Context
I joined the "Ask a Watches Specialist" Pilot at eBay, which was initiated to facilitate easier purchasing decisions by allowing direct inquiries to watch specialists, aligning with current market trends.
Frontstage:
On interfaces, customers visiting a watch's detail page can use the "Ask a Watch Specialist" feature to seek expert advice.
Backstage:
Behind the scenes, eBay ensured that specialists were well-trained and prepared to assist customers effectively via chat, email, or calls, enhancing the overall service quality and user experience.
Challenge
The "Ask a Watches Specialist" project was based on following market trends, without comprehensive marketing or user research tailored to eBay's unique customer base. This approach presents challenges, such as understanding the effective interaction between specialists and eBay's diverse customers and determining the content of their conversations. These unknowns highlight the need for detailed user research to inform both the nature of customer-specialist interactions and the subsequent training required for specialists to meet the specific needs of eBay users effectively.
What questions will customers ask specialist?
What is effective interaction between customer and specialist?
Approach
"Ask a Watch Specialist" Pilot
Apply service design and strategy to shape a personalized customer experience
The "Ask a Watches Specialist" is a value-added service by eBay designed to enhance the shopping experience for luxury watch buyers. This feature allows consumers to directly engage with watch specialists through eBay’s platform, gaining professional insights and detailed information to make informed purchasing decisions. Throughout the pilot, I utilized service design and strategic analysis to optimize the user journey, focusing on understanding and improving user personas and needs.
Company
eBay
Duration
5 Months
Team
Me as Service Designer, Product Manager, Category Manager, Voice of Customer, Portfolio Manager, Tech Team
Role
Service Design
UX Strategist
Research
Result
2% sales increase and 10% customer satisfaction boost
01
Pre-pilot
Strategy
AI Assisted Customer Research
Leveraged ChatGPT to generate 5 personas based on 5 customer characteristics. Among all of them, the first time luxury watch buyer and the gift giver are the most likely customers who need specialists’ help when shopping on eBay.
Customer and Specialist Journey Map
Mapped out customer journey map and specialist journey map to visualize the end-to-end experience and to identify all touch-points. Delivered specialists tool requirements and training requirements based on that.
Post-pilot Analysis
02
Activity 1: Contact Analysis
Call-miner Data Collection:
Analyzed 2 months conversations between customers and specialists (Voice Of Customer).
Contact Tracking Sheet:
Analyzed the manual tracking sheets that specialists use.
Example of contact analysis
Activity 2: Specialist Interview
In-depth focus group with 3 specialists. Led empathy mapping activity with them.
Example of empathy map
5 Key Insights:
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Type of questions our buyers are asking.
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Increased confidence in shopping at eBay, especially with authenticity guarantee.
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Customer contact channel preference.
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Specialists’ limitation on answering questions.
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Customer Personas.
Example of customer persona and journey map
03
Strategy
Co-creation
After completing the post-launch analysis, a series of two workshops were organized. The objectives were: 1. Synchronize the team's understanding of customer needs and customer experience. 2. Reflect on the pilot and identify areas for improvement.
Screenshot of Workshop 1
Screenshot of Workshop 2
Workshop 1
Length: 1.5 hr
Activity:
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Research readout
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In the shoes of customers & specialist
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Idea brainstorming & voting
Workshop 2
Length: 1 hr
Activity:
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Rose bud and thorn
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Idea prioritization
Improvement plan and actionable items were delivered after the workshops.
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