14 Lessons We’ve Learned from Our Customers
“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” — Albert Schweitzer —
The day 123FormBuilder was born was sunny. The cherry blossoms were blowing in the wind, foreshadowing the hot days of Balkan summers ahead. Birds were chirping and the air was fragrant with lilac. Indoors, people were hard at work coding a form builder that’s easy to use, versatile, and ultra-secure. OK, we’re not very sure about that part with the nice weather (it was a long time ago and nobody actually remembers). But the second one is 100% true. And we’re still here, still perfecting this product we’ve poured so much effort, time, and dedication into. We’re turning 14 this Spring. And looking back, none of the amazing things that have happened to us so far would’ve been possible without you: the form builder, the workflow creator, the survey maker. You, the customer who chose to trust us with your data collection. You’ve been our most efficient critic, praiser, and teacher. So, for our 14th birthday, we thought of putting together a quick list of 14 lessons you’ve taught us.
1. There are always ways to grow
Always. Our customers have given us a reason to grow and be better — and they continue to do so every day. Perfection doesn’t exist, but striving for it gives your work meaning.
2. If you don’t know, ask
There’s no shame in asking questions. Although telepathy and crystal balls sound pretty cool, nothing beats asking about what you don’t know. We really love that you feel comfortable asking us anything you may struggle with, and our Customer Care team shows us every day what it means to really show up and help. (Do reach out to them if you have questions, really, they’re golden. You can find them via email at customercare@123formbuilder.com or via the chat on our website.)
“I am so used to free services’ customer support being dismissive and uncaring. And really, I can’t blame them most of the time. […] But 123FormBuilder, even if you are not subscribed to their service and using their free features, are incredibly helpful, kind, willing to go back and forth with you, explain things like a human with an actual heart and brain, and accept both positive and negative feedback.”
3. Building the right process wins you half of the battle
They say ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s actions that push every great idea forward, and our customers’ workflows have shown us, time and again, just what a huge difference the right process can make. Just like our customers, we too work on building and perfecting processes that help us be more efficient — and, ultimately, better for those who buy our tool.
4. There are always reasons to go on
Most things in life are hard to achieve. But our customers have given us millions of reasons to keep on workin’, keep on buildin’, keep on perfectin’ this neat little thing that was born 14 years ago (the best form builder in the world, obviously.) We constantly work to bring new form templates in 123FormBuilder, integrate online forms with the best and most popular tools, and make our product more user-friendly. There’s always a reason to go on and push a little further.
5. Nothing is more important than health
The health of company data is the business equivalent of keeping your mind and your body clear of viruses, bacteria, and rubbish nutrition. In other words, data security is like the immune system of the human body — but for a business. If you want your business to grow in a sustainable, healthy way, focus on how you collect, manage, store, and dispose of the data your organization is built on.
6. Being flexible and versatile is golden
When you, our customers, adapt, we adapt. It’s a basic rule, but also a golden one that has gotten us this far. One of the many reasons why so many people choose 123FormBuilder is precisely the fact that it is an extremely versatile product. Our forms can be used by literally every department in a company, they can ease processes AND help you stay on top of data compliance — all using a product that’s 100% versatile.
7…And gratitude is the most expensive gemstone on Earth
We are grateful to every single one of the 2M+ individuals and businesses of all sizes who have chosen to work with us. This feeling of gratitude helps us push through rough patches and find solutions. Because…
8…There’s a solution to every problem
This is another crucial lesson we’ve learned from our customers. Whenever posed with a challenge, our customers helped us understand the issue and find solutions that fit their needs.
9. Thinking out of the box will get you a long way
Not all solutions are straightforward. Not every line of code is a 1+1=2 situation. Not every customer can fit a use case we’ve already seen before. Thus, thinking out of the box has become our status quo. That’s how we “function” — and we wouldn’t have learned all this without all the customers who asked us for help on unique form building situations.
10. Simplify, simplify, simplify
There’s a reason we’re called 123: we want everything about our customers’ experience with us to be as easy as 1,2,3. And so, we learned that simplicity should be at the heart of everything we do and aim for — not in the sense of “keeping it basic”, but in the sense of “true user-friendliness.”
11. Team spirit goes beyond water cooler jokes
There’s a special kind of unity that comes with trying to find solutions to our customers’ problems. And it’s precisely that unity that lies at the foundation of our company culture. We’re not just workmates. We genuinely like each other, work together, and live to help each other — at work and beyond. We’re friends and family. We know each other’s kids’ names and, even when remote, we stand together as one to create something we’re proud of.
12. Dreams do come true
123FormBuilder didn’t start in a fancy building. It wasn’t born in Silicon Valley. And when this whole beautifully crazy thing began, we pretty much just had a dream: to build an international product that helps people — for real. As it seems, dreams do come true, and we wouldn’t have learned this without our customers, their support, their understanding, their questions, their collaboration, and, ultimately, their own stories of dreams coming true.
“Intuitive & Seemless app for creating forms. The flexible WYSIWYG editor is amazing. It is really easy and intuitive. I have been using this product for many years. It is very simple and easy to keep it going.” — Himanshu G (review on G2)
13. Building something is a continuous learning process
You’re never done, and that’s the magic of it. You can create a form in a few minutes and publish it online and collect information. But you can always go back to it to make it better, publish it elsewhere, or repurpose its structure for a different use case. The same goes for building a business as well. No matter how long you’ve been at it, there’s always room for learning.
14. Being in the position to give is the single most rewarding thing ever
We are committed to giving back to the community in which we were born, to helping build a better future through education, and to the place we all call home: Earth. Being in the position to give is the single most rewarding and humbling thing ever. NONE of these lessons would’ve ever happened if it weren’t for the people who’ve been supporting us for so long: you, our customers. So, on our 14th birthday, we want to take a moment to thank you, again, for choosing and staying with us. Having customers like you makes work as easy as…1,2,3. PS: Just because we’re full-on teenagers now (14, wow!), it doesn’t mean we’ll be smashing doors and yelling at you. We will continue to do what we do best: listen, learn, and build. 🙂
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