Customer Service: Seizing Opportunities in the Post-Purchase Phase

Through our primary and secondary research, we discovered that consumers' greatest frustrations arise during the post-purchase stage. Customer service interactions, in particular, were identified as the most frustrating aspect of their journey. This frustration stems from consumers often lacking knowledge of their rights and the power to hold businesses accountable. Additionally, businesses often lack incentives to genuinely uphold their end of the bargain and assist consumers after a purchase. This presents a significant opportunity for CR to step in and empower consumers during this critical phase.

Who did we speak to?

To further explore the post-purchase problem space, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 participants, selected to represent diverse gender identities, age groups, and familiarity with Consumer Reports. Our interviews incorporated directed storytelling sessions and storyboards to gather rich, qualitative data.

The key insights from our guerrilla research and semi-structured interviews helped us reframe the problem space into the following statement:

Exploring Design Concepts Using the 'Inform, Guide, and Act' Framework

Combining our reframed problem statement, key findings from talking to consumers, as well as the IGA framework, we came up with three distinct design concepts for an agent that would inform, guide, and/or act on behalf of consumers.

The Negotiation Helper is a smart agent that leverages advanced technologies like Large Language Models (LLM). It enables real-time alerts based on feedback from customer service representatives and provides post-call tips to strengthen arguments and advocacy. It also centralizes businesses’ contact channels and call history for easy access.

Policy Assistant – a smartphone widget in the control center– would alert users to dark patterns or beneficial company policies, sift through emails and browser content on demand, and present relevant policy segments clearly. It would also draft emails and formulate arguments based on these policies.

Finally, CR Wallet, would be an app-based smart agent assisting consumers throughout their purchase journey. It would use Augmented Reality (AR) technology to identify product issues, guide users through resolutions, alert them to relevant company policies for repairs or replacements, and submit and track requests on their behalf.

Evaluating the Riskiest Assumptions through Rapid Prototyping

Based on stakeholder feedback, we decided to move forward with the Negotiation Helper concept because it excited both stakeholders and consumers, and it served as the foundation for validating our idea. We then conducted three rounds of testing and improved the core features of the Negotiation Helper based on the feedback we received.

Testing assumptions quickly through rapid iterations is the key to unlocking true innovation.

To address the feedback and pain points raised by users during three rounds of testing, we redesigned the concept to simplify the process. Users no longer need to monitor calls. Instead, they receive verification prompts before the call and can choose to receive updates during the call. Afterward, they are provided with a summary and transcript. Additionally, users will receive policy-related tips before and during their interactions with customer service agents and be directed to the best contact channel.

These prototypes and testing sessions have shown our team the value of rapid iteration. We often had assumptions about which features users would prefer, but testing revealed surprising results. By observing users interact with our prototypes, we uncovered unexpected challenges, which inspired new ideas and ultimately led to our final deliverables.