution Via Process Change

My team and I had to adjust the processes.

We closed the unintended route to the expert team, leaving only the intended channel open. Customers now contacted the support team first. If the support team couldn't resolve the issue, they escalated it to the expert team. This reduced the number of emails reaching the expert team and made it easier for them to focus on complex issues.

This change improved both customer and team experiences.

Customers received faster responses,
while the expert team worked more efficiently.

The support team's vetting ensured that queries sent to the expert team were relevant and actionable.

Before and after ways for customers to get support from business.

Impact

These changes helped my team progress towards improving customer experience by 40%. Improving customer experience helped improve NPS and increase customer retention. Retention matters a lot for a SaaS business because it has a 6x higher ROI than acquisition.

Take Away

Your product may function flawlessly, but a flawed interaction process can still lead to poor customer experiences. In this case, the complaints were not about the product itself—it worked as intended. The issue arose because we did not provide a clear process and guardrails to customers.

Recommendation For CX Improvements To PMs And SMBs

Both large and small businesses should review how customers interact with their products. Small process changes often cost less than product overhauls but can deliver a significant impact.

Keep in mind that adding new features also changes customer interaction patterns. So, you need to update processes when rolling features.

How to Improve Product Interaction Processes

Here are some ways to refine product interaction processes:

Internal roadshows: Educate internal teams about new features and processes.
Beta support: Offer specialized support for beta products or features.
Dashboard reviews: Regularly monitor product metrics post-launch.
Escalation policies: Create clear paths for redirecting customer questions.

Process changes or additions with product rollout.

Improving customer experience goes beyond product features. Process changes can eliminate bottlenecks, ensuring smoother interactions. By optimizing how customers interact with your product, you can address frustrations effectively and enhance satisfaction.