Not product related, but more so this post is focused on how we can better serve you. Cliche, we know: “Better serve.” But allow me to explain what that means with regard to this blog and your customer experience.
We work really hard to make a great application and we release cutting-edge features that no others offer in a way that we do. We spend countless hours planning, testing, writing code, testing and somehow we manage to get all our bright ideas out to you in a way that helps you grow your business. Fifteen-thousand-plus people can’t be wrong.
Two byproducts from releasing new features to an avid, entrepreneurial userbase happen.
First, it’s that not everyone uses the software the way we intended or prescribed. It’s not bad, it’s just a factor that people can do limitless things with it and it’s rather flattering to see it pushed and contorted in ways we never imagined. Take the API for instance; many people are doing a lot of stuff with it that we couldn’t possibly narrow into a test-case, and have to take them as they happen.
Second, is the fact that we’re human. We control powerful machines and are prone to making a mistake. It’s bound to happen, we’re embarrassed when it does, but we take it in stride and learn from it. Every software vendor knows it, admits it … and if not, they’re denying it.
This is the purpose of the blog — to help you be informed of your application status and to learn of potential workarounds and to give you a valuable resource to check when things go crazy. Again, we don’t anticipate craziness, but we have to plan for it.
As such, this blog is hosted out of Brea, CA (Orange County). It’s a ways away from Phoenix just in case somehow the Valley of the Sun disappears off the Web. In the event network connectivity is interrupted, we can let you know about it. Even if it means, we whip out our iPhones and post notes from those. (It’s happened before when our office’s power went out.) It’s about planning and being transparent about whatever will impact your customer experience and your customers’ experiences.
Does a red, yellow or green light analogy work to communicate status on things? Personally, I feel it does, but could give rise to panic when there might not be a valid need for it. That, among other things I’d like to think about — could/would you check this blog first before calling support? When you read that something’s not working right, what would ameliorate your concerns?
So I want to open this up to you, our customers, to share what matters to you as we report to you important, timely notices on system changes. This post is rather open-ended, but I’ve shown our hand of cards to you and would love if you shared yours — your suggestions, questions, concerns and things that would be nice.
Thanks for your opinions. Really, they do matter to us and will help guide us in providing better communication, service and trust in our products and services for you.
~Joseph
Community Manager, Infusionsoft
