11 Steps To Have On Your Customer Onboarding Checklists

All enterprise SaaS organizations will know the value of each customer. They will be loyal and act as referrals if they like your service. If not, they churn. Did you know that 42% of clients unsubscribe from the SaaS service due to poor or lack of customer service? First impressions count when it comes to customer onboarding. A thoughtful customer onboarding checklist may assist you in giving new users a great experience and preparing them for long-term success.

One mistake is all it takes. According to Zendesk, 50% of customers will switch to other SaaS services after a single bad experience, and if they have more than one bad experience, the customer churn can go up to 80%!

All new SaaS startups and established SaaS organizations should remember that customer experience is more important than customer service.

Customer service is an old problem-solving concept that works after a mishap. In comparison, customer experience is an ongoing precautionary measure with a customer-centric system in place and can avoid accidents.

The customer onboarding experience is a significant part of the customer experience since it deals with the customers in the initial stage. So, you must ensure customers have a positive SaaS onboarding experience.

Customer Onboarding Checklist

This simple yet efficient checklist helps to have a solid customer onboarding process in an enterprise SaaS. These checkboxes need to be ticked for every client. This helps in customer retention.

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1. Formulate A Proposal

Create a proposal based on the client’s requirements and your ability to deliver. Discuss it with your team members and then take it to the client. Make the necessary changes and get it signed off by the customer. This would serve as a primary work agreement for both parties. Signing it in the first place would avoid a lot of miscommunication and problems in the future.

2. Define Terms And Conditions

Initially, setting up terms and conditions will provide clarity to both parties. Your clients would understand the service you offer to them, and you would understand the responsibilities you have towards your client. Get a mutual concern and sign off the agreement.

3. Payment Process

If it’s a free trial, you do not have to worry about the payment initially. You must manage your payment issues upfront if it's a paid subscription. You and your client should come to terms with the payment method. Also, this would be the right time to discuss whether you need full or partial payment. You should also complete the tax documents, if any, to be filled.

4. Sign-Up

Collecting data on your customers and potential customers is very important. Yet, it is also significant to avoid overwhelming them with questions. Make a simple sign-up process that lets them sign up without hesitation. You can also use social sign-up buttons to lower their burden.

5. Welcome Email

Welcome emails send a more personalized message. It is also a way to show your excitement and care. You can share the contact number of SPOC, blogs, and video tutorials in the mail. You can also automate welcome emails.

6. Communication Channel

Consistent communication is vital throughout the customer onboarding and implementation process. Hence, discuss and decide on a proper communication channel for both parties to discuss the project. Generally, using silos of tools for communication would be difficult for everyone to follow. Try to use an SSOT platform for effective communication.

7. Kick-Off Meeting

Schedule a kick-off meeting through the communication channel. The session can be a virtual or direct one. This meeting shall introduce both parties, discuss timelines, set boundaries, track progress, and prioritize tasks. This will also help the customers to clarify any doubts.

8. Product Introduction

Introduce the product to your customers. Take them through all the crucial features. Make sure not to leave any empty states. You can also add pop-ups to explain the parts of your product. As mentioned earlier, refrain from bombarding them with information. Allow them to explore as well.

9. Training

This is one of the phases you must prioritize in your customer onboarding checklist. Have a flexible training method based on your customer. Keep your customers informed with enough information. They might have already seen your tutorial videos or blogs, so it is your job to recap the same and resolve queries.

10. Consistent Communication

Maintain standard communication during and after onboarding. This is not just a customer onboarding checklist you must tick off. You must keep your customers in the loop and convey the updates regularly. It also helps the customer to clarify doubts then and there.

11. Appreciate

Again this is one customer onboarding checklist that every SaaS organization should complete. Never forget to congratulate your customer’s success. Appreciate for reaching your short-term goals. Let your customers know you care about them.

To Summarize

Customer onboarding and implementation are the two significant facets that help in customer satisfaction and retention. Hence, every enterprise SaaS organization is rebuilding its onboarding program based on customer-centricity. A customer onboarding checklist is formulated based on customer-centricity. It is mandatory for the happy onboarding of the customers, which in turn decreases customer churn.