Vodafone Express Upgrade is designed to allow customers to quickly redeem an upgrade offer for their device and plan.
The device in the offer is preselectedand users can not customise the storage capacity and the colour. The users can easily compare their current plan and the new plan before submitting the order.
Customers in the 25-34 and 35-45 age groups are very interested in the offer and they are likely to redeem it. Importantly, over 40% of the orders submitted have changed or cancelled their orders by calling customer care.
This surfaced a potential problem in the customer experience of the Express Upgrade offer.
A research aimined to investigate the customer's attitude toward the Express Upgrade offer and their decision-making process.
The upgrade offer targets eligible Vodafone customers with the latest mobile device and a competitive discount on the mobile plan.
The device in the offer is preselectedand users can not customise the storage capacity and the colour. The users can easily compare their current plan and the new plan before submitting the order.
Customers in the 25-34 and 35-45 age groups are very interested in the offer and they are likely to redeem it. Importantly, over 40% of the orders submitted have changed or cancelled their orders by calling customer care.
This surfaced a potential problem in the customer experience of the Express Upgrade offer.
A research aimined to investigate the customer's attitude toward the Express Upgrade offer and their decision-making process.
Data analysis
Data from the Express Upgrade orders database of the second quarter of 2021 has been used as a sample to investigate the type of order changes and volume of cancellations. The data has been compared against the first quarter of 2021 checking for any anomally.
Order cancellation was the larger segment, representing over 30%, followed by plan-only changes (~20%) and device colour ones (same device).
The customers changing the device type represented a relatively small group.
When looking at the combination of multiple changes, most customers keep the same device but pick a different plan and colour.
Three segments of interest have been identified; order cancellation and plan or/and colour change.
Device type changes (iPhone 12)
Base on the data collected, it is possible to assume that there is no user need to downgrade or upgrade their device within a device family.
There is a general preference toward iPhone 12 Standard. The majority of the downgrades or upgrades are toward the standard model.
Data visualisation of the device colour changes
The outer circle represent their customers existing device colour, the middle is the suggested device colour while the inner is the device colour the customer picked. The difference in colour between the inner circle and the middle one signifies the customer has changed the device colour after the order was submitted.
Device colour changes
Most of the colour changes are from Pacific Blue to Black, Grey and Gold.
Violet and purple are also popular.
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Most of the colour changes are from Pacific Blue to Black, Grey and Gold.
Violet and purple are also popular.
Research design
The research has been based on initial data analysis and two concurrent studies; a survey and a series of interviews.
Survey collected quantitative data to build exhaustive customer profiles and further investigate the attitude toward the brand and commercial offers.
The user interview aims to explore the user's direct experience with the Express Upgrade offer.
Survey
A 25-minutes survey targeted Vodafone consumers aged 25 to 50 who use at least one service and are the key decision-makers in regards to their telco provider and service.
The objetive of the survey was to created an exhaustive customer profiles and explore the attitude toward the brand and commercial offers.
1207 records were collected. The sample was compared and weighted against the Vodafone customer population to ensure the sample is a correct represention of the total population in terms of age, gender, location and service used.
The survey included a screener and explored topics such as:
- Devices used, spend, data and inclusions
- Attitudes towards technology
- Brand switching and influences
- Preferences shopping and serving channels behaviours
- Use of social media and most visited websites
- Demographics including hobbies, employment, household income
Results
The survey showed that the high-income customers seek innovative products and services and want to stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
These customers gravitate toward hedonistic products and are generally happy to receive personalised and targeted marketing communications making them the ideal target for this type of offer.
HighlightsIt is possible to assume that when customers in the 25 to 34 age group have a negative experience with the Express Upgrade offer, they would probably give their opinion on customer review platforms and social media.
The survey uncovered that the 25 to 34 age customers group are likely to shop online.
High-income customers in this group are often very engaged with the brand but also have a propensity for negative advocacy on social media when unsatisfied with the service they receive.
Differently, customers in the 35 to 44 age group prefer to visit a store when shopping for a new mobile device. When purchasing online they heavily rely on online reviews and social proof.
This customer's attitude toward seeking advice has been associated with a feeling of poor understanding of technology and trust toward their Telco providers.
Indirect influence between the 24-34 and the 35-45 age group
It is possible to assume that when customers in the 25 to 34 age group have a negative experience with the Express Upgrade offer, they would probably express their opinion on customer’s review platforms and social media.
These reviews could harm the performance of the Express Upgrade offer campaign and another marketing initiative especially for the 35 to 44 age group that strongly rely on reviews and social proof.
This insight further highlighted the importance of investigating and improving the customer experience of the Express Upgrade journey.
User interviews
Eighteen customers has been recuited for interviews conducted over the phone aiming to uncover their experience when using Express Upgrade.
The participants have been selected based on having changed their order within five days from the time of the interview.
The sample consisted of six individuals for each of the segments of interest (cancellation, device colour change and plan change).
The participants have been divided into two age groups (25-34 and 35-45) of the same size allowing better comparison between the insights from the interviews and the survey.
It has also been ensured a mix of genders, devices types (Apple and Samsung) and locations (main metro area in NSW and Victoria).
Synthesis
The participants in all the segments found the details easy to find on the page and no participant has stated difficulty in understanding the offer.
All the participants seems to agree that process of placing the order was very easy.
A Participant said “So the process of placing the order was the easiest thing in the world”
A Participant said “you've just put the simplest possible purchasing process in front of me and made it easy for me to say yes and to click”
Order cancellation
Some participants admitted that they haven’t carefully read the offer details because “very excited by the idea of the new device”.
Others mentioned that their decision has been influenced by impulsive buying or as described by one participant impacted by “manipulative marketing strategy”.
These statements were particularly relevant for the 25-35 age group.
Colour change
Most of the participants have a specific colour preference and they would like to be able to pick one. Partecipants in the 35-45 age group put less relevance toward the colour choice.
About one-third of participants suggested that it is normal and expected for them to change an online order even when it has been submitted. This was consistent in the 25-35 age group.
Plan change
In regards to plan changes, the majority of the participants mentioned they would browse the website but they would normally call the customer's care service or visit a store when seeking a better deal for their month-to-month plan.
This insight aligned with the data collected in the survey.
In fact, 76% in the 35-45 age group and 56% in the 25-34 age group prefer to talk with a representative (in-store or on phone) when making decisions about their mobile plan.
When the topic of mobile plans and related offers has been explored in the interviews are recurrent theme has surfaced.
Participants described a lack of clarity and transparency of the offer and plan inclusions making it hard to compare the different options.
Conclusions
Based on the result of the interviews and the survey, it is possible to hypothesise that the Express Upgrade experience triggers an intuitive or spontaneous style in some customers.
The intuitive style is confidence in one's initial feelings and gut reactions. The spontaneous style is a need to make a decision as soon as possible rather than waiting to make a decision.
A negative outcome of these two decision-making styles is the extinction by instinct. Extinction by instinct is the state that a person is in when they make careless decisions without detailed planning or through systematic processes.
HighlightsAllowing and facilitating the evaluation of alternatives is a necessary step to ensure a positive post-purchase evaluation.
Decision-making process
It is important to consider the 5 stages of the consumer decision-making process when designing the user experience of the Express Upgrade.
Allowing and facilitating the evaluation of alternatives is a necessary step to ensure a positive post-purchase evaluation.
It is important to consider the 5 stages of the consumer decision-making process when designing the user experience of the Express Upgrade.
Allowing and facilitating the evaluation of alternatives is a necessary step to ensure a positive post-purchase evaluation.
1. Need Recognition
The need is the most important element which leads towards the actual buying of the product or service. Need is the trigger point of all the buying decisions.
2. Searching and gathering information
When it comes to choosing between alternatives humans tend to be skeptical, therefore they need all the information before spending their money.
3. Evaluating the alternatives
The Consumer at this stage evaluates different options based upon product price, product quality, product quantity, and value-added features of a product or other important factors.
4. Purchase
After an assessment, the consumer makes the decision to buy a product based upon his needs and wants.
5. Post-purchase
evaluation
evaluation
The consumer evaluates or analysis the purchased product, the usefulness of the product, satisfaction delivered from the product, Value of the product with respect to the need fulfillment of the consumer.
References
- Decision-Making Style: The Development and Assessment of a New Measure
- General Decision Making Style (GDMS)
Hypotesys and testing
The express upgrade experience has been rethought to allow customer chioce and addressing the custumer needs of exploring the plan details.
Plan and offers details
The plan information has been structured two distinct areas to address the lack of clarity and transparency expressed by the customers.
The plan comparison module features the three main differences between the current plan and the suggested upgraded plan while an accordion module hosts the offers attached to the new plan.
This solution allows a quick and effective comparison avoiding perception overload.
Order changed
- 32%
Order submitted
+ 67%
- 32%
Order submitted
+ 67%
Device colour
It is assumed that most of the customers will have an existing preference and making this choice won’t cause any delay on the order completion in Express Upgrade.
By choosing the device colour users will feel in control of their decision.
Additionally, this minor extra step that requires the customer attention prevents impulsive buying behaviour.
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Results
When the hypotesys has been tested, this option has resulted in:
It is assumed that most of the customers will have an existing preference and making this choice won’t cause any delay on the order completion in Express Upgrade.
By choosing the device colour users will feel in control of their decision.
Additionally, this minor extra step that requires the customer attention prevents impulsive buying behaviour.
Results
When the hypotesys has been tested, this option has resulted in:
- Increase of conversion rate by 67%
- reduction in order change by over 32%
- reduction in the exit rate by 12%
Related devices
The first option allowed the users to compare the different models of the same device family up to 3 models.
The device repayment price has been added to the component to allow customers to compare the devices without having to leave the page.
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Results
When tested, it has been observed that the time user spent on the page is increased by 122%.
Also, a significant number of users explored the related device page before exiting the website reducing the total orders submitted.
This behaviour has been attributed to choice paralysis.
Users have been presented with options that are too similar to each other. This similarity doesn't allow the user to take a definitive decision.
The first option allowed the users to compare the different models of the same device family up to 3 models.
The device repayment price has been added to the component to allow customers to compare the devices without having to leave the page.
Results
When tested, it has been observed that the time user spent on the page is increased by 122%.
Also, a significant number of users explored the related device page before exiting the website reducing the total orders submitted.
This behaviour has been attributed to choice paralysis.
Users have been presented with options that are too similar to each other. This similarity doesn't allow the user to take a definitive decision.