TalkingParents · B2C · co-parenting communication app
Reply to every app review with a real, caring answer, even off-topic rants
Founder says people feel heard and stay subscribed; no numbers
Workedcustomer-supportaso
What they did
For the last year and a half, the marketing team meets weekly with the customer experience team and they reply to every App Store and Google Play review with a human response, even complaints unrelated to the app. Replies are written for future readers, not just the reviewer. Support is email-only for now; phone support for higher tiers is being considered. Support staff are hired for empathy.
What happened
Reviewers feel heard and are more likely to come back and think highly of the app; seen as key to retention.
- Effort
- Weekly meeting for 18 months
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · From Consultancy to $10M in ARR — Vince Mayfield, TalkingParents“is that on app reviews, we go in and reply to every app review with a human response, right? Even if somebody's just complaining just to complain, or they're complaining about their co-parent relationship or something, has nothing to do with the app.”
“But I want my people I have my marketing team meets once a week with my customer experience team, and they respond to all of those.”
“You're writing it for everybody that comes behind it.”
Related topics
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More from this episode
- TalkingParents: Stop relying on ads and courts; charge the parents who use the appBecame the base of a ~$10M ARR subscription business
- TalkingParents: Fly a co-founder around the country to pitch judges and court clerksAbout 60% of users are now ordered onto the app by a court
- TalkingParents: Keep the website free and charge a monthly fee for the mobile appsStarted at $4.99/month; founder now thinks it was priced too low
- TalkingParents: Ask customers what they'd pay for, then build those features into paid plansEvery price rise bundled features customers had asked for
- TalkingParents: Double the price for current subscribers, but add a feature they asked forLost about a quarter of subscribers vs. half expected; some came back
- TalkingParents: Add a $24.99 plan with video calls and a set bundle of minutesAttracted less price-sensitive customers, mostly on iPhone; some couples both pay $24.99
- TalkingParents: Charge each co-parent separately, so one's video calls nudge the other to upgrade
- TalkingParents: Sell free users copies of their records for court, digital or printed and bound
- TalkingParents: Track each visitor from first site visit to paying, using your own dataFounder says it's 'paying dividends' after two years; no numbers
- TalkingParents: Host regular webinars with outside experts who also take over your social and blog
- TalkingParents: Swap a cheap startup transcription vendor for one that scales and bills per callCut transcription cost in half and gained features
- TalkingParents: Run your main calling feature on a small startup vendor instead of TwilioStartup couldn't scale; flagship feature broke and they moved to Twilio
- TalkingParents: Use your consulting firm's income to pay for building your own appTook ~6 years and ~$1M before subscriptions worked; lean times along the way