Lessons from a User Who Showed up in the Office

Have you ever had a user walk into your office? I have, and it was a great experience.

A few months ago, a user needed customer support. Instead of contacting us through our regular channels, she looked us up on Google Maps, found our office and showed up unannounced to get help.

Accompanied by her friend, and both over 60 years of age, she crossed half of Barcelona to solve a few doubts about Badi (a local app to find roommates or your next flatshare, focused on the match between users). She is a property owner and a recurrent user who comes back every time she needs new tenants. Her daughter, who usually helps manage her listing, wasn't around this time, so she came to the office instead.

Since we don't offer customer support at the office, my colleague who opened the door reached out to me, the PM for our Marketplace division.

It caught me off guard but I thought: live user research without all the effort to organize it? Yes, please!

The Visit

I took my laptop and testing devices (Android and iOS) and welcomed her in the office reception. At first, I chose to just observe and listen. She was using a small and rather old Android smartphone but she clearly knew her way around our app.

She guided me through her problem: an issue with upgrading her listing to Badi Gold, our premium plan for listers. I noticed she was in an older version of the app, so first I suggested upgrading it. But, to my surprise, there were no new app versions to download on Play Store, meaning her device did not support our latest versions.

We continued, and at some point she wasn't finding the screen she wanted to show me, so I offered to switch to desktop:

"If you prefer, we can do it on my laptop—it might be easier." I had my parents in mind, who like many, believe a bigger screen is always better.

"Oh no, no, I don't understand computers. Better here, on my phone."

The phone is easier?! That was new to me.

We eventually solved her issue (I activated Badi Gold on her listing using our internal CMS), but the visit left me with a few key takeaways.

For Many, the Smartphone is the Internet

There's a growing segment of users who started their digital lives directly on smartphones. For them, mobile is not a secondary experience on a smaller screen, it's the only experience they know.

That day I made a classic Product mistake: assuming user behaviour based on my preferences.

Designing with this in mind allows you to connect to the "why", understanding that mobile interfaces not only require sharper UI decisions (gestures, smaller screens, tighter layouts) but also provide a comfort zone for certain users.

Some Users Are Still on Older App Versions

While trying to upgrade the user's app to the latest version, I encountered an issue: the upgrade wasn't possible. It was the first time I faced this, as all my testing devices run newer OS versions. Although we always discuss app versions when rolling out new releases or fixing bugs, this was a great example of how different app versions coexist in parallel.

So, as a PM, while you focus on the latest app versions, remember some of your users are still on older versions and those are also part of your product. And these can be valuable users who pay and come back recurrently, so they should not be left behind.

The Power of Customer Support in Product

No matter how optimised our CS channels are, some users will always prefer human interaction. I wasn't too surprised when a user showed up in person, we only provide written customer support and we know some users would rather talk on the phone.

One of my favourite experiences as a PM is answering customer support tickets during high-demand periods. I enjoy it more than user interviews as CS tickets are often driven by frustration, providing raw and direct feedback. It's a great exercise for spotting improvement areas, patterns or even generating new product ideas.

So here's a challenge, block 30 minutes this week to sit with a support rep or, even better, answer a few customer queries yourself. Your next product feature could be just one support ticket away.

How Well Do You Know Your Users?

This woman had been using our app for years, yet she likely wouldn't be represented in any of our user personas. While personas are helpful, they don't always capture the nuances. What motivates users? Why do they do the things they do? Why do they use the app in that particular way?

That 20-minute chat reminded me that users aren't just users, they're people with complex relationships to technology, shaped by their life experiences and context. And customer support queries are not just support requests, they're opportunities to connect with the why behind the product we're building.

This visit was a great reminder of why direct user contact is essential in Product Management. That day I was lucky to solve an issue in person and hear user feedback face-to-face. It also reminded me of the value we're creating for our users. Enough value for someone to cross the city just and get an answer in person!