Features… Coming Soon
I’ve been paying for an app for years. I’m a dedicated customer who has enjoyed new features brought out by the app when they bring them out.
Here’s the problem. They are now only releasing these new features to new customers with the plan to eventually bring them out to current customers “in the coming months”.
Todoist & Dropbox are two apps I use daily that have brought out features for new customers with current customers put on the back burner to be able to access these new features.
Todoist
In Todoist’s case, they brought out a new feature that allows team workspaces. An amazing feature, in my opinion, that can solve a problem I have to help separate work from personal in our ever connected world. Unfortunately, when I reached out to them, they said the feature is not available for current business customers and will be released in the “coming months”.
But its been 6 months that new paying customers have been enjoying this feature with the feature “coming soon” for current paying customers.
Disappointing.
Dropbox
Dropbox’s case is a little different; more baffling and frankly even more disappointing. Dropbox purchased HelloSign a few years ago and they have been merging some cool features to allow users to sign PDF’s directly in Dropbox. Awesome feature in my opinion. The best part is they recently released new pricing that allows a new user to sign up and get unlimited signature requests.
Their previous plan allowed you to create a HelloSign account and limited the amount of features, templates and other returned signs, it changed a bit through the years, but basically provided the same features.
Once again, I was interested in the new plan, and was excited to share with a current Dropbox user that does signs and would benefit from this feature. I reached out to their support and asked them to upgrade the plan for this company as their site said to “contact sales” to upgrade the plan. I was then directed to a sales representative that told me the only way to upgrade to this plan now was to close the current Dropbox account, and move everything to a new Dropbox account. That is not possible because that would require down time for the company, lost links, incredible transition time, that would not be acceptable. I asked when this feature would be released and was told there is no ETA for current customer to be able to purchase this plan.
I then asked Dropbox if they could provide the company with a discounted Dropbox Sign plan as that would be the next logical business step, as current new customers are gaining this feature for only a couple dollars more than what we are paying. I was told the cheapest plan the company could sign for that would be like for like features that is included in the current Business Plan is $20/user/mo. and they would not provide us discounts for that plan.
Disappointing.
Final Thoughts
I get it. It’s difficult for SaaS companies to create new features and release them to everyone. You have lots of legacy systems that are connected and lots of old features you have to support for current business. Plus, the loss of potential data when migrating systems is much higher for old businesses than new businesses.
But heres the thing. We are paying customers too! We are customers that believe in your product so much that we have been here for years, possibly decades. Why have we been relegated to the sidelines? Do you think that we will stick around and just wait for those features? You have us in the bag? Let me tell you this: you are disenfranchising those customers who are your greatest ally and are making it difficult for us to sell your products by word of mouth.
To me I’m surprised their legal departments haven’t seen this as a possible legal risk. You are now advertising features that are not available for some of your paying customers, but are available for your new customers. That’s false advertising, even if it is technically not a reason a previous customer signed up for your product.
How can companies work around this? Provide us with incentives! Say hey, we released a new feature, we are working on getting it integrated but it’s taking us longer, heres a month free for your troubles.
Or in Dropbox’s case offer their Dropbox Sign at a heavily reduced rate to current customers, giving the features that we are willing to pay for, but you as a company are unable to provide.
All I have to say is it’s disappointing and hurts my view on your business and word of mouth recommendations will not be as friendly. What’s next, you provide a game changing feature that’s not supported with your old customers?
Disappointing.
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