Initiated and launched a self-serve end-of-term flow that reduced operational workload by 70% and increased renewal conversions by 30%.
Scope
Co-initiated the project with PMM and secured leadership buy-ins
Led discovery with customers and operations to map pain points and motivations
Designed an end-to-end experience
Collaborated with Ops, Engineering, and Sales to align process and triggers
Strategic impact
From a 100% manual workflow to a fully self-serve flow
Reduced operational effort by 70%
Increased “keep renting” selections by 30%, driving measurable revenue growth
Improved customer transparency and trust
Established a blueprint for future self-serve flows
The opportunity
Getting ahead of growing inefficiencies
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High operational overhead
Ops handled 100% of renewals manually - tracking expirations, sending reminders, presenting EOT options and its cost, and handling renewal/return.
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Poor customer experiene
End customers lacked visibility into contract status, possible options and its cost. Overall experience was heavy, long and opaque.
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Missed business opportunities
Without a structure flow, topi couldn’t nudge customers toward higher-value outcomes like keep renting or upgrading devices.
Approach
Grounding design in real customer and business needs
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Research goals
Map current end-of-term workflows.
Identify motivations, blockers, and decision criteria.
Test framing and timing that influence renewal behavior.
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Methods
20–30 minute interviews with customers who had recently reached end-of-term. Synthesis workshops with Ops and Sales to align on system and communication gaps.
Key insights
Customers needed visibility, ops needed their time freed
1️⃣
Customer wanted a full visibility
They wanted clear, complete information on all rental options. They needed everything in one place to consider and compare before committing.
2️⃣
Manual emails created friction
Ops spent hours on coordination and reminders. And customers often missed emails. It caused delays and confusion in EOT decisions.
3️⃣
Framing matters
When “keep renting” was visually prioritized, customers perceived it as the easiest option.
Solution
Turning a hidden workflow into a transparent self-serve experience
We designed a new end-of-term experience within the customer portal. It surfaces upcoming term expirations and gives users clear, guided choices.
1️⃣ Educating customers early
The Problem: Customers globally lacked understanding on how rental tenures worked, or what types of options are available for them at the end of the term. This lack of clarity led to confusion and missed retention opportunities.
The Solution: We introduced an educational information directly in the checkout flow. By visually explaining rental periods, payments, and end-of-term options before checkout, customers gained clarity.
2️⃣ Context aware trigger for upgrades and end-of-term decisions
The Problem: Users didn’t know when they were nearing end-of-term or what actions they needed to take.
The Solution: We introduced two smart, timing-based triggers in the device dashboard.
Before end-of-term, users see a proactive upgrade offer tied to new product launches. It created an upsell and early upgrade opportunities.
At end-of term, a clear banner prompts users to choose their rental option. It frees Ops from manually tracking and creating email chains.
3️⃣ Transparent upgrade flow with built-in upsell opportunities
The Problem: End-of-term options were unclear as it was entirely manual. Customers didn’t understand their choices, and topi missed chances to retain users or upsell services.
The Solution: We designed a fully transparent flow by presenting all rental options upfront, with clear pricing. If users choose to upgrade, they are given multiple device options or request a different product entirely.
We also introduced contextual upsells, such as certified data wipe, easy return logistics, and accessories, turning end-of-term moment into a growth opportunity.
Outcome and impact
Pain to measurable growth
70% reduction in operational overhead.
30% increase in customers choosing “keep renting” option.
Higher transparency → improved user trust and satisfaction.
Reflections
What I learned
✨ What worked
Securing leadership buy-in: We persuaded the founders to prioritize the project by framing it around operational efficiency and revenue impact.
Grounding design decisions in real user feedback: Continuous input from end customers shaped both the UX and business logic.
Cross-functional alignment between Ops, PMM, and Engineering: It turned a side initiative into a company-wide process improvement.
🪄 What I'd do differently
Continuous feedback loop post-launch: instead of one-time interviews, I’d set up a continuous discovery cadence to track retention and satisfaction over time.