Based on ten customer interviews and observations

FAIRPLANE from the Fairplane Guided City Tours team

Guided city tours

Claudia Menaka Jerome Alejandro Emma
Larmon Mahajan Phillips Flores Sato

SCENARIO

Browsing, booking,
attending, and rating a Entice Enter Engage Exit Extend
local city tour How does someone What do people In the core moments What do people What happens after the
initially become aware experience as they in the process, what typically experience experience is over?
of this process? begin the process? happens? as the process finishes?

Steps Booking other Visit website

Choose a city,
Browse View detail on Start purchase Complete payment Confirm payment Email Email Arrive at Meet the Experience Leave the Prompt for
Writing &
Tour appears in Personalized Personalized
Personalized
tour suggestions
dates, and number submitting
What does the person (or group) travel or app
of people
available tours a single tour  of a tour information & book tour confirmation reminder tour location guide & group the tour guide & group review 
review 
the user profile recommendations tour offers  after new travel
booking
typically experience?
A customer navigates The customer types a city, The customer sees After seeing a tour that interests After deciding to go They fill out their They see a summary of An email immediately One day before the tour begins, Using their own means of The guide brings the The guide wraps up One hour after the tour The tour participant Participation in the tour
The customer receives an
Most customers a reminder email is sent to all Tour participants meet The completed tour appears
informs our backend
When a past tour participant
dates, and the number of them, the customer clicks or taps what they are about to sends to confirm their tour transportation, the group around the area, finishes, an email and in- on the "past experiences" email 14 days after their tour books new travel with us, we
discover city tours as to the city tours available tours for to view more. They see on this tour, they contact and credit tour participants. The email the guide and other the tour and writes a review and recommendation systems,
people who will attend the purchase, then they and provide details about customer makes their explaining things as they app notification prompt area of a customer's profile with personalized show them personalized tour
they are booking other section of our  tour to see what tours are their dates, city, and information about what and where
click the Purchase card information, where and when to meet
emphasizes where and when to people who have joined everyone heads their gives the tour a star- with a few details on where
which the customer may
recommendations for other recommendations in their
the tour will cover, plus its price, confirm and the tour is meet, and what to bring (if way to the tour location at go. Typically this lasts the tour participant for a experience via better
Fairplane travel website or app available  number of people time of day, and tour guide. button then continue their guide the same tour separate ways rating out of 5. the group went tours arrival city.
booked! applicable). the scheduled time. about 3 hours. review personalization

Interactions Travel booking

City tours section of City tours section of City tours section of City tours section of City tours section of
Payment overlay Payment overlay Customer's email Customer's email Tour locations tend to Direct interactions Direct interactions Direct interactions Customer's email “Leave a review” modal Completed experiences Recommendations Customer's email
Post-purchase
section of the within the website, within the website, (software like (software like start in a specific public with the guide, and with the guide, and with the guide, and (software like window within the profile section of the profile on span across website, (software like
the website, iOS app, the website, iOS app, the website, iOS app, the website, iOS app, the website, iOS app, screens website, iOS
website, iOS app, iOS app, iOS app, Outlook or website Outlook or website space (e.g. the steps of a potentially other potentially other potentially other Outlook or website on the website, iOS app, the website, iOS app, iOS app, or Android Outlook or website
What interactions do they have at or Android app
or Android app or Android app or Android app or Android app or Android app
or Android app or Android app like Gmail) like Gmail) statue in a town square) group members group members group members like Gmail) or Android app or Android app app like Gmail)
app, or Android app
each step along the way?
The tour guide makes Some tours include
The customer looks for Often takes place at the To some degree, this is If other users interact
first appearance at this interactions with
People: Who do they see or talk to? point, although the
the group or guide, often
shopkeepers or
same place where the communicating indirectly with this person, they
from a distance as they group met the guide, but with the tour guide, who will see these
customer doesn't restaurant staff (e.g. on a
walk closer not always will see their review completed tours also
food-oriented tour)
Places: Where are they? interact with them yet.

Most common objects

Things: What digital touchpoints or people interact with on
physical objects would they use? tours are bikes,
Segways, food, and
beverages.
Depending on the
tour participant and
guide, tipping/cash
may be involved

Goals & motivations Help me get this Help me have more Help me avoid seeing
tours for the wrong Help me see what
Help me understand
Help me commit to
Help me get through
this payment part
Help me feel confident
that my purchase is
Help me feel confident
that my purchase is
Help me make sure I
don't forget about my
Help me feel confident
about where to go and
Help me feel good
about my decision to
Help me make the
Help me leave the
tour with good
Help me spread the word
about a great tour or
Help me see what Help me see what I Help me see ways to
flight or hotel fun or learn new dates, locations, or
what this tour is all tour so that I don't waste most of my trip to provide watch-outs and
they have to offer going on this tour without too much finalized and tell me finalized and tell me which one of these go on this tour and to feelings and no I've done before could be doing next enhance my new trip
At each step, what is a person’s booked things on my trip numbers of people about hassle what to do next what to do next
money or get
disappointed
people is my guide feel welcome
this new place
awkwardness
feedback for one that was
not so good

primary goal or motivation?

(“Help me...” or “Help me avoid...”)

Positive moments It's fun to look at options

and imagine doing each
Tour photos, videos, Excitement about the Current payment
We've heard from several
people that the reminder
Our guides tend to be so
good that people are
People love the tour
People generally
leave tours feeling
People like looking
We think people like these
recommendations
and explanations are purchase flow is very bare- emails were essential, itself, we have a 98% back on their past because they have an
tour, like shopping for reassured when they refreshed and
What steps does a typical person experiences exciting to see ("Here we go!") bones and simple especially if they booked
way in advance meet their guide satisfaction rating
inspired
trips extremely high
engagement rate

find enjoyable, productive, fun,

motivating, delightful, or exciting? It's reassuring to red
reviews written by
past travelers

People expressed People are unclear

Negative moments
Sometimes people are
People sometimes forget to Several people People express a bit Trepidation about whether a tip is Customers report People describe
awkwardness about matched up with tour
put in their dates or number of
expressed "information of fear of the purchase necessary, especially for feeling review leaving a review as
people, which leads them to finding their guide in a participants that they
non-Americans on an
overload" as they commitment at this ("I hope this will be fatigue an arduous process
What steps does a typical person discover tours they can't
actually attend browse step worth it!")
public place don't really like American tour

find frustrating, confusing, angering,

costly, or time-consuming? People feel peer pressure to
tip a guide when someone
We have very low review
rates (15% of people
else on the tour tips, leaving
them feeling weird and bad if review experiences and
they don't tours)

Areas of opportunity If you don't follow this

path immediately after
Could we automatically
carry over the city from
Make it easier to
compare and shop for
Provide a simpler
How might we make our
guides easily identifiable
How might we make it
clear that tipping is
Could we A/B test
different language to
How might we
progressively disclose
How might we help
people celebrate and
summary to avoid the full review so that remember things they've
(via a distinctive hat or appreciated but not see what changes
How might we make each step your booking, could we
send a follow-up?
your booking? (e.g. via a
cookie)
experiences without
having to click on them information overload shirt color, for example)? necessary? response rates?
each step feels more
simple?
done in the past?

better? What ideas do we have?

What have others suggested? Show highlights or How might we equip How might we extend
people to tip after the the personal connection
common phrases from
tour? (e.g. via Venmo or to the guide long after
reviews, or Uber style
equivalent app) the tour is over?
"great guide" badges?

How might we totally

eliminate this
awkward moment?