[Ted ChoperModerator]

We’ve discussed how it’s important to listen to your customer, and how it’s ok to say no. But what do you say to customers when they really want something but you’re not yet sure if your going to build it? And what if they consider it not so much a feature request, but a real failing of your product (or even a bug) that it doesn’t exist?

 

[Mathew PattersonParticipant]

Good question Ted.

We tend to take this approach:

• Restate their request or suggestion in your own words, to make sure they know that you understand what they are asking for
• Let them know that you can understand why it would be useful or important in their situation
• Dig in a little if the underlying problem isn’t clear (because maybe you can address that problem with a different solution than the one they are asking for)
• Let them know that their feedback has been recorded and give them a realistic sense of how likely it is to change

Sometimes that means saying “I can see how that would be really useful for you! Right now it’s not something we’re planning, but if we hear from other customers with similar needs then that would help us prioritise the change more highly. ”

Sometimes, if it is an area I know we’re probably going to look at, I’ll say “We do have some plans in that area, so I’d love to understand a bit more about your situation and what you are trying to achieve” so that I can record not just a “vote” for a change but also the detail and motivation behind it.

One thing to remember: Customers will often hear “Maybe” as “Definitely” so you do have to be cautious. I’d rather so “It’s not likely to happen” and not set false expectations.

[Brad GrahamKeymaster]

Great question! My responses to user requests are along the same lines as @Mathew‘s.

If it’s a new or unusual request I usually ask them to provide more info as to why they would like to see the feature and how they will use it.

If the requested feature is not available I’ll let them know about possible workarounds that can provide the same result.

If it’s a recurring request that our team has considered but not planned yet, I’ll say something like: “This is something we have discussed though it is currently not on our roadmap. We are gathering more feedback from users about this before we decide whether or not to implement it.”

Regarding the last question about the user considering the lack of this feature as a failure - I will let them know that it is not part of our roadmap or the focus of our product (which is usually the reason why it has not been implemented). I always ask to get more specific feedback describing the importance of the feature and their use case. Ultimately it’s important to know why they want/need the product and to let them know that though it is not likely to get done their feedback is recorded and we understand their request.

[Chase ClemonsParticipant]

@Mathew and @Shelly both hit the nail on the head here. I’d only echo the need to set clear expectations for the customer. “We might do that” often ends up being a no in the long run. Go ahead and be clear with the customer that even if it’s a great idea that your team is thinking about, that doesn’t mean it’s something to bank on. By setting the expectation more on “no” rather than “maybe / we’re thinking about it”, you give the customer actionable info - they can consider moving on to another app that does have that feature/tool that they need.

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