How important are researchers for a company? Example: Kaspi.kz

Samal Karimova, Team Lead of UX Researchers at Kaspi.kz

What We Work With

We carefully check all features in the Kaspi.kz app before launch. We test to understand how clear and convenient they are for our customers.

We also have Kaspi Pay. This is a whole ecosystem for our partners, where they can manage their business, pay employee salaries, accept payments, and track sales performance.

Kaspi.kz has two apps — one for individuals and one for businesses. But we don’t limit ourselves to apps; we also test our devices. This includes everything related to payments: mobile terminals, QR displays. We also test our other devices such as ATMs, card dispensers, and parcel lockers. Moreover, there was a time when we even tested furniture in branches: chairs and tables, to understand how comfortable they were, as well as stickers and flyers, to assess their simplicity and clarity.

For us, there are no boundaries. Whatever we do, customer experience is always clear and convenient for us.

At Which Stages Product Testing Occurs

First of all, when the product doesn’t exist yet. We identify the need and target segment. Research always answers all these questions. When the product is already launched, we determine which useful updates should be added. If we see a problem with conversions, it’s direct evidence that the product needs further development.

How Many Studies Kaspi Researchers Conduct

In 2022, we conducted more than 80 studies. These 80 studies were of completely different formats. We act as a checkpoint, and 8 out of 10 products are returned for revision. This means that for one product, there can be up to five iterations until we achieve satisfactory results.

We are a company that doesn’t chase deadlines. Quality is critically important to us. Our priority is the convenience and clarity of our products.

If something is inconvenient, it doesn’t get launched.

What We Have Achieved in 2023

In 2023, we are becoming involved in a larger portion of the company’s operations.

Currently, research is a necessary action that affects the work processes of all departments. But this wasn’t always the case. We worked towards this for years, long and hard, proving the benefits of UX research.

It all started in 2018, when the company hired its first researcher. Since then, we actively tried to convey this value. Spoiler: We succeeded.

How We Did It

There are two types of communication processes: bottom-up and top-down. Top-down is a process where tasks come from management. At Kaspi, it was bottom-up — from the team. Most of the company’s processes happen this way.

How to Be Heard

The first factor is argumentation.

If you see a problem in your research, communicate it to the product manager or the team. And if you can’t prove that it needs to be fixed, you can show what problems might arise for the company.

Some uncorrected errors affect post-sale support. A customer might not figure out how to use a certain feature in the app and start calling the Call Center. Or they might simply dislike it and leave. In this case, you lose the customer without even realizing what the mistake was or at which stage it occurred.

Example: We have the Kaspi Red app. This is a product that allows customers to pay for purchases in installments over three months. A customer wanted to know how much they would pay during those months. They started calling the Call Center with such questions. We prepared a solution, but it was unclear to customers, and it didn’t make things easier to understand. Then we changed the interface and achieved positive results.

The second factor is obvious failures.

We surveyed customers, confident that we would receive positive feedback. But 8 out of 10 people could say that something didn’t work for them. Such responses shocked stakeholders.

Sometimes we may think we’re doing something convenient. But audience surveys show that this isn’t always the case.

Example: Kaspi Card Dispenser. This product was released recently. And its creation process was interesting. It seemed visually clear: a screen, one function, nothing complicated. But we encountered a situation where customers didn’t understand how to get a card. We added a QR code. We designed visuals so that people could watch an animation while the card was being created.

Result: A lot of time has passed, but we still actively receive positive reviews on Instagram.

Is a UX Research Team Necessary?

If your company releases many different products, you need a department to check their quality. Because even one product requires constant systematic improvement.

Advice: Test always.

Testing is not about doubting your colleagues’ work. It’s a way to ensure that we are creating a truly great product.

Moreover, UX research is a way to avoid repeating the same mistake.