Transcript Document 7309316
Flexible User Interfaces for B2C Systems, Using Booking as a Case Study
Kai A. Olsen Molde College, Norway Alessio Malizia, Dip. Scienze dell'Informazione, Universita' di Roma, Italy
Booking, using a human intermediate
“inexpensive weekend trip from Pittsburgh to New York” Customer Human intermediate Search flights 04/12, return 04/14, Pittsburgh Washington DC; Washington DC Hotels 04/12-14 Booking System Needs, wishes, interests Know-how, experience
On the Web
Customer Booking System The customer herself must convert needs and wishes to formal search terms. No support from a human intermediate, little support from current Web-based booking systems. Works when dates and places are known (travel to a meeting), but not when user needs are more open (”a vacation in the sun”).
Getting the picture
Customer Taking notes Booking System ”Is there any cheap flights to Europe” ”What do I have to pay for a hotel room in Manhattan” The customer must perform repeated searches to get an overview (prices, availability, etc.), and has to register and organize the results himself.
This is a very time consuming process. User get minimal support from existing systems.
What we need
A system that can replace, to some degree, the human intermediate A system that can aid the user in transforming needs and wishes into an explicit booking.
A system that embodies the flexibility inherent in the original request A system that can give the user an overview over prices, availability, destinations, etc,
Situation today
Most Web based booking systems requires exact search terms, dates, locations, etc.
Some interfaces offer a limited degree of flexibility with regard to dates Some examples below
Examples: Traditional
www.usair.com
www.sas.no
Examples: Date flexibility
www.ba.com
www.travelocity.com
Visualization (prices vs. time)
www.flybilligst.com
Airport flexibility (for a city)
www.aa.com
Overview
Må velge avreisested, ankomststed og måned
Are we satisfied?
Discrepancy between what users need and current interfaces It seems that evolution stopped when existing systems got a Web interface, after more than 10 years with Web based systems we should expect something better Even if competition is high, there seem to be limited efforts in trying to move the interfaces closer to the user With today's technology there should be no difficulty in providing more flexible systems
User flexibility
To go or not to go Dates Place of departure Places to visit Type of trip (cruise, tour) Hotels Prices What to see, what to do etc.
Flexible user interfaces
The interface should accept: a list of destinations, both for departure and arrival (leaving from New York or Baltimore, to London, Paris or Rome) destinations based on activity (diving, skiing, museums…) sets of attributes (large city in Europe) range of dates (weekends this fall) constraints (not Paris, departure Thursday, less than $1000) unformalized data (”suitable for kids”) These requirements can be satisfied with a form based interface Profile data (names, address, hotel room requirements, seating preferences, etc.) can be remembered by the system.
Implementation
Extensive searches based on user data Collect statistics Categorize (families with children go to this place, this hotel have a high number of guests returning) Feedback, user feedback is important (elderly customers are very satisfied with this hotel)
Optimizing
When Google and other search engines can index the open Web, booking systems should be able to index the much simpler and more formalized booking databases Ample opportunities for optimizing searches Users will get requests satisfied faster and will thus spend less time with the booking systems
Conclusion
Current Web interfaces for booking does not satisfy user needs in open cases More flexible interfaces are needed The implementation should not be a problem with today's technology Advantages: Simplified, faster bookings Better user satisfaction A competitive advantage for those that go ahead and implement these systems Currently: Implementing prototype interfaces Next step: Pushing the industry ahead