Starting off
The customer service department affectionately named, customer service heroes came to us because customers were experiencing challenges communicating. So, I adopted a combination of processes that I thought could work for this project. We gathered as a cross-functional team with experience ranging from analytics, technology, copywriting, customer service, UI and product where the lead CSH facilitated to start things off so we could get what we needed to later validate with real people.
1. Understand & Define:
Learn and understand the needs of customers.
2. Brainstorm & Sketch:
Ideate on the challenges faced by the customer.
3. Prototype & Test:
Create an interactive concepts based on ideation and test with real people.
4. Learn & Iterate:
Interpret the findings to see what worked and what didn't to define a way forward.
Understand & Define
We scheduled a huddle where a few customer service heroes walked us through what customers were experiencing. They were advising those emailing their challenges to call in or use chat on the website, which lowered credibility of a "fully digital company" and added to the frustration of customers including those with disabilities. They also had a proposed solution to help visualize what were thinking of.
No items found.
Brainstorm & Sketch
With the understanding of the customer challenges defined, the second stage was spent working on ideas, analyzing other experiences that had robust communication integrated into their system and some with a more simpler approach. We narrowed and identified that based on the needs and technology, a single and simple point of communication would be best. Then I got to sketching on a few options to do initial testing with real people rather than using the usual implement and learn approach.
Every detail of the process was intentional and needed context and connection with the customer service heroes. So I connected with them often to understand their system vs what the customers need for complete clarity so both the heroes and customer reaching out would be speaking the same language.
Prototype & Test
I wanted to implement a test early and often approach so, the next 5 days were spent on reviewing 3 options of paper prototypes with the cross-functional team to gather feedback quickly and iterate on smaller details. We tested with real people and gathered insights so I knew what to eliminate and where to focus on. I then created an interactive prototype and implemented insights from previous testing. This gave further insight into other iterations like micro copy that would give customers greater clarity.
I reviewed the final prototype with the team and we decided to add a secure Interstitial page as a way of validating customers coming from chat because it wasn't possible to for the business to do so; So all customers who needed help would be "nudged" in this way. In addition customers would have a similar experience as non-customers.
No items found.
Learn & Iterate
After launching, we monitored analytics, customer service feedback and session replays to understand how the effects based on data and how we could iterate and scale to help customers more. See it live on Sonnet.ca
