FastRuby.io: Exit Calls

At OmbuLabs opens a new window we believe that if we are not learning from our mistakes we are doing it wrong. It is simple: The only unforgivable mistake is to not learn from our mistakes.

That is why we try to incorporate feedback into everything we do. We embrace peer reviews opens a new window and pair programming opens a new window as a way to get constant feedback on a daily basis. Even this article had reviews from 3 different people! (https://github.com/ombulabs/blog/pull/154 opens a new window )

Another step that we incorporate into every client relationship is an exit call. This call gives us an opportunity to assess how well we performed.

If we performed well: Great! What can we do more of? If we performed poorly: What can we improve? What can we do to make it better for our next project?

Exit Call Questions

Here are some of the questions that we like to ask:

  • How was it doing business with us?

  • Is there anything we could have done differently?

  • What did you like about our service?

  • What did you dislike about our service?

  • What did you think about our Rails upgrade opens a new window process? Is there anything we can do to improve it?

  • Did the team communicate effectively? Was our communication with you and your team effective?

  • Did we meet your expectations?

  • Was there anything you didn’t particularly like?

  • How would you have done things differently?

  • Would you work with us again? (In a scale from 1 to 10)

These questions should be the beginning of the conversation. If they respond with short answers, try to dig deeper. Don’t settle for an awkward silence or a yes/no answer. Try to ask follow-up questions about their initial answer.

Conclusion

Exit calls have been a great way to learn from our relationships with clients. We have written a few case studies based on these exit calls. For example: Upgrading a Huge Monolith from Rails 4.0 to 5.1 opens a new window

Our secret sauce for our productized Rails upgrade service opens a new window (https://fastruby.io opens a new window ) is constantly changing, getting better with every project we ship. Exit calls are the best way to keep improving as a company.