How customer feedback influences our product development - Part 2

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This is the second part of the article about how customer feedback influences our product development. Read the first part to learn about gathering customer feedback and four stages of the feedback loop. 

Categorization. Distributing requests within the teams

Getting more than 2000 requests during the three months period, it would take us forever to go through every request to check what it concerns. That's why we categorize queries from the very beginning - customers select the subject area of their message and name of the app it involves. Once we receive the requests, we distribute them within our teams using our Queues for Jira Service Desk app. 

We define queues using JQL (Jira Query Language). For instance, we set the filter that issueType should equal New Feature or Bug Report. Then our queue shows only the records that match this requirement. We can also determine the user group for which a particular queue will be visible. This way, every participant of our process (support agent, product owner, developer, tester) has its own set of queues. What's more, we browse the requests by the status like Waiting for support, Waiting for customer, Waiting for analysis which is shown in the left side panel of our app.

The support agent looks into the request (e.g. for new feature) and evaluates whether it needs further investigation with the reporter or it can be directly passed to the right team. 

There was no need to ask the user additional questions, so the agent changed the status for Waiting for analysis and the request went to the product owner

In the product owners' set of queues land only the requests which are ready for analysis. These queues are visible only for them and the analysts. They join forces to take a deep dive into a feature's idea and decide on the next steps. To simplify and accelerate their work, product owners and analysts can use Requirements and Test Management for Jira. It's a handy tool for organizing the requirements in a clear way, as it has a tree structure with different types of requirements. When the analysts get a new feature suggestion from the customer, they check its consistency with the requirements gathered in the app. 

Acting. Product development

Once we select the customer's feature idea for development in the next sprint, our support agent prepares the request for synchronization with the development project by adding Components and other useful information. Then the agent lets the customer know about what happens in the comment and changes the request's status to Waiting for design. The last action triggers our Issue SYNC - Synchronization for Jira app which automatically creates an issue in the development project in Jira Software. It copies current status, most important fields' values, attachments, and comments. 

Issue SYNC - Synchronization for Jira copied the request as a Story to Jira Software project and all fields' values remained the same

When the request appears as a Story in the development project, the team leader needs to look through it. They should fill missing information, link the issues with the original request, as well as with an Epic, and put it to the sprint. What does see the customer at this time? Since every status updates at their request's view automatically, now they see Waiting for coding. What we also do is sharing the feature's mockup in the comment as soon as we have it ready. This way the customer feels as a part of our development process and has an influence on its direction. 

Follow-up with the customer

The customer knows that the feature is ready because we change the issue status for Resolved. Inside the request, we also share the new version of the app (containing the new functionality), so that the reporter could easily download it. We also ask them for opinion, since we care about customer experience in every stage of our feedback loop. Asking for their opinion is a brilliant chance for us to get a new brand ambassador. After all, what is a better product recommendation than customer satisfaction?

Benefits of feedback loop

We've just guided you through the feedback loop that we sincerely recommend, as it's been successfully working for us for a longer time. Obviously it can be modified to match your specific needs and your team workflow. Anyway, you can be sure that every participant of the process benefits from it. Customers know that their feedback is heard and matters to you. For the support agents, it can be a great start to building a long-lasting relationship with them. Product owners get to know what the end users actually think about the products, what facilitates their work, and what they find difficult. The last information also shows testers what to focus on while checking a particular app. Finally, the developers and deployers can make sure if the feature which looked good while building and implementing, is really useful for the customers.

As an Atlassian Platinum Solution Enterprise Partner and a Platinum Marketplace Partner, we’ve been working hard on helping improve the user experience of Jira Service Desk and Jira Software for the last 15 years. We’ve enhanced the overall quality of work comfort and customer service in over 5000 companies around the globe. Apart from providing expert services and developing apps on the Atlassian Marketplace, we’re also sharing knowledge on the subject with useful tutorials and guides. Read on:

• How to enable self-service in Jira Service Desk, Pt. 1
• How to enhance ITSM performance with Queues for Jira Service Desk
• 7 Most Common Concerns of Jira Service Desk Users (And Solutions To Them)

[Radoslaw Cichocki _Deviniti_]

Hi @Alina Urbaniak [Deviniti] ,

Great article!

Regards,
Radek Cichocki