When Me Too Product Features Go Wrong
It is always surprising to encounter subpar implementations of product features from companies that produce the best products in the world. What is worse is when competing companies implement the same features (Me too!) and miss the same shortcomings. Look at the following example:
Add Profile Feature: Netflix was a pioneer of this beloved feature for its premium subscribers. It surely helped to increase the acquisition of new users to the platform (e.g. families). But there was a problem. . . a quite annoying one. The prompt did not distinguish between single and multiple profile users. Since it appeared at the start of each new viewing session, it tortured single-profile users for years! Soon, other video streaming services such as Disney+ and HBOMax added the feature in the same manner, perpetuating a digital epidemic across the industry. It was such a pinpoint that users blogged about it.
Old Netflix Prompt Before Content Could Be Seen
Disney+ and HBO Max Prompts Before Content Can Be Seen
Netflix eventually changed the feature when non-family profiles ran amuck prompting the company to add restrictions to account sharing. The Add Profile feature became less prominent and single-profile users saw immediate relief. But others in the industry continue to frustrate their customers.
Why haven’t video streaming platforms discovered this problem? It is likely because site & app analytics tools, which are great for user interactions and understanding journeys individually and collectively, are not useful for understanding negative sentiment. Here are some consumer insights worth that are worth the investment:
Exceptional Customer Service. Customers are quite vocal about their frustrations when money is involved. So be fully staffed on call, chat, and email services. And have those centers report out results.
Human insight testing. Companies such as User Testing are great at preempting potential issues in an implementation by getting reactions from real users. They are best for reviewing new and discovery features so it is worth inquiring about use over time for different personas.
Surveys and Interviews Questionnaires. A handful of questions inquiring about happiness can go a long way. While overuse of surveys can be burdensome, frustrated users will be happy to oblige if they are kept short and are infrequent. They must be done over a wide range of new and existing users from all demographics for platforms that cast such a wide net.
News, Reviews, & Blogs. Perform search queries on your products. Every day customers are quite vocal about their opinions on social media.
When done well, you’ll discover that your customers will become more loyal. They also have great ideas that are distinct from your competitors and unique to your organization, so don’t miss these opportunities.
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