Interessanter Artikel über die Nutzung von Psychologie bei Uber zur Verbesserung der Customer Experience.
In their research, Uber discovered three key principles dealing with how people perceive wait times: Idleness Aversion, Operational Transparency, and the Goal Gradient Effect.
1. Idleness Aversion
Recent studies into psychology, happiness, and customer experience have uncovered a principle called “Idleness Aversion”. It states that people are happier when they are busier, even if they’re forced to be busy.
How to apply Idleness Aversion
To keep people busy, give them information to engage with — animation, gamification, and visuals are ideal.
In the example from Uber below, they use an animation that keeps you entertained and informed while you wait for your ride.2. Operational Transparency
Operational Transparency is the deliberate inclusion of windows into your company’s operations, so customers can see the effort going into their experience.
According to recent research, Operational Transparency causes customers to value your product more highly and can even make people happier.
How to apply Operational Transparency
To keep people informed, make key information available, and help them understand where this information came from.
In the example from Uber Pool below, they provide information on how arrival times are calculated. It provides customers transparency but doesn’t overwhelm a non-technical audience with too many details.3. The Goal Gradient Effect
The Goal Gradient effect states that people are more motivated by how much is left to reach their target, rather than how far they have come.
And as people get closer to a reward, they speed up their behavior to get to their goal faster.
How to apply the Goal Gradient Effect
Think of the Goal Gradient Effect as a virtual finish line. The closer customers get to winning, the more encouraged they become.
You’ll often see the Goal Gradient Effect in UX elements like progress bars and profile completion — users are encouraged to complete a task by achieving objectives.
Uber applies this principle by illustrating what’s happening behind the scenes while customers are waiting. They explain each step in the process, making customers feel they are making continuous progress toward their goal.
