Technology & Training

When we open an app and notice a new feature been added with very strong human insight often we feel delighted and wish good for the brand/app. But it’s not only development that matters to the customer but end usage. End usage does not depend only upon a great tech team but a great implementation of the tech and training of the entire ecosystem about availability of such great technology.

Without proper training, technology not just becomes a momentary let down but an everlasting negative impression of the brand. Often leading to dwindling customer loyalty. It’s better keep the app to the point and no-frill than make false promises raising expectations and then a let down.

Here is a couple interesting such examples from Uber how they think of wonderful ideas to help the customer but lack of training of the drivers leaves me bitter. Not that I stop using Uber but I keep wishing ‘wish this feature actually worked’. Because actual working depends on drivers not just the developers.

Text to Driver a lovely feature through which one can send address to the driver before they need to call and ask for the same. Technically that’s one of my favourite features added on to Uber in sometime around. But it’s just a non functional feature which the human on the other side of the app is not aware of or wishes not to look at. Now this builds up to my irritation when even after texting my address I receive a call from the driver asking for the address over a scratchy phone call. And then I have to explain ‘C-6/701...’ ‘C - C not D, C for CAT’.

That’s how it goes every time, though Uber developers have done a good job.

Uber Colour screen for identification is yet another intelligent feature. What it does on a tap of a button the full mobile screen gets lit with a bright colour and the driver gets intimation of which colour your screen will be. All you need to do it hold the phone a little high facing the cars coming your way and the driver can identify the colour, identifying riders in the night becomes much easier. But there’s always ifs and buts, you feel so stupid holding up your phone while the driver is clueless about it. Eventually gets a little embarrassing. On asking the drivers they had no idea about this simple but smart feature. So you end up by stopping using the feature. Maybe one day the drivers will get trained but by that time I doubt I will be able to keep holding my phone up.