Report: Mobile Experience Review: Purchasing an eGift Card

We just published a Temkin Group report, Mobile Experience Review: Purchasing an eGift Card. The report uses our SLICE-B experience review methodology to evaluate mobile experiences. We attempt to achieve a specific customer goals and then grade the experience on 12 criteria across six areas: Start, Locate, Interact, Complete, End, and Brand Coherence.

Here’s the executive summary:

As more customers use smartphones, companies need to adjust their websites and processes for the smaller screens. To evaluate the customer experience of mobile websites, we used Temkin Group’s SLICE-B experience review methodology to assess the experience of purchasing an eGift Card from ten large retailers: Macy’s, Kohl’s, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Petco, Petsmart, Kroger, Safeway, Michaels, and Jo-Ann. Macy’s earned the highest score for its simple yet engaging process, while the user was unable to complete the full purchasing goal at Barnes & Noble, Petco, Petsmart, Kroger, Safeway, and Kohl’s.

Download report for $195

Here’s an overview of the results:

Download report for $195

Temkin Group’s SLICE-B Experience Review Methodology (Video)

Do you want to examine experiences through the eyes of your customers? Try using Temkin Group’s SLICE-B Experience Review Methodology.

Download SLICE-B Scorecard (.pdf)

SLICE-B is an Expert Review (a.k.a. Scenario Review) methodology where you go through a specific scenario with a specific customer type in mind, looking for experience flaws along the way. Our methodology examines 12 criteria across these six areas:

1. Start. The extent to which the customer is drawn into the experience.
2. Locate. The ease in which the customer can find what she needs.
3. Interact. The ease in which the customer can understand and control the experience.
4. Complete. The confidence that the customer has that her goal was accomplished.
5. End. The transition into next steps.
6. Brand Coherence. The reinforcement of a company’s brand.

To see SLICE-B in use, download the report: Mobile Experience Review: Purchasing an eGift Card.

The bottom line: Examining experiences through the eyes of your customers can be enlightening.

 

Report: Online Gift Card Buying Needs Work

We just published a new report, Online Experiences For Buying Gift Cards Need Work.

The report examines the Websites of 12 companies using Temkin Group’s SLICE-B experience review methodology.

Here’s the executive summary:

Gift cards are a popular choice for consumers, especially around the holidays. Almost all major stores and restaurants sell them online. How user-friendly are those online purchasing processes? To answer this question, we used Temkin Group’s SLICE-B methodology to evaluate the experience of 12 large companies: three grocers (Kroger, Publix, and Safeway), three electronics retailers (Apple, Best Buy, and Radio Shack), three department stores (J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, and Macy’s), and three restaurant chains (Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Outback Steakhouse). Outback Steakhouse and Radio Shack were the only sites to receive an “excellent” rating. At the other end of the spectrum, Safeway, Chili’s, Kroger, and Best Buy were at the bottom with “mediocre” ratings. Many of the sites lacked key functionality such as free shipping, sending the cards at a later date, and sending multiple cards in a single order.

Download report for $195

Here are the overall results:

Download report for $195

The bottom line: Make it easier for people to give you money