The other day, a friend posed a question: if you use a great app, but the service behind the app sucks, would you still use the app?
It sparked quite a discussion, and I was (maybe a little too) excited to jump in.
The truth is you have to have both. You can’t extricate one from the other, because they’re both part of the same customer experience.
You can offer the best product or service in the world, and no one will buy from you if they can’t use the app.
But – more importantly – you can have the best app in the world, and no one will buy from you if your service is garbage.
To get it really right, both the app and the service behind it have to be solid, AND they have to work together to create a seamless, consistent experience.
When the app and the service are owned by different teams, it’s hard to get that experience right. Everyone needs to work together with a common vision to create convenience and smoothness.