Overview

Sponsored by Sam's Club, this project aimed to create an efficient and informative service flow to help members complete their car services at ease.

What did I do?

I worked as a UX Design Lead on the end-to-end design process of an internal app featuring service check-in and service reminder.

The impact I made

The new internal app significantly complement the existing service flow, providing an alternative digital method to complete car services at Sam's Club.

What did I learn?

It's important to evaluate receiving feedbacks before implementation, especially if you receive conflicting ones. The UX designer should always consider and balance between business sectors and user demands.

The Prompt

Within a 4-month time frame, our goal for the project was to enhance the member experience in the Tire and Battery Center.

Limitations

• Restrictive access of member data
• Recruiting members for survey and interview
• Site visit scheduling
• The lack of domain knowledge in automobile

In summary, user wants...

• Enhance the service efficiency and reduce repetitive paperwork
• Maintain an easily accessible record of work order history
• Provide the ability to manage appointments
• Be informed about their current work order status and pickup time

Autofill Car Information using the VIN Code

The current process requires members to fill out their vehicle information for every visit. Our new design allows members to autofill their vehicle information by scanning the VIN code, saving valuable time and energy and making sure all provided information is correct.

Check-in and Drop-off Locker

For members who don't need to talk to an associate, they can simply check in using their mobile and drop off their keys in an Amazon-like locker to skip the line. This feature saves the human resources for members who really need assistance.

Real-time Updates

Members could track their work order progress with an estimated time of completion on their phone. This feature increases the transparency of the service progress. Everything is under their pockets.

After-sales Service

The app will send service reminders to members (eg. reminders of the next battery check, warranty expiration, and tire rotation). This after-sales service distinguishes Sam's Club from its competitors and prompts users to schedule their next visit.

00. An all-in-one Solution

We integrate Tire and Battery Center into Sam's Club's pre-existing mobile application to provide an all-in-one solution to address the user needs.

With the latest Sam's Club app, users could:

• Add and manage vehicles to their account
• Schedule an appointment for tire and battery services
• Fast access to check-in and drop-off keys
• View real-time service progress
• Access service history and receipt

01. Add and Manage Vehicles

We offer two ways to add vehicles to members' accounts: VIN code scanning and manual input.

For Associates:

• This feature will speed up the check-in since they don't need to double-check the vehicle information with members.

For Members:

• This feature ensures members provide accurate information to associates.

02. Schedule an Appointment

This feature allows members to make appointments online. When making the appointment, they can select location, vehicle, service type, date, time, and add notes to associates.

For Associates:

• This feature saves their time as associates no longer need to call members to make an appointment. They can focus on the service itself.

For Members:

• This feature gives full control to members to manage and modify their appointments.

03. Check-in & Drop-off Keys

This feature allows members to check in prior to their arrival, and drop off their keys directly to an Amazon-style locker when they arrive. By doing so, members can skip the line and reduce waiting time at the front desk.

For Associates:

• Associates can focus on assisting members who really need help.
• They can focus more on the technical work instead of working between the front desk and the garage.

For Members:

• Easy-peasy! Drop/grab the key and go!

04. Real-time Service Progress

Members can see the current status of their work order, including estimated time of completion, status updates, and technician notes, so they can plan their time accordingly.

For Associates:

• This feature allows associates to make the working progress more transparent.

For Members:

• Members can plan their waiting time more wisely.

05. Access Service History

Members can easily search for service history with keywords or filter by vehicles, year, service type, etc. Therefore, they have more information about detailed work that has been done to their vehicles.

For Associates:

• A time-lasting communication with members to inform them about the service.

For Members:

• Receive detailed information and explanations about the service.

Heuristic Evaluation

• Participants: UX experts from academia and industry
• Methodologies: unmoderated evaluations based on Jakob Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics

User Testing

• Participants: users who own vehicles and have prior experience using tire and battery services for their vehicles
• Methodologies: moderated user testing session with semi-structured interviews and questionaire to collect SUS score

Key Feedbacks

An overall high score in usability:

Some areas to improve:

• Increase visual interst by incorporating more icons and graphics
• Improve the clarity of UX writing
• Increase the task exposures to key tasks