How to Boost User Loyalty: a Case Study From Kefir and devtodev Support Team
The main concern of any business is customer loyalty. Loyal users are highly interested in the development of the game, leaving positive reviews and what is important, of course, they donate. This article is an interesting case study from devtodev customer support team and Kefir on increasing user loyalty with a cute little deer in the Last Day On Earth game.
Kefir is a game developing company from Volgograd. Their landmark games are loved by players from all over the world: Last Day on Earth, Frostborn, Grim Soul, Metro 2033, and others. During two years of collaboration, the company entrusted devtodev customer support team with two games — Last Day on Earth and Frostborn.
Our mission is to provide customers with the best communication experience, eliminate any negative situations, and boost loyalty and love. We respond to inquiries and user reviews in app stores, keep in touch with developers and, of course, play games ourselves.
What is the Deer Conundrum?
The main character in Last Day on Earth is a person who has survived a global catastrophe and must adapt to the post-apocalyptic world. They need to build a base, get food, weapons, and transport, and at the same time fight off bloodthirsty zombies. There are also wild animals in the game which you can use for your needs. For example, deer in the game are a food source, and you also can make clothes from deerskin.
However, the survivor needs more than food and warmth. They need a friend too.
One of the players (let us call her Leana) contacted devtodev support team with a message filled with bitterness. She told us a sad story on how she met the deer, which eventually became her friend. She even gave the deer a name — Olesha (Deery). This “pet” became an unexpected bonus for Leana, an additional motivation to enter the game every day. Her player experience became very personal and her emotional connection with the game intensified. Therefore, we can only imagine her disappointment when one day she entered her base and found that the deer was missing!
When the support agent received this message, they could not remain indifferent and ignore a user’s strong emotions. This touching story also found fertile ground — Kefir’s priorities and values are focused on providing the user with the maximum possible assistance, and not alienating the loyal player, but trying to make their communication experience useful and unique.
The developers found that there was no technical error here, and the deer just wanted to walk alone in the forest. However, they approached the issue with great care. Having found the fugitive, they returned him to the base. Moreover, they went an extra mile and turned Olesha into a unique game item — a Tame Deer that will never abandon its survivor friend ever again.
The support agent was quick to give the user good news!
Liana’s joy at Olesha’s return was the strongest. She built a separate paddock for her friend, in which he now lives happily. This act largely determined her attitude to the game — the transition from acute disappointment to surprise and joy served as a boost to her loyalty. She now knows that she can rely on support even in the most extraordinary cases.
Takeaway
This moving episode is clearly a customer success story. Its first ingredient is seeing user feedback not just as some piece of useful information but as an opportunity to take the relationship between the customer and the company to the next level. To create such a positive effect, you need to respond not only to messages about system failures, but also to any emotional request — either negative or positive.
You can read more about this case here.
