App Optimization for Mileage Tracking
How can we help customers report mileage periodically?
OPTIMIZE
SIMPLIFY
UNIFY
We saw a tricky spot for SIXT+
The team needed more time to build out automated mileage reporting, but customers still had to log their miles every month, and we couldn't let their experience\safety (or our data!) slip. So, we, as designers, stepped in.
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Our goal?
To buy the business some crucial breathing room without missing a beat on customer metrics or frustrating users.
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How'd we do it?
We crafted a super simple, hassle-free way for customers to log mileage with minimal effort. This meant less stress for them and more time for the business to perfect the tech behind the scenes.
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Ultimately, we helped everyone – the business got the time it needed, customers stayed happy, and the whole system kept running smoothly. It was all about making sure we didn't just solve a problem, but we saved the entire ecosystem!"
SIXT+
SIXT is one of the world’s leading mobility service providers, founded in 1912 and headquartered in Pullach near Munich, Germany. The mobility platform unites products SIXT rent (car rental), SIXT share (car sharing), SIXT ride (taxi and chauffeur services), SIXT+ subscription. SIXT+ saw expansion amidst the COVID period, offering users the flexibility to retain their cars for as long as they desired, with no administrative burdens or financial commitments. This allowed them to experience car ownership without the associated hassles.
CHALLENGE
45% of users fail to report their mileage on a monthly basis.
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30% of users incur penalties at branches across Europe and higher in US.
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26% of users who increase their mileage plan one month proceed to reduce it the subsequent month.
HYPOTHESIS
Customers do not report mileage because of the complex language, too many number to understand and existing design.
Existing Designs
OUTCOME
Observed a 13% rise in mileage reporting within 60 days.
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Data is now more organized, clearly labelled and easy to find.
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The problem solving journey & design impact proved that little nudges make a big business difference, leading SIXT to overhaul all their customer messaging.
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Enhanced cleanliness and aesthetics of presentation.
New Designs
IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT PROBLEM
" What could be the reasons for users not reporting monthly mileage? "
Before we directly start with user research, I decided to map down the user tasks for current app journey to define the research approach required and understand focus areas and kind of learnings we wish to gain from the users.
UX analysis conducted for current mileage entry & mileage plan flow
RESEARCH
Primary Research
Research Goals:
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Mileage Needs: Identify what users require from mileage tracking and the mileage vault feature.
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Reporting Challenges: Ascertain the main difficulties users encounter when reporting mileage to earn additional miles.
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Methodology:
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Preparation: Outlined the tasks and user journeys associated with mileage, formulated research questions, determined the audience demographics and size, and selected the platform and timeframe for conducting the study.
Awareness & Communication:
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Benefits Awareness: Users unaware of mileage benefits.
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Penalty Notification: Negative reactions due to no prior penalty communication.
Findings
Usability & Engagement
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Information Access: Stress in locating monthly mileage details.
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CTA Discoverability: Difficulty finding ‘Enter Mileage’ CTA.
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User Engagement: Indifference towards service offerings.
Clarity & Accessibility
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Instruction Clarity: Dense text obscuring required actions.
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CTA Clarity: Unclear call-to-action in emails.
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Mileage Modification: Uncertainty in changing mileage.
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Subscription Flexibility: Confusion over when mileage plans can be adjusted.
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Mileage Tracking: Confusion over remaining mileage and last reported amount.
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Update Confirmation: Uncertainty about mileage update status.
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Mileage Update Process: Lack of clarity in the update process.
Primary research revealed that German users highly value rules, privacy, and safety. We confirmed in secondary research that the existing journey lacked the clear instructions and transparent safety protocols they expect.
Secondary Research
Secondary Research Goals:
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Heuristic Analysis: Perform a heuristic evaluation to assess the usability of mileage tracking across the subscription lifecycle.
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Hypothesis Testing: Confirm the initial assumptions by analysing data and customer behaviour patterns gathered from support interactions and communication channels.
Communication & Clarity
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Subscription Journey: Lack of clear guidance on actions and consequences from booking confirmation to vehicle pickup.
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FAQ Transparency: Mileage information is not adequately detailed in the FAQs.
Findings
Content Relevance & Accuracy
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Email Communication: The language used in emails is confusing, blending rental terms with subscription details, and appears outdated.
FORMING STRATEGY
Aligning the requirements of users, stakeholders, and market demands through research-derived insights in order to formulate solutions and determine their prioritization.
Product Goal
IDEATION
I classified the issues into distinct categories encompassing communication, content, reporting mileage, mileage plans, and the mileage details screen. Then brainstormed potential solutions for each issue, organized them into distinct categories to eliminate redundancy, and structured them to determine the final solution. Evaluation was based on technical feasibility and what best served the combined needs of users and the business.
Solution ideation through brainwriting
TASK CRITICALITY x FREQUENCY x IMPACT
I prioritized the tasks using Severity Framework:
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The frequency with which the problem occurs: Is it common or rare?
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The impact of the problem if it occurs: Will it be easy or difficult for the users to overcome?
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The persistence of the problem: Is it a one-time problem that users can overcome once they know about it or will users repeatedly be bothered by the problem?
Analysing Different features prioritization
SOLUTION: USER JOURNEY
User main journey flow (wireframe)
DESIGNS
Effective nudges and reminders
Enhance mileage reporting rates by emphasizing the benefits of actions and nudging users at opportune moments. Users receive nudges, such as notifications, in-app messages, emails, and calendar reminders, prompting them to report mileage ten days before the next renewal. Additionally, missed report alerts ensure users can still submit their mileage details.
App notification for mileage report
In app notification for mileage report
1st Email Reminder to report mileage
Simple & More organized
The excessive use of words and numbers makes it challenging for users to decipher the meaning and potential benefits of each piece of information.
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In the new designs, information is organized into categories, allowing users to quickly grasp the content and its relevance to them.