FellowX aims to create a barber & customer matching system to retain new customers. It improves the online booking experience, provides customers in-store hairstyle matching system, and also creates a new loyalty experience by using digital and physical design methods.
PROJECT INTRODUCTION
Role User Research, UI/UX Design, Information architecture, Wireframing, Prototyping
Client Fellow Barber
Team Frank Gong, Hyelim Lim, Jinpei Wei, Kimaya Malwade
Advisor Brian Ballan (Fellow Barber), Marshall Sitten
Context
Fellow Barber is a high-end franchised barbershop in US. Despite their success, miscommunication between a barber and a customer sometimes results in negative feedback. My team proposes more individualized customer service to help barbers meet the request of customers.
Problem
Fellow Barber is a nationwide chain barber shop with 11 branches in NYC and San Francisco that was a pioneer in creating contemporary barber culture.
However, miscommunication between barber and customer has resulted in low efficiency in their matching system. My team created a customer service to improve ways to help both customer and barber matching each other.
Goal
• To create a more effective barber pairing model for customers to make an online appointment with suitable barbers
• To provide Customers a more intuitive way to describe their hairstyle preferences with their barber
• To build a practical incentive model to encourage customers to give feedback
Challenge
How could we create a more robust barber-customer matching system to improve the service thus to retain new customers?
DISCOVER PHASE
Contextual Research
Salient Attribute
Fellow Barber leveraged their highly-trained barbers into 3 levels: Junior, fellow and senior barbers, which provides customers customized service with various skillsets.
Expanding Business
Fellow Barber currently builds 11 chainstores and has loyal customer base, the way to expand the business is to retain new customers.
Partnership with Butler Cafe
Fellow Barber collaborates with Butler Cafe in order to offer customers a more relaxing in-store experience.
Database Research
Inconvenient online booking service & failure to utilize customer data
Quantitative research shows that there’s a large number of new customers who use Fellow Barber’s online booking system.
However, the online booking process is very inconvenient for customers. In order to book an online appointment, the customer needs to go through more than five steps. After that, the customers still have to send text messages or call in for a reservation.
Inefficient online matching system
From the competitive research, we found out that even though Fellow Barber has high-quality service, it fails to help the customer find an ideal barber when booking online.
And the other competitors in the market often provide users with a better booking service to match the customers and the barbers.
Negative feedback on Google&Yelp reviews
From our observation in barbershop, most customers didn’t give feedback after the service in store. But there are many critical reviews on Yelp and Google express their dissatisfaction with individual barbers.
Primary Research
Based on the contextual research, we established the business goals:
• To understand the customer’s painpoint when booking an online appointment
• To learn about the customer’s needs during the service
Stakeholder Interview
Insights
From qualitative research we found out that new customers find it hard to look for a matching barber and satisfied hairstyle. Barbers were confused during the communication with customers when talking to their preference. Also, most customers don’t give feedback after the service.
First-hand Experience
Observation
My team member Jinpei went to Fellow Barber West Village store to experience the service.
From the observation, we found out that they had a miscommunication problem during the service. Jinpei didn’t know what hairstyle he want to get, and he expected the barber to give him some useful suggestions or options. However, the barber asked him to look for a picture online as an sample. Jinpei has no idea what to search since there was no guidance.
Analysis Phase
Floor Map
Customer Journey Map
Blue Print
Problem Identification
Analysis
Our Team came up with current pain points, insight and opportunities and separated them into ten areas in order to have a better understanding of current problems.
Co-Design Workshop
Process
My team carried out the co-design workshop with Fellow Barber Marketing Director, the head of product, Manager and a customer. Then we scoped pain points, insights and opportunities into three problems.
Ideation
Before Service Analysis + HMW
Analysis
It costs customer time to book online because of the confused website guidance.
There isn’t any efficient way for customers to get familiar with barbers and choose the right one.
How Might We create a more robust barber- customer matching system to make it easier for customers to book an appointment online?
Original Booking Process Flow
Fellow Barber current website costs customer a lot of time time to go through the booking process online because of the confused guidance.
Previous Barbers Page
There’s limited barbers information provided. Customers can only check the name and price, they can’t see different skillsets of different barbers.
New Booking Process Flow
We redesigned the web flow in the browsing phase on adding barbers’ portfolios on the website so that customers can check out barber’s previous works.
Barber’s portfolio page
The new page we designed that customers can check out barber’s haircutting works, comments and ratings from other customers.
User Testing
My team tested the initial version prototype with several users, the result validated our previous assumption that barber’s portfolio page makes it easier for them to get familiar with barbers’ skillsets while booking. And we found two key points when they browse the website:
Location is the most essential factor when they choose a barber
Users would like to book a barber based on time and availability
Final Online Booking Experience Design
FellowX creates a more convenient booking website and online matching service for customers by creating less steps of going through the booking process and adding barbers’ portfolios.
During Service + HMW
Analysis
Customers have nothing to do while waiting before service.
It’s hard for customer to describe his preferred hairstyle which makes barber confused about customer’s needs.
How Might We create an efficient way to help customers better communicate with barbers to get the hairstyle they want?
In-Store Hairstyle Guide
FellowX provides an in-store iPad Kiosk for customers to better communicate with barber about their preferred hairstyle by creating a visual hairstyle guide.
After Service + HMW
Analysis
Customers don’t give feedback after the service.
There is no loyalty experience for customers.
The collaborate with Butler Cafe doesn’t make customers to be involved.
Fellow Barber has a good partnership with Butler Cafe to provide customers with more experiences.
How Might We create a more attractive incentive to encourage customers to give feedback and make a new connection with Butler?
Feedback incentives
FellowX created an after service flow by giving customers incentives like a cup of coffee provided by collaborated brand Bulter Cafe in order to encourage them to give feedback for their service.
After customer finishes the service and makes the payment at front desk, the front desk will give the customer a blank coffee cup with code which the customer can scan, after scanning the code and giving feedback, the Butler Cafe will fill the cup with free coffee.