End-of-product scenario. Do you explicitly warn the customers?
Hi! I am composing the FAQ section for my B2C SaaS product.
Would like to outline scenario of product "death" for customers i.e. if support and hosting are terminated.
Two points for now:
- There will be notice few months beforehand.
- There is an option to download all app usage-related data and dependencies in a structured format (at least some way to reproduce it by other means).
- What do you think, is it relevant for the FAQ page? Or better include into Terms only?
- Wouldn't mentioning this "freak out" customers? Like, as a good company I'm supposed to imply that we will be out there forever. But it's a startup and it can go different ways.
A former coworker just left a startup that imploded. It folded for lots of reasons, but the founders clearly didn't have the mettle and empathy to stand up to many recently acquired customers and say, "We screwed up. There is not a business here. But we're going to spend the last of our dollars making things as right as possible for you as we wind down."
Anything you do to be honest about what's happening, that customers' data is safe and theirs, is better than to stop, literally, answering the phone and email as happened above.
Be ready for the freakout. Not everyone will understand, but most will appreciate your attempts to ease your customers into a life beyond your product.
Great advice and clear story, thank you for encouragement about that. After all, if I'm gonna be transparent about possibilities it will attract customers who like it so and form the brand image accordingly. Which would work out on a long distance either way.
For sure don't put this in the FAQ, that would seem like you already have this case/event on the horizon.
Yeah, it would look like that, thank you. The product is in relations management field, it's value unfolds over years. So, thought about being as clear about lifetime as possible.
As a user I'd stay clear of products talking about their death. This would be something for the terms and terms only
Alright, thank you, valid case for terms.
I think you shouldn't include it in the FAQ page. Just as you said, it will "freak out" customers.
Stay positive, don't mention it on the landing page. How should I build trust with your product if it even seems like you don't trust it?
Thank you! Sounds reasonable.