Jun 1

Jun 1 The 5 E's Part Five - Exit Examples

(Thanks for reading, I’ve recently rewritten a better version of this article here)

This is part of a series on the 5 E’s of Customer Journey. Now for the (arguably) most overlooked element of service design, Exit:

After you make a purchase at Haigh’s Chocolates, you get offered a choice of two free chocolate samples, as a parting gift.
It’s a clever way to add a little treat, literally leaving a good taste in your mouth.

Free Trials are a popular Entice strategy, so it’s interesting to see how companies handle early cancellations.
Some are punitive, and cut users off as soon as they unsubscribe.
Others are generous, and will let users continue to use the remainder of the trial period.
I like this approach, it gives the user more opportunity to fall in love with the service, increasing the probability of them re-subscribing down the road.

Some clothes stores will throw your stuff in the bag and push it towards you, others will delicately fold it, and carefully hand the bag to you by the straps.
This costs almost nothing, and it gives the impression that what you’ve bought is special.

Jetstar have this awful trick where they lure you in with a cheap price, which you then accept; purchase decision made.
In the process of completing the transaction, they then sting you for 5-6 other fees and expenses, most of them are opt-out, including my least favourite, a $17 fee for paying by card or PayPal.
I hate this, it sours the experience.

Emirates offer Business Class passengers a chauffeured car home from the airport, a great finishing touch to a long journey.

I enjoy paying at cafes after I’ve finished my coffee/meeting; you leave having said thank you to the staff.
Maybe it’s just me, but it feels nicer than a model like Starbucks where you leave in anonymous silence.

Some self-aware businesses like hotels ask for a review the day after you leave.
This could be seen as a nuisance, but also an opportunity for the the business to improve.
At TDi, we have started sending out surveys immediately after sessions, to get a sense of what clients did and didn’t enjoy.

Uber’s exit process feels refreshingly easy, with payments made automatically.
It feels like getting out of your friend’s car, rather than mucking around with printing receipts in a taxi.
While I’m at it, taxi’s charging a fee for eftpos is rubbish - you should pay the amount shown on the meter.

Apple stores bring the checkout to you; staff members have a handheld payment machine that can be used anywhere in the shop.
They also offer free personal setup for your new device, where a team member assists help you with your new purchase.

Fast food restaurants are well known for their devious chair design - engineered to become uncomfortable after 10-15 minutes.
Once you finish your food, their aim is to get you to leave, freeing up the table for the next person.

Sites like eBay and Book Depository send receipts and confirmations straight after you make your purchase, then send periodic updates as to where in the world your order is.
It can feel strange spending money then not have your book show up for a few weeks, so these notifications help make the purchase feel “real”.

After you’ve made a decision, car dealerships hit you up for a bunch of additional products and services right as you go to pay, such as extended warranties, insurances, upgraded wheels, etc. The difference between this and Jetstar is that these are optional, whereas some of Jetstar’s “extras” are mandatory.

Up next, the lucrative Extend...

You can skip straight to Entice, Enter, Engage, Exit, Extend and Making Improvements