CHALLENGE

Reduce abandoned searches
Increase customer satisfaction

Rental car shoppers have an overwhelming range of options. Most aren't loyal to any particular brand and online travel agencies have so many deals it's hard to know the difference between them. For some travelers, the tradeoffs with discount deals end up more hassle than the savings is worth. For others, every dollar counts. Then at pick up there can be some unpleasant surprises like a far-away rental office or agency fees.

The product team wanted to give customers a way to narrow down selection and choose the deal that is right for them.

EXPLORATION

Previous qualitative tests and analytics data demonstrated:

• Many shoppers abandon their search because they are overwhelmed by choice.
• In absence of a customer-centric differentiator between car deals, shoppers use price to narrow down options.
• Customers choose economy cars because they usually are the cheapest and listed first, not because they prefer smaller cars.
• Customers do not understand tradeoffs when choosing a discount deal.
• Choosing the cheapest deal without understanding the tradeoffs lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment.

Evolution of a concept

Project “Chef’s Choice” took a radical approach to narrowing choice and also differentiated car deals in more customer-centric ways.

I tested the prototype to get a quick read on how customers responded to the approach.

• Participants
  • 5 participants
  • booked car rental online this year
  • traveled this year
  • does NOT thoroughly research all options when shopping online
• Scenario: User is asked to imagine she is going on a short trip to another city
• Priming: Participant is prompted to search for a rental car their preferred way to get them into the mindset. Participant talks through the process
• Task: Use prototype to select a car for the trip

View prototype in new window →

View User test highlight reel in new window →