Human-Centered Service Design

Objectives

Created a service blueprint to identify pain points, optimize interactions, and construct the new service improvements.

Research

• Conduct online surveys and phone interviews to help define the ideal customers 
• Participate in the service experience through the eyes of the customer
• Interview service providers to understand the end-to-end moving experience

Deliverables

• Journey Map
• Role-play Prototype
• Detailed Service Blueprint

My Role

• Product Manager and Designer
• Lead a user researcher

Building Journey Map

Define the ideal customer

We conducted online surveys and phone interviews with customers who have booked the service online and completed the move within the past six-month window. The ideal customer is defined based on the results from 1,823 respondents.

Name: John Ayres
Age: 34 years old
Location: California

A working father who focuses on lifestyle and well-being

Desired Values

• Saving Money

• Time with family

• Preventing Injury

Reasons why he loves the service and keep coming back

• Numbers of moving service providers to choose from

• Availability that fits with his schedule

• Prices seem equivalent to the value of the services

The service meet these primary needs

• Minimize the expenses and get the best deal they can

• Simplify the task, and get help to make the move easier

• Minimize the task’s impact on life and bodies/health

Gather insights

We booked ourselves a moving service and observed the service experiences of our customers

Assumptions

Before engaging with the service:

• High pricing

• No local moving companies

• Movers don't confirm

• Movers don’t show up moving day

• Getting untrained movers

The moments after the service ends:

• Broken furniture items

• Movers take longer than expected

• Movers charge for hidden fees
  

Needs we might have:

• Packing and moving equipments

• Make multiple trips

Experience and observations

The first interaction with the service is booking a moving company on the website, HireAHelper.com, where the intended goals of the service are an affordable moving service providers and stress-free move.

Some good and bad elements of the service are: 

• Large selections of service providers

• Rating and reviews to help with decision making

• Getting free quotes from service providers

• Booking without paying a deposit or in full

• Confirmation email with helpful tips

• Confirmation call from the service provider

• Release payment via text message is convenient

• Final receipt emailed minutes after releasing payment

• Rate and review had to be done online

Photos from moving day observations

Key artifacts from the service

Map out the journey and define the moments that matter

The Moments that matters are those that strongly influence the overall customer experience. They have the potential to differentiate businesses and cultivate loyalty. These moments are identifed through operational, drivers of high value, and unique lens.

Operational

Refine the search and select a moving service provider is a critical moment to the successful execution of this service. It is certain that the customers will have a good experience if they book a highly rated and reviewed moving companies.

High value

Morning of moving day are filled with stress. The customers worry about having everything pack before the movers arrive, truck space, and the time required for the move. Once the movers arrive and start the job, the customers don't have to lift heavy furniture items and try to load the truck. The physical stress is very low. This moment makes them feel the value of the service. While movers perform their tasks, customers often leave the room or their home. Some custoemrs travel to the second location where they wait for the mover to arrive. 

Unique

After the move is completed, the movers would ask the customers to release payment via text. The customers feel relieved, despite how the move went. It's a good opportunity to encourage the customers to rate and review the moving service providersas soon as the service ends.

Prototyping with a Role-Play

A moment to prototype

The moving day is the most critical part of the journey to the positive moving experience. We zoomed into this moment and identified the touchpoint that can be imrpoved.

Service brainstorms

• Mobile Text alerts for mover's location, expected arrival time, equipments, and progress of the move

• Add a progress tracker to the customer online account where customers can view the following: Show movers profiles and starting location

• Alert before the move's end time and offer adding hours

• A way for customers to document job performance, broken items, or inventory

Moment

Moving day

How might we

Provide awareness of the move to help manage and reduce customers stress and anxiety

Idea to prototype

Mobile text alerts (Live Move Tracker SMS)

Role

Customers

Function of the role

Prepare for a move

Character/Personality of the role

Anxious and stressed

Role

Movers

Function of the role

Send job progress reports

Character/Personality of the role

Good communicator and Friendly

Role

Live Move Tracker SMS

Function of the role

Receive and send updates

Character/Personality of the role

Stable and update in real-time

“We hope to learn if customers would feel at ease on the moving day when they can be fully aware of the progress from the start to the completion of the service.”

Creating Service Blueprint

The goals

• Share with stakeholders who can help construct the service improvements

• Identify touchpoints to increase the interactions and relationships between customers, moving service providers, and HireAHelper

New Service Design Project Plan 

• Opt-in text messaging service that confirm the booking, guide the customers in preparation, and send reminders prior to moving day
• Product step-by-step guide for movers on when, what, and how to update their progress
• Customer support team to follow up/Check-in with customers after their move
• Adding more time to booking (via text) prior to releasing payment