Redesigning
Help and Support
Project Summary
Effective Help and Support is integral, particularly in the realm of finance where users are inherently cautious. The project is dedicated to enhancing the Help and Support features of a financial application, with a specific emphasis on improving user experience and ensuring that users can easily access the assistance they need.
Project Highlights
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This user-focused research project is centered on understanding and addressing the diverse needs of users.
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Through extensive interviews with retailers spanning various regions in India, the goal is to create a comprehensive and inclusive Help and Support system.
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The project employs a range of research methodologies, including Thematic Analysis, Kano Methods, and Task Analysis, to derive meaningful insights from qualitative data.
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The findings gathered from these interviews have been instrumental in shaping the development of wireframes for the enhanced Help and Support features.
My Role
Led user research, interviews, and wireframe development in a collaborative two-person team. My role as a project lead in this Agile framework enhanced my understanding of accountability, collaboration, and initiative.
Project Status
The wireframing phase of the project, undertaken within the design team sprint, faced challenges in achieving full success due to lower priority. Despite this, I refined wireframes based on stakeholder feedback for a seamless handoff to the next team member.
About the App
It is the biggest branchless banking and digital payments network in India. It supplies a variety of financial and non-financial services to the masses across the country to the unbanked and underbanked through a robust financial inclusion model built on local retail networks.
About the Project
Help and Support is a global platform facilitating user assistance for various app-related needs, from failed transactions to FAQs. It fosters vital customer-business interactions, strengthening relationships and playing a pivotal role in customer service.
Present Help and Support
The app currently provides only a customer care number and WhatsApp chat, lacking a dedicated help and support section.
Problem Statement
Revamp the app's help center for improved user accessibility, tailoring features and navigation to suit the target audience.
Conveying the significance of the redesign to stakeholders was crucial. To enhance comprehension of the context, we formulated both business and usability goals.
Business Goals
Convenient and responsive
Reduce daily call volume
Optimize complaint tracking for transparency and efficiency
Usability Goals
Improved terminologies
Clear navigation
Better experience
User Persona
Mahesh Singh, 43
Status: Married
Education: High School Graduate
Occupation: Retailer
Income: Rs. 50000+
Location: Madhya Pradesh
Attributes
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Not proactive
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Slow learnability
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Limited curiosity
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Limited attention span
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Strong memory and mental models
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Low diagnostic capabilities
Scenario
“Mahesh works out of a small “open” shop. Located in a busy market area, there is a lot of footfall around him. There are cars honking, hawkers strolling and people talking aloud. He deals in multiple businesses selling goods and services to passerby. He deals with many customers at once, demanding attention or resolution. Managing a business' means a lots of phone a calls to answer.”
Behaviour
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Interacts with many people at same time while doing his work
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Seeks support when unexpected things happens and expect a quick response for their customers rather than chasing resolutions and wasting their own time
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Major time and focus on giving good service to customer to keep them happy and satisfied.
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Work on other multiple system and expect them to work similarly
Pain Points
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Chasing support and resolutions wastes time. It affects the relationship with customer and earning opportunities
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Overloaded with work and doesn’t have the time or patience to learn anything
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It takes time to learn new tools, services flows, complicated words
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When a customer is dissatisfied with the service
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Multiple businesses does not allow much time to learn new processes
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Mind is pre occupied with many things while competing for attention
Goals
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Need higher returns on time spent (ROI)
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Wants to do as many transaction because more transaction = more earnings!
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Wants to maintain a good image with his customers and be known for his service offering in the area
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Wants more number of customers and also want to satisfy customers by solving their problems quickly
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Always looking for new opportunities to earn more
Brainstorming
The project commenced with a brainstorming session to define the concept of help and support, particularly within the financial context. This exercise proved valuable in uncovering often overlooked aspects, such as Turn Around Time (TAT) for issue resolutions, enhancing the project's depth and scope.
Competetive Analysis
Conducting a competitive analysis was instrumental in identifying the strengths of competitors offering similar services. This analysis enabled us to pinpoint specific gaps that required attention and improvement.
Furthermore, we identified potential enhancements for the support center, including
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Refining the help screen.
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Incorporating feedback mechanisms.
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Integrating a search bar.
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Language selection features.
User Interviews
We conducted user interviews to delve into the pain points users experience with the app's current support system. This process yielded valuable insights that serve as a foundation for our improvement efforts.
Interview Goals
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Understand user behavior.
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Identify the user's preferred communication method for raising complaints.
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Determine the situations in which users seek Help & Support.
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Explore the role of Relationship Managers (RM) in assisting retailers with issues.
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Examine the impact of Call Centers on resolving retailer problems.
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Identify user expectations for simplifying processes with PayNearby.
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Identify pain points in the current support system.
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Examine the process of tracking complaints in the Portal App.
Participants
Adhering to Nelson Norman's user interview guidelines, we engaged in conversations with five retailers spanning various regions in India. Despite their diverse geographical locations, a common thread was their consistent use of PayNearby for a minimum of two years. The deliberate choice of regular users aimed to uncover how they navigate issue resolution with limited resources. This approach provided valuable insights, enabling us to identify recurring patterns in their experiences.
Thematic Analysis
Following the user interviews, we meticulously analyzed the data, categorizing it into distinct themes.
This analytical approach not only facilitated a deeper understanding of patterns but also revealed novel insights and concepts derived from the collected data.
The Findings
CUSTOMER CARE
Customer Care is a service that is not opted by the users for various reasons. Majorly because of the chargeable calls, their inefficiency, as well as difficulty to get through their numbers.
"Customer Care takes time to resolve the issue"
– Sriram, Retailer
4 out of the 5 participants felt that the Customer Care service does not provide them with quick solutions
"Not able to get through customer care"
– Anil, Retailer
3 out of the 5 participants weren’t able to contact the customer care easily
"Customer care is chargeable. We are charged around Rs. 50 if the call waiting takes more than 15 minutes"
– Mohammad, Retailer
2 out of the 5 participants weren’t able to contact the customer care easily
UNCLEAR REASONS
During failed transaction, users are unable to understand the reason behind it and does unable to resolve it.
3 out of 5 participants find difficulty in finding the exact reason behind the issues
"Distributor said the issue is from backend"
– Manoj, Retailer
"The server is down, do not use the recharge service now"
– Sriram, Retailer
CONFLICTING RESPONSES
The two support sources available to the users; Customer Care and Relationship Manager give different response to the retailers.
"I am getting two different responses from Customer care and relationship manager"
– Manoj, Retailer
WHATSAPP SUPPORT ISSUES
Some were unsure if they can access with their unregistered number
One of them also felt it is an extra effort to manually enter the complaint number and download and upload the complaint image.
4 out of 5 participants haven’t used the WhatsApp feature, due to less knowledge about the service.
"Can we just chat on WhatsApp support with our registered number?"
– Rajesh, Retailer
"It is a hassle. Need to remember the complaint number and also the screenshot along with it. It is a time taking process"
– Manoj, Retailer
Kano Method
It aids in determining features that not only meet but exceed customer expectations.
To prioritize potential new features, they are grouped into distinct categories
Basic Features:
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Customer expectations are implicit and should be met.
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Inclusion is essential; failure may result in dissatisfaction.
Excitement Features:
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Innovative and surprising elements that delight customers.
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Inclusion leads to dramatic customer delight and a positive response.
Performance Features:
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Features with a proportional increase in customer satisfaction as investment grows.
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Customers actively seek these features, influencing their product choice.
Features that should not be prioritized
Indifferent Features:
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Features that customers are indifferent to and won't significantly impact their satisfaction.
Dissatisfaction Features:
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Features that have the potential to upset customers and should be approached with caution during prioritization.
2x2 Prioritization Method
The features are then categorized into 2x2 prioritization matrix, keeping in mind the business and usability goals.
Task Analysis
Utilizing Task Analysis, we systematically deconstructed complex tasks into smaller components, allowing us to pinpoint gaps and devise effective resolutions. This exercise not only facilitated gap identification but also provided valuable insights into the overall flow of the process.
Wireframes
Future Scope
Looking ahead, the future scope of our project involves the continued enhancement and expansion of our global help and support system.
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Building upon our foundation of high-fidelity screens, crafted with insights derived from extensive data analysis.
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Optimizing the accessibility of the help and support icon across all screens to facilitate user assistance seamlessly.
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Creating a comprehensive support system that caters to diverse user preferences and learning styles.
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In the future, we want to reuse the existing content and refine it further to develop comprehensive FAQs.
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Introducing new ways to provide detailed and user-friendly support through engaging videos and other interactive mediums.
Reflection
My inaugural project as a professional product designer revealed a surprising gap—no standalone help center in a financial app. User conversations unveiled their resilience but inspired my commitment to enhancing their experience. Starting as an assistant, I evolved into the design lead. Engaging with diverse user segments, understanding their pain points, and crafting solutions was exhilarating. While I wished in my tenure it was completed, I am glad I laid a foundation for my team, promising substantial platform growth.