Experience Design or Service Design, both requires mindset of
HOW customer would behave & WHAT customer would want out of the
service /experience.
These are the major issues everywhere. Service provider
neither engages with service designers nor engages with customer experience
designers.
Result: pathetic customer experience, unhappy customer, stressed
and frustrated customers & even citizen when it comes to public utilities.
Be it design, process, experience or communication most
business fails miserably. I have a few experiences during last one week.
Today I will share one of them.
In Mumbai, Mumbai Central is a station where from out
station long distance trains leave. This is also one of the
stations for local trains. Therefore many people get down from local trains at
Mumbai Central to catch their long distance trains.
Earlier there was only one bridge and way from local platforms to
reach platforms for out station long distance trains. In between there
was a ticket window which was also serving people who wanted to buy platform ticket to
enter long distance train platforms.
Since last few years they have built one more bridge , to enter platforms for long distance trains , which is
closer from local train bridge than the old bridge. Everyone need not walk long
distance to reach the long distance train platforms with their luggage.
Good thinking.
Good thinking.
Now this new bridge can be used by three kinds of
commuters:
- Actual long distance traveller - Need to
know on which platform train will arrive to get down on proper platform with
luggage
- People accompanying the long distance traveller - Need to buy platform ticket
- People just want to get out of Mumbai Central Station
and are not long distance traveler - just
need to walk till exit on the other end of the bridge
Now this new bridge does not have sign
board indicating on which platform trains will
arrive. This is absolute must requirement.
Ticket window for person wanting to buy platform ticket was quite
far & closed. I do not know whether it remains open any time
during the day.
Therefore only people who can use this bridge effectively are people
who want to exit the station or want to enter local train platforms through this
route.
For first two categories of people in spite of the new
bridge there is no option but to travel through old route with their luggage to
reach the long distance train platform.
Therefore so much of investments in bridge just to cater to one
class of people out of the three classes which requires this bridge.
Issue is of design; issue is of applying mind to know
who will use this bridge & what people wants while using
this bridge. Design & experience mindset both were lacking here.
