Three Common Pitfalls in EdTech Customer Success

By Chris Sherman

No matter the industry, customer success has a direct correlation to bottom-line profits. If customers are not happy, especially for an avoidable error or miscommunication, it costs your company loyalty. It impacts your team. It drives down productivity and makes everyone's experience that much more difficult.

What we’ve shared with our clients at Framework, is that by learning to pinpoint and address some of the most common EdTech customer success pitfalls, you can quickly turn around those obstacles.?

What Mistakes Are You Making?

Look at mistakes as opportunities to achieve more. A self-audit is a good starting point. It enables a foundation of finding simple or more complex problems costing your company growth and brand success. Tackle the specific mistakes happening in your company.

3 Big Mistakes That Hampers EdTech Customer Success That You Can Change

Dozens of potential customer success mistakes exist. There are several you simply should not ignore.?

#1: Lacking a Customer-Centric Approach

In everything your organization does, focus on a customer-centric approach. According to Gartner, customer centricity is the method of truly understanding the customer’s:

• Situation
• Expectations
• Perceptions
• Needs
• Goals??

Instead of focusing on customer profit margins, make the customer the focal point of every component of your business. All decisions should focus heavily on the experience of the customer.?

This drives numerous benefits to the organization. Though challenging to adopt initially, doing so creates opportunities for:

• Improved customer loyalty (your customers come back to you instead of having to pay to market to new customers)
• Satisfaction drives good business relationships and builds a strong reputation
• Advocacy means your customers are encouraging others to turn to you

Put your customer at the forefront of any decisions, including product decisions, ideas, and drive.?

#2: Not Supporting Employee Ability to Meet Customer Needs

Having a customer-first business is fantastic, but you have to give your employees the tools and resources to make it possible. It’s certainly frustrating to employees when they are told “the customer is always right…” especially when they are not. Instead, empower your employees with effective training and oversight that enables them to make the customer happy within the realm of their ability.

There are numerous components to this, but focus on two key areas:

• Train them on an ongoing basis. Ensure they have the skills they need to do their very specific job. Encourage leadership development from the ground up. Incorporate opportunities for workers to learn about emerging technologies and protocols so they can apply that knowledge to your business.
• Work to improve employee morale. Burnout is a very real problem in EdTech as the competition is so high and the environment continuously changes. A survey from Gitnux found that 86% of all professionals in technology experience burnout. Mitigate this by rewarding success, providing time off, and providing meaningful benefits.?

A comprehensive plan to address an employee’s ability to meet your customer-centric approach is, at the core, the best starting point. Not only does this improve customer outcomes, but it also reduces employee turnover.

#3: Not Responding to Customer Feedback

Customer feedback is a gift. Most of the time, if a customer complains, leaves a bad review, or calls in to voice their opinion, it’s not because they are rude or unable to please. They are disappointed that something did not meet their expectations. When you take the time to understand what they are really communicating to you, you can take that feedback and improve your company.

Also, note that for every customer who complains, there are likely numerous others who will not say anything and will just stop using your products. They fail to recommend these products to others and turn to your competitors.

When you have negative feedback, know how to use it wisely:

• Always communicate directly with the customer. Tell them you appreciate that they took the time to share with you.?
• Do something with it. Read between the lines. Learn what the real problem or disappointment is.
• Use data and analysis tools to help you pinpoint specific areas of opportunity that more than one person is experiencing.?

Even if you cannot solve a customer's problem immediately, acknowledging it and then telling them exactly what you are going to do to make things better makes a huge difference in customer perception.?

Remember that it costs far less to retain your current customers than to acquire new customers. A Forbes article found that, when selling to an existing customer, you have a 60 to 70% chance of getting that sale. The new prospect comes in at just 5 to 20%. It’s worth investing in customer retention.?

Learn more about how Framework can shape solutions that address the specific needs of your business at https://frameworkconsulting.com/consult.