How I Pendo Adoption

Conquering the learning curve, one guide at a time

See how Nelnet used Pendo in-app guides to educate users about an important feature name change and prepare them for an upcoming platform overhaul

Problem

Nelnet’s operations team was flooded with customer calls following a product release involving renaming one of their products. They also needed a way to push users to adopt newer versions of their platform by educating them ahead of the change.

Pendo'ing it

Nelnet leveraged Pendo in-app guides to help their users overcome these product learning curves quickly and efficiently—while laying the groundwork for even more seamless feature launches ahead.

Payoff

By using Pendo in-app guides to inform users of product changes and updates, Nelnet significantly reduced their operations call center volume and established processes to improve collaboration between their internal teams.

Liz Feller

In-app help administrator

Nelnet

Nelnet is a technology company, idea incubator, start-up accelerator, and center of educational expertise. Their Business Services division provides payment technology, school administration software, and community management solutions for education and community institutions around the globe.

Pendo’ing it means realizing the power of Pendo and what we can do with it. It’s getting around developer effort. Because with Pendo, it really doesn't take a whole lot to get something out that's beautiful and functional.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Es ist schwierig, einzelne Verhaltensweisen zu ändern. Doch im großem Maßstab – sagen wir, für Hunderttausende von Menschen, die ein von Ihnen entwickeltes Produkt nutzen – ist es noch schwieriger. Doch nicht mit Pendo.

When Nelnet rebranded and renamed one of their products in 2019, it had an almost-immediate impact on their users’ experience. With the rename came a re-alphabetization of the Nelnet app’s primary navigation. Their users—who weren’t aware of the change before the update went live—were sent into a frenzy when they couldn’t find the product they were used to looking for.

„[Diese Updates für unsere Plattform] waren notwendig, und alle waren begeistert“, sagte Liz Feller, In-App-Hilfeadministratorin für Nelnet Business Services, „aber niemand hatte eine Ahnung, was unsere Kunden denken würden, wenn sie sie zum ersten Mal ohne Vorwarnung sehen.“ Sie wusste, dass Nelnet eine schnelle Lösung für dieses spezielle Problem brauchte – und einen proaktiveren, effizienteren Ansatz für die Kommunikation von Produktänderungen und -einführungen an die Benutzer in der Zukunft.

Small actions, big impact

Feller’s team sprung into action, launching a Pendo in-app guide and custom badge activation to help steer their users towards the correct area of the app—while simultaneously educating them about the name change. “It was something that we were able to get out quickly, match our product, not use developer time, and communicate really easily in-app,” said Feller. “It really spoke to the power of how quickly you can get something done so that your user base is as uninterrupted as possible.” 

It was also easy for the Nelnet team to take the guide down once it had served its purpose, tailoring the guide’s rules to disappear after users had acknowledged it and successfully navigated the new user interface (UI).

Nelnet | Pendo Product Screenshot

Nelnet nutzte auch einen Pendo In-App-Leitfaden, um die Produktakzeptanz bei den Benutzern zu fördern. Es veröffentlichte einen Leitfaden mit einem Bildschieberegler, der die alte und die neue Benutzeroberfläche nebeneinander demonstrierte. Der Leitfaden enthielt einen Call-to-Action (CTA), der die Nutzer dazu aufforderte, sich für ein Webinar anzumelden, um mehr über das neue Produkterlebnis zu erfahren. Die Bestätigung des Leitfadens löste dann ein Banner mit einem Countdown bis zur Einführung der neuen Benutzeroberfläche aus, damit sich die Benutzer auf die Änderung vorbereiten konnten und nicht vom Update überrascht werden.

“[Pendo-ing our product like this] was the first time we were able to show our operations team how much of an impact Pendo could make in a small way,” said Feller. “It encouraged us to talk amongst ourselves, find those pain points, and look at how to communicate and streamline the process for our customers so we can continue to deliver innovative experiences and products.”

Pro tips

  • Break down silos and prioritize cross-departmental collaboration
  • Communicate product changes early and often, leveraging in-app messaging to reach the right audiences, at the right time
  • Encourage your team to reflect on what went well (or not so well) with each release—they’re all learning opportunities