Tools for Staying Connected
by KimTraveling abroad can be a challenge to the emotions, senses, patience and pocketbook. I’ve traveled a considerable amount over the years, but my current venture is probably the most complex to date. Three weeks, 4 countries, 5 cities and somehow a daunting 8 different hotels (long story). Before you start thinking Adaptive Path is cruel for making me do this, I’ll be very clear in saying this was all my own doing. Facilitating workshops at 2 conferences, visiting friends on weekends and arranging meetings with industry colleagues during the week - all my choice and I’m enjoying it all too! Well, actually, to be honest, what I’m not enjoying is the harrowing logistics of traveling and being away from familiar foods, surroundings, family and friends.
I will spare you my whining about the logistics (apologies to folks following me on Twitter, you get it instead!)
However, what has been going well on this trip is the vast amount of tools available to stay connected with the office, family and friends. I set up my travel plans before I left on Tripit and Dopplr and have shared with friends and colleagues. Tripit was critical in showing me I had somehow forgot to book a few days accommodation during part of this complex trip. Each night, at day’s end, I’ve been reading Twitter to catch up on friends and colleagues (I don’t receive Tweets on my phone because SMS’s are so expensive). I’m also viewing my contacts’ Flickr streams and uploading my own photos every few days. When I’m using the computer, I keep iChat on and get to see who’s online and what they might be up to based on their status. It’s familiar and brings me comfort to see their routines continue while I’m unable to have my own routine. Although the challenge has been coordinating the best time to call, my husband and I have been using Skype to have long conversations every few days - essentially for free. He sounds like he’s literally right next to me. I’ve been able to pay bills online through online banking as well as make sure I have enough funds in my ATM account and see the exchange rate and fees within a matter of minutes of a transaction. Of course there’s email for contact with the office, but I’m also using our internal wiki to share what I’m up to with colleagues back at the office too. For coordinating with folks in the local areas, I’ve been using email, SMS and saved maps on Google maps. There seems to be enough free wifi in London to also connect my iPhone for an occasional map look up for a nearby restaurant or Tube stop.
All in all the software technology has been very supportive. I find it odd that the virtual world of the internet has been extremely helpful, but the real world, face-to-face interactions and logistics are still a huge and sometimes daunting challenge. Why is it that we can create these services to stay connected, but still cannot take care of the basic necessities of travel? Is there anyone out there willing to fix the logistics of travel?
I can also see more clearly why people are using the internet to interact and connect rather than endure face to face interactions. Somehow looking foolish in the virtual world is easier to take in the privacy of your own room than having the same thing happen to you while standing in front of total strangers at the street corner, unfamiliar restaurant, hotel lobby, public transit ticket counter, etc.
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June 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Kim your last paragraph made my brain start rolling about the pros and cons of f2f interactions in comparison to virtual ones.
One difference for sure is: on virtual interactions if you flunk at an activity no one will notice UNLESS you want them to therefor you will only be helped if your net was announced you needed a hand; while at f2f interactions if you make a mistake -specially a really embarrassing one- or act towards mending one (”opening a London map in a corner to see if you are right on track”), someone MIGHT notice even without you wanting to and considering goodness on all human beings you might end being helped
Besides, I believe through unexpected and uncontrolled connections in real live u might find valuable new information and venues to apply in your live. Arguably you can have this kind of cross polinization using online tools (http://www.randsinrepose.com/archives/2008/05/15/we_travel_in_tribes.html) but since you are controlling the parts of your interactions you are somehow also controlling the universe of unexpected data you might bump into.
If you will like to further discuss this, I am more than willing to travel to Minneapolis in two weeks (sponsor meeeee please *UX Intensive wink*)
Kind regards, Mario
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
There is nothing worse than bad face to face customer service. I could go on for days about the hell storm of frustration I found myself in when buying a house, or the one time I took a laptop to Tekserve for a new keyboard… The entire time I kept thinking about how ridiculous it was that I knew more than the ’service’ person I was dealing with…..
but I guess that is the crux, we are experts at our own lives. The minute details of our schedules and possessions are our passion. Can we really expect to be served as well as we can serve ourselves? [YES!!] I find myself more forgiving of my own failures, online, than of a services failures face to face because I can fix my failures, I have to rely on someone else for theirs.
I also take detailed notice of a successful face to face service, because they are rare and wonder if as designers of service products we should coddle the person user them, McDonalds put pictures on their registers, or demand rocket science from them, airline terminals?
I don’t know about you, but Happy Mealdium is what I’m shooting for, online and face to face.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Dear Chadvavra, I agree with u in that f2f services should be improved (that is where the likes of Adaptive Path and Ideo shine; they work on designing everything including services), what I do not agree is the rule you use to measure others: “can we really expect to be served as well as we can serve ourselves…”
For starters if you could serve yourself how go to a service shop in the first place?
And second, assuming it was just a matter of speech, without doubt service providers and client facing employees in particular should always keep in mind the context of the client: why is she coming to us? what is her final goal (”we are but mere links in a chain to allow her to kick ass”). This way to satisfy a client is not a matter of attaining subjective satisfaction but a matter of translating emotions to obtainable and definable goals (you will be satisfied as long as the service/person attending you helps you achieve your goal).
To further dive into this: Kathy Sierra (Creating passionate users) http://headrush.typepad.com/
“Judge others by their intentions and yourself by your results”
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/hindsights_ii_t.html
Regards, Mario
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
bummer, last post: “how go” should have been “why go”.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
For starters if you could serve yourself [why] go to a service shop in the first place?
Exactly. Should all products move to the kiosk/online model? Are we better suited, by being our own experts to fufill our own needs? I for one will probably NEVER book a rental car, or buy a CD at a mega store… It is just faster, cheaper, better to do it myself.
But, an argument for service experts is to think about the airline booking interface for you versus the one a agent at the airport uses. They are totally different and manage to serve different users needs to similar ends.
Unfortunately, Travelocity call centers use the Travelocity website to book tickets. I once had a problem with my CC billing address not being in a recognized city, so I called them. I went through all the questions I’d just answered online with a person on the phone and at the end, my billing address wasn’t in a recognized city. In that case the application that serves many well, served me for shit and there was no alternative when I called an expert. I realized I was the expert, told the service man as much and booked my ticket at Expedia in 5 minutes.
Happy Mealdium
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
what I’m trying to get it is the distinction between product and person, not experience.
I don’t think there is a single person reading this blog that would argue against user experience.