Product Communication Best Practices

When a client brings up an issue with FareHarbor, first perform all possible troubleshooting steps to ensure it’s not the result of a faulty setup or poor internet connection. Search the Help Center or refer to these pages:

• Troubleshooting performance issues
• Troubleshooting error messages
• Troubleshooting + Error Codes Cheat Sheet
• Troubleshooting Resources

Avoid negative language like “this is a bug in the system” or “there currently isn’t a good way to do XYZ”. This can make clients hesitant to use our product, even when the rest of FareHarbor is working great.

What to do if you discover a true issue

Apologize for any inconvenience and let them know that you will work with our Product Team on an update. Then, check out how to report an issue.

Also, be careful not to allude to potential fixes that haven’t gone live yet. These can often change, and we don’t want to make promises that we can’t necessarily keep. It’s better to keep it generic (“we’re working on XYZ”) than to give specifics or timelines.

Stay up to date by keeping up with our Changelog and the #product-updates room. We always let internal teams know when a large feature or update is being rolled out. If you feel like an update should’ve been mentioned and wasn’t, let us know!

For information on how to report an urgent issue, defined as application downtime, wide-reaching unexpected behavior, and/or glaring usability issues within the product, i.e. something is clearly wrong on a large scale, refer to this help page for instructions on how to proceed.

We want our clients to feel like FareHarbor is a full-service product that we are constantly updating to make it even better. So even if we can’t necessarily fulfill a request or customize something at the moment, we shouldn’t say that directly to clients (after all, we want customization to be a selling point!).

Instead, acknowledge the request/suggestion as something we can work on for a future update. Whenever possible, offer an alternative solution and consult the Help Center. You can also reach out to other people on your team or other teams (including the Product team) for a potential workaround.

As mentioned in the section about issues, we don’t want to promise any features that haven’t been officially released or suggest any timelines of when they can be expected. These can always change!

You can, however, request a feature on behalf of a client, prospective client, or your team by following this process:

1. Submit a form at this link.
2. Include a user story that explains the need, in the following format:
   • As a [type of user], I would like to request [feature/update] so that [benefit].
3. Please also include the Lead ID from Close if it pertains to a specific lead or client.

Once you have submitted a feature request or update, you can request progress updates by viewing the Product schedule.

For more information how to submit a request or for progress updates, please contact Kenzie Dykes.

You can find information on new feature releases in the following two ways.

Changelog

Use this resource if you would like more information about a feature or product update that was recently deployed to production.

• See our internal Changelog for a detailed list of all updates made to FareHarbor. Also, the #product-updates Slack channel includes important updates from the Product and Strategic Partnerships teams.
• For more information not answered above, contact Zack Feld.

Feature Rollout

Information about a feature that was recently launched or is about to be launched, and you would like to learn more or give feedback.

• Information about recent feature releases, including relevant training, Help Center documentation and where feedback is being compiled will be posted in the #product-updates Slack channel. To understand the feature rollout process and resources at your disposal, click here.
• Feedback on recently released features can be submitted using this form.
• For more information not answered above, contact Zack Feld.

Sometimes a client will want to view or edit something that can only be accessed by FareHarbor admins. In these cases, it’s helpful to let them know the reason why this is the case:

Documentation and other client communication should minimize references to third party companies or other services whenever possible. Whether we’re recommending a solution to an issue or explaining how a process works, we want our clients to see FareHarbor as a one-stop shop for everything they need.

For example, we shouldn’t reference Stripe as our payment processor unless the client specifically asks about it, or if it helps to explain why something’s not our fault. Otherwise, we run the risk of confusing clients who are not as tech or payment-savvy, who might then start reaching out incorrectly to Stripe with questions.

However, we also want our clients to know that it’s not FareHarbor that declines cards, slows down refunds, or initiates disputes. When clients have questions about these topics, it’s definitely ok to explain at a high level that we work with a payment processor, who in turn works with our clients’ and their end customers’ banks (and that it’s the banks that make most of the decisions). You can direct people to our pages for refunds and disputes, which explain this in more detail.

It is always preferable to link to a help page rather than sending instructions or information in an email, as help pages are maintained and updated.

You can link to a specific section on a help page by clicking the icon next to the section name and copying the URL.

That said, we want clients to know that we’re here to help them if they still have questions. When providing a link, let them know they can feel free to reach out if they have further questions or want to walk through anything together.

If you think there is information that should be added to the Help Center, or if you see information on the Help Center that is out of date, please submit a Help Page Request Form and our documentation team will be more than happy to help!