Super.com case study | Joel Wisneski

Summary

Framing the problem

We had a core product but our retention numbers were sliding.

The business shifted focus to retaining customers. Our initial focus was getting the experiment out and launching a cash advance product. Once we had a user base, we could shift our focus to improving the product.The product worked but it wasn't very inspiring or clear.

We heard from customers that they didn't understand our message.

Customers didn't understand the difference between our products, how they fit together or how they work.

We had a dedicated User Research team (which I joined later). Consistent feedback we heard was "I don't understand how these products fit together or how the cash advance works".

We talked with Customer Support to find the biggest pain points.

Phone calls and chats showed us this was a pattern, not selection bias.

Our customer service teams categorized calls, chat messages and FAQ views. This gave us a way to quantify the feedback we were hearing in our interviews and usability tests.

Pivoting to journey mapping

Mapping the customer journey helped us understand context.

Telling a story without an overarching narrative wasn't working. I started mapping the data, flows and customer journey so we could understand how the customer experiences the entire product.

Up to this point, each team was focused on small experiments for their individual products. Work started overlapping and it was difficult for anyone to understand what was actually live at any point in time.

Testing concepts

Usability tests gave us confidence.

First we tested the idea, then we polished the implementation. With the journeys in mind, I built a new concept for educating customers. This included pre-signup and post-signup.

I partnered with our UX Research team to evaluate the concepts, iterate and test again to validate our changes.

Launching an experiment

We prioritized core components.

Super.com has a very fast moving, experiment driven culture. That meant experimenting into a bigger idea.

I would have loved to build the entire concept but that was larger than our usual scope. Instead we used these educational concepts and usability tests as a North Star for smaller, iterative and informed updates.

Launching an experiment validated our ideas.

Our customers responded quickly to the new experience.

We quickly saw our call volumes reduce week-over-week. It took a few months to see retention and repayment rates to improve but those ticked up as well.

Wallet focused next steps

Customers were confused about when and how to access their cash advance. Most didn't use the money at all. We added several signals to help guide them toward the wallet or their digital card number so they could use the money they just paid to borrow.

Introducing more value props

The Super.com App had a rotating set deals and discounts. You didn't need to use the Super.com Card to to access offers but they would be auto-applied.

Bridging the cash gap

Many of our customers didn't just need money until their payday, they needed cash. Customers would be managing a budget, paying for school lunches or just dealing with cash-only businesses.

Results and next steps

The end state was a success.

We accomplished our goal of increasing monthly retention and repayment rates through education.Eventually, we experimented into the entire concept and continued to see improvements while we offered a more polished version of our product.

Next, we tested concepts to take the education even further.

We ran a Wizard of Oz usability and built intent driven homepages based on our customer data. With a few weeks left in the year and no major research initiatives, I pitched a new kind of test. The research team and I ran a Wizard of Oz test based on the learnings from our usability tests and emerging conversations about the use of AI in our products.