Temkin

Group Insight Report

Online Store Locators Miss A Key Part Of The Experience

Wells Fargo Leads And Target Lags In Website Evaluations Of 10 Large Banks And Retailers
By Bruce Temkin Customer Experience Transformist & Managing Partner Temkin Group December 2010

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Executive Summary
Just about every bank and retailer provides a store or branch locator on its site. But how user-friendly are the experiences? Mostly mediocre. Temkin Group evaluated 10 large retailers and banks using its SLICE-B experience review methodology. Wells Fargo ended with the only excellent rating and Target was alone at the bottom with a poor rating. All of the sites struggle to support users goals after they find the nearby stores.

Evaluating Online Store Finding Experiences

Most companies spend a lot of money trying to pull customers into their stores and branches. But how easy is it for customers and prospects to find the hours of a nearby location online? To help answer that questions, we used Temkin Groups SLICE-B methodology to review the online store finding experiences of five large retailers and five large banks. How did we do it? Identified a specific user goal. Our expert review methodology is based on attempting to achieve a specific goal and examining the experience through the eyes of a specific user. For this analysis, we looked at the experience of a twenty-year old female trying to find a nearby location for five banks and five retailers (see Figure 1) Examined the experience. For each of the 10 companies, we attempted to achieve the goals through the eyes of the target user. Our analysis identified obstacles that would prevent or slow down that user from accomplishing the goal. Graded the results. Using Temkin Groups SLICE-B assessment, we graded the experience on 12 criteria across six areas: Start, Locate, Interact, Complete, End, and Brand Coherence. For each criterion, the sites received a grade between -3 (fatal flaw) and +2 (no obstacle).

The Results: Wells Fargo Stands Alone At The Top

Our SLICE-B analysis of the online store finders uncovered that: Wells Fargo leads the pack. Wells Fargos store locator experience led the group with an excellent rating of 18 out of a possible 24 (see Figure 2). Both Wells Fargo and the second- place scorer, Chase, displayed all the relevant information on the initial results page saving the user time and requiring fewer clicks than other sites store finder processes. Most sites were mediocre. Seven of the sites yielded scores in the mediocre range on our scale. Many of the sites lost points for cluttered or poorly-organized results pages, lacking important information (such as distance and store hours), and, in Targets case, difficult-to- find links to the store locator on the home page. Companies struggle most with the END. The average score for the END category was -3.2quite a decline from the second lowest scoring category (see Figure 3 and Figure 4), LOCATE. The criterion for the END category looks at how well the site supports the users follow-on goals. None of the sites offered an e-mail or SMS feature; some provided a printing function, but only a few offered printer-friendly versions of directions and none provided this feature on pages with store details or the listing of nearby stores.

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Online Store Finder Experiences Evaluated

User description
Twenty-five-year old female, living in an affluent suburb. She uses Firefox as primary web browser.

Goals
Initial goal: The user tries to find the closest branch or store location to her home, the hours that it is open, the distance in miles, and driving directions. Follow-on goals: Find directions Print information Send information to cell phone via email or text message

Companies evaluated
Banks: Bank of America Chase Citibank US Bancorp Wells Fargo Retailers: Home Depot Kroger Target Walgreens Walmart

!"#$%&'()*+*,-.-*/012&3*4%"5#6*788*%&'()9*%090%:0;6*

Figure 1: Online Store Finder Experiences Evaluated

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Overall Evaluation Of Online Store Finders

Poor Mediocre Good Excellent

Source: Temkin Group SLICE-B Reviews in December 2010

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Figure 2: Overall Evaluation Of Online Store Finders

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Average Score By SLICE-B Category

Poor Okay Good

Source: Temkin Group SLICE-B Reviews in December 2010 !"#$%&'()*+*,-.-*/012&3*4%"5#6*788*%&'()9*%090%:0;6*

Figure 3: Average Score By SLICE-B Category

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Scores For SLICE-B Experience Categories

S
Wells Fargo Chase Citibank Kroger Walgreens Bank of America US Bancorp Walmart Home Depot Target 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 -3

L
4 4 1 0 0 1 -1 -1 0 0

I
4 4 4 4 4 0 3 3 1 3

C
4 4 4 4 3 4 3 -1 3 4

E
-2 -2 -3 -5 -5 -2 -4 -2 -3 -4

B
4 1 1 4 3 1 3 4 1 1

Total
18 15 11 11 9 8 7 7 6 1

S= Start L= Locate I = Interact C= Complete E= End B= Brand Coherence

Lowest score for company Scoring key: <1: Poor 1 or 2: Okay 3 or 4: Good

Source: Temkin Group SLICE-B Reviews in December 2010 !"#$%&'()*+*,-.-*/012&3*4%"5#6*788*%&'()9*%090%:0;6*

Figure 4: Scores For SLICE-B Experience Categories

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Improving The Online Store Finding Experience

Our evaluation uncovered many usability issues (see Figure 5). But we also ran into some good practices that other companies should emulate: Bank of America offers a flexible search bar. Users can enter a full address or just a zip code in the same search bar on the Bank Of America site, allowing either a precise list of locations in order by distance, or a quick list of locations closest to a particular zip code (see Figure 6). Walmart provides a search bar on the main page. When a user hovers over the Store Finder link on the Walmart homepage, a full-featured search box drops down on the page. Theres no need to click and wait for another page to load (see Figure 7). Wells Fargo presents key search options. When a user searches for a bank site they may be looking for a full branch or just an ATM; and the Wells Fargo site supports either option from the beginning (see Figure 8). By offering the user options from the beginning, the process avoids giving the user incorrect information that can only be fixed by altering settings in Advanced Search. Kroger makes it easy to find the link. At the top of the Kroger site, the Find Stores link is displayed with a small map of the US, which draws the users eye (see Figure 9). The graphics beside each option (others include Weekly Ads and Rx Refills) also serve to space the buttons apart, making the link very easy to spot. Chase provides the right information quickly. The user didnt want a list of stores; she wanted to find out the hours of stores nearby. The Chase site provided all of the required information on the initial results page from the search; making it quicker to get the information and easier to compare the information across stores (see Figure 10). Walmart reinforces its brand. On the page listing stores that match the users search criteria, Walmart does a nice job of integrating its brand elements (see Figure 11). The pushpins on the map have a pared down version of the Walmart logo, and the maps controls are Walmart blue.

Recommendation: Use SLICE-B To Examine All Of Your Experiences

We recommend that companies examine all experiences to make sure they support target customer groups across all five areas of an experience: Start, Locate, Interact, Complete, End, and Brand Coherence (see Figure 12). To help in this area, Temkin Group has made the SLICE-B methodology freely available at www.temkingroup.com/slice-b_methodology. We suggest that you use this methodology to: Identify key problems with an existing experience Compare experiences with competitors and other companies Review prototype designs for changes or new experiences Embed the criteria into ongoing design processes

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Key Problems Found In Each SLICE-B Category

Providing the store/branch locator link only in a list of links which makes it hard to spot. Putting key information such as store hours on a store details page; making it difficult to compare locations and requires extra clicking. Showing both ATMs and bank branches in a default search which makes it difficult to quickly find the right branch. Placing large maps above the list of results requires the user to scroll down before even seeing the information for the nearest location Many sites had large headers or too much white space, requiring the user to scroll down even in the absence of a large map. In one case, pharmacy hours were listed but the actual store hours were not. Some sites only provide distance when the user clicks Directions. All the sites lacked an option for the user to text or e-mail store information or directions Lack of a printer-friendly version of the store information. Obscuring the store locator contradicts store-centric brands. Search results windows lack visual consistency with the rest of the site.

Start

Locate

Interact

Complete

End

Brand Coherence

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Figure 5: Key Problems Found In Each SLICE-B Category

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Bank of America Provides A Flexible Search Bar

Any search parameters, from full address to just a zip code, can go in the same bar

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Figure 6: Bank Of America Provides A Flexible Search Bar

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Walmart Allows Searching From The Homepage

Search box opens up directly on homepage

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Figure 7: Walmart Allows Searching From The Homepage

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Wells Fargo Offers ATM and Branch Search Options

Advanced settings for selecting ATM and branches helps target correct result

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Figure 8: Wells Fargo Offers ATM And Branch Search Options

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Kroger Layout Makes It Easy To Locate Store Finder Link

Small graphics and spacing makes the Find Stores link easy to find

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Figure 9: Kroger Layout Makes It Easy To Locate Store Finder Link

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Chase Provides Deep Content On Initial Results Page

All of the necessary information is listed on the initial results page; no need to go to a details page to find store hours

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Figure 10: Chase Provides Deep Content On Initial Results Page

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Walmart Reinforces Its Brand On The Results Page

Map elements are branded with Walmarts visual identity

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Figure 11: Walmart Reinforces Its Brand On The Results Page

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Temkin Group Slice-B Methodology

For more information, visit www.temkingroup.com/SLICE-B_Methodology

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Figure 12: Temkin Group SLICE-B Methodology

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About The Author, Bruce Temkin

Bruce Temkin is Customer Experience Transformist & Managing Partner of Temkin Group. He is widely viewed as a leading expert in how organizations build differentiation with customer experience. He has worked with hundreds of large organizations on the strategies, operational processes, organizational structures, leadership, and culture required to sustain superior customer relationships. Bruce works with executive teams to define the right strategy and develop plans for accelerating the path to customer experience improvements. Bruce is the author of the popular blog Customer Experience Matters (experiencematters.wordpress.com) where he regularly posts insights on topics such as customer experience, branding, and leadership. Prior to forming Temkin Group, Bruce was Vice President & Principal Analyst with Forrester Research. During his 12 years with Forrester, he led the company's business-to-business, financial services, eBusiness, and customer experience practices. Bruce was Forresters most-read analyst for 13 consecutive quarters and was one of the most respected analysts in the industry. Bruce authored several Forresters most popular research reports on customer experience including Experience-Based Differentiation, The Customer Experience Journey, and Voice Of The Customer: The Next Generation. He created Forresters Customer Experience Index, which rates more than 100 firms on their overall customer experience. He also led the creation and updates of many of Forresters customer experience evaluation methodologies and training workshops. Prior to Forrester, Bruce co-founded and ran a couple of Internet start-ups. He also held management positions with GE, Stratus Computers, and Fidelity Investments. Bruce has been widely quoted in the press, including media outlets such as New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week. Bruce is a highly demanded public speaker who combines deep expertise with an engaging, entertaining style. He has delivered keynote speeches at hundreds of industry and corporate events; often recognized as the top speaker. At Forresters inaugural Customer Experience Forum in 2009, for instance, his two sessions received the top ratings of the event. Bruce holds a masters degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he concentrated in business strategy and operations. He also holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Union College.

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About Temkin Group

Temkin Group is a consulting and research firm that helps clients increase customer loyalty by improving their customer experience. The company was founded based on four core beliefs: Customer experience drives loyalty. Our research and work with clients has shown that interactions with customers influences how much business theyll do with you in the future and how often they recommend you to friends and colleagues. Improvement requires systemic change.
Companies can improve isolated customer interactions, but they cant gain competitive advantage until customer experience is embedded in their operating fabric.

Its a journey, not a project. Building the capabilities to consistently delight customers doesnt happen overnight. Companies need to plan for a multi-year corporate change program. We can help you make a difference. Transformation isnt easy, but leading your company to be more customer-centric is worth the effort. We help our clients accelerate their results and avoid many of the bumps along the way.

Temkin Group combines customer experience thought leadership with a deep understanding of the dynamics of large organizations to accelerate results. We and help companies build the four competencies required for long-term success: 1. Purposeful Leadership. Does your executive team operate consistently from a clear, well-articulated set of values? 2. Engaged Employees. Are employees fully committed to the goals of your organization? 3. Compelling Brand Values. Are your brand attributes driving decisions about how you treat customers? 4. Customer-connectedness. Is customer feedback and insight deeply integrated throughout all of your internal processes?

Temkin Group provides a number of services that include: Interactive workshops to instill a common mindset, vocabulary, and approach across an organization. Strategic reviews of customer experience plans and objectives to identify opportunities for accelerating efforts and avoiding missteps along the way. Assessments of customer experience competencies to identify and close critical gaps. Senior executive sessions to ensure appropriate levels of alignment and commitment. Executive coaching to help executives leading customer experience efforts. Speeches and webinars to teach customer experience concepts.

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