The technology works, but is the message ready for the customer? - Don’t forget business testing

Imagine the following situation: The Suomi.fi Messages interface has been implemented, test messages have been sent, and technical approval has been given. Project participants sigh in relief - the project is almost ready to move on to production.

But right at this point, it’s a good idea to stop for a moment.

The technology works, but what about the messages to the customer? Are the messages timely, easy-to-understand and clear from the customer's perspective? Does communication genuinely support the business process or does the risk of misunderstandings, extra customer service load or even legal problems emerge?

The deployment of Suomi.fi Messages is much more than a well-functioning API.

Testing is a shared journey, not just an IT project

Successful deployment of Suomi.fi Messages requires that several perspectives be taken into account. Technical experts ensure that messages are transmitted correctly, but businesspeople know best what the message is intended to achieve. Customer service, on the other hand, is the first to see if the message raises questions or if recipients find it ambiguous.

For this reason, it is best to  designate clear roles for testing:

• the person responsible for technical matters,
• the person responsible for business matters,
• a customer service representative.

When these parties view the messages together, the whole will remain under control and there will be no surprises in the when deployment takes place.

Look at the message through the eyes of the customer

The most important question in the scope of business testing is simple: will the customer understand the message without background information?

Test various real-world use cases:

• Why is the message being sent?
• What is expected of the recipient next?
• What happens if the message does not reach the customer?

At the same time, it is important to test the timing of the message from the perspective of the entire service process: will the message only be sent when a customer has a real need for information or action? Will the message arrive too early when the matter is still in unfinalised or unclear? Or will it arrive too late when the customer has already acted incorrectly or become frustrated?

If more than one message is sent to the customer, these should be reviewed as a whole: are the messages built into a logical chain in which each message supplements the previous one, does not repeat it and does not contain conflicting information? Does each message have a clear role, e.g. they are informative, a reminder, instructive, and is this also easy for the customer to comprehend?

At the time of testing, attention should also be paid to the service-specific specifications by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Seemingly small things, such as the name of a service in different languages or its visibility in the Suomi.fi online service, will have a direct effect on the customer’s experience.

If the name is unclear or the service can be found in a place where it was not supposed to be visible, trust will erode rapidly. This is why these details as well should be checked carefully during the testing phase.

What then if everything doesn't go as planned?

Not all customers have activated Suomi.fi Messages, and sometimes the systems may have disruptions. In these situations, alternative delivery methods and operating models will be emphasised.

When testing, it is important to consider the following in advance:

• are the instructions easy to understand and proven both as digital messages and as paper mail?
• what communication channel will be used if a digital message cannot be sent?
• is it necessary to send paper mail or will it be enough to provide information on e.g. the progress of processing in other ways, will the significance of the message, its legal effects and the customer’s status remain the same regardless of the information channel?
•  who is responsible for managing the situation and how will customers be informed about exceptional situations?

The answers for these questions should not first be sought when the system is already in production use.

Customer services will be the first to notice

New messages are often quickly visible in customer service. When customer service knows in advance what kind of messages are sent to customers and in what situations, it can answer questions seamlessly and consistently. This too is part of successful testing.

A good rule of thumb is simple: test Suomi.fi Messages as if the messages were already being sent to real customers. Once the technical functionality, contents, timing and responsibilities have been jointly assessed and approved, the transition to production will be seamless and safe - for both the customer and the organisation.

Niina Viitanen, Senior Specialist, Digital and Population Data Services Agency