Techworks GuruBar
Role: UX Director, product owner
Timeframe: 3 month pilot; funded as ongoing service
Overview
Prototype and test a new walk-up technical support service; Create and market a new brand for technical support including an application for customers and gurus to use to check-in and track service requests.
The Challenge
Create an experiment to see if a walk-up technical support service would be useful and a positive experience. When it was shown to be successful, create a brand, expand the service to all major locations and create an app to support it.
The Plan
Our quick and cheap mvp was a resounding success. We created the application through direct observation. Each day, someone from our ux team would sit in the guru bar and observe user behavior, talk to the visitors, and talk to the gurus. We used this insight to rapidly prototype and build an application to support both the visitors and the gurus.
This application allowed users to check-in and be placed in a queue. They were then notified via text when it was their turn. The same application allowed the gurus to manage the queue and workflow of each case all the way through completion.
The Results
The pilot was a huge success getting outstanding feedback from users. Techworks GuruBars we're created at all Fidelity offices. This service was featured in talks at Forrester Research for service design. When we showed this service to Apple, they asked themselves why they hadn’t thought of doing the same thing.