The Big Problem: High Call Volume From An Unknown Group
Computershare faced significant call center strain due to a high volume of Third-Party Callers (TPCs) who couldn't authenticate via the automated phone system (IVR), leading to increased costs and potential user dissatisfaction.
Why it mattered
Cost Savings:
Reducing call center volume directly translates to operational cost savings
Improved Customer Satisfaction:
Addressing TPC frustrations and providing better service enhances satisfaction
Enhanced Brand Perception: A smoother, more empathetic experience improves the overall brand image
Operational Efficiency: Understanding TPC needs could lead to more efficient processes across service channels
The Approach
A Deep Dive into the TPC Experience
Given Computershare's B2B2C model and historical reluctance to directly contact end-users, I adopted a pragmatic and resourceful qualitative research approach.
Research Goals
After aligning with the Quality CX Lead, and more deeply understanding his reasoning behind the request, as well as understanding how he identified the problem with the data he had available, I aligned the business problem of high call volume and the objective of providing tailored experiences, with my key research goals which focused on building a deep understanding of the Third Party Caller segment. These goals included:
Foundational Understanding
Develop a foundational understanding of who Third-Party Callers are (types, backgrounds, technical proficiency).
Tasks & Goals
Identify the specific tasks and goals TPCs were trying to achieve.
The User Journey
Determine when in their overall journey TPCs typically interacted with Computershare.
Frustrations & Pain Points
Uncover key frustrations, pain points, and unmet needs across existing service channels (IVR, web, forms).
Opportunities
Identify opportunities to improve self-service and provide tailored experiences.
Key Research Questions
To achieve these research goals, I formulated several specific questions that guided my investigation and data collection. These were the core questions I sought to answer through my research:
WHO
WHO are the TPCs? (Breakdown, knowledge, capabilities)
WHEN
WHEN in the customer journey do TPCs call? (Triggers, journey stages)
WHAT
WHAT frustrations & pain points do TPCs experience?
WHAT
WHAT tasks & goals are TPCs seeking to achieve?
HOW
HOW well do existing service channels support TPCs?
WHERE
WHERE are there opportunities to improve self-service for TPCs?
an organizational roadblock...
Computershare had very little foundational understanding of their users, in large part, because Computershare is a B2B2C organization, meaning that our customers were actually the large companies that issue the stock, not the people who use the products on a day to day basis. Historically there had just been a lot of red tape around the idea of speaking to the end users.
So I had to take a more indirect approach...
Methods
I primarily used qualitative methods. My main approach involved extensive Call Listening, through a tool we had known as Service Observe.
In addition to listening to calls, I also conducted interviews with Customer Service Representatives (Call Reps). This allowed me to triangulate findings from call observations with the nuanced perspectives of those on the front lines directly interacting with users.
Call Listening
Observation/Field Work
What: Listened to over 100 incoming calls, identifying approximately 30 TPC-related calls. Documented observations (reason for call, demographics, issue resolution, pain points) in Excel.
Why: A non-intrusive way to observe real user behavior, hear their language, and identify pain points as they navigated the IVR and interacted with CSRs. Crucial given the constraints on direct user contact.
Call Rep Interviews
Stakeholder Interviews
What: Conducted ten 30-minute semi-structured interviews with CSRs to understand their perceptions of TPC volume, caller types, common goals, tasks, and pain points.
Why: To triangulate findings from call observations with the nuanced perspectives of frontline staff who directly interacted with TPCs daily.
Affinity Diagramming
Synthesis
What: Used a digital whiteboarding tool (Miro) to sort, categorize, and group observations, findings, and interesting tidbits from call listening and CSR interviews.
Why: Identify trends, insights, and patterns from the qualitative data, and to identify opportunities for ideation.
Key Findings
Understanding the Third-Party Caller
Who are the Third Party Callers?
The research revealed that TPCs were not a monolithic group and faced significant, often overlapping, challenges.
TPCs = Significant Call Volume:
CSRs estimated TPCs made up 50-75% of their calls; Service Observe showed ~25% of observed calls were TPC-related.
Primarily Family:
The largest segment consisted of family members, typically surviving spouses (often older), children, or grandchildren.
A large portion, particularly surviving spouses, tended to be older and less tech-savvy.
Professionals:
Brokers, Financial Advisors, and sometimes Attorneys also formed a key TPC segment.
let’s meet them...
Created three distinct personas (Martha, Mark, Melissa) based on the synthesized research data. To humanize the data, build empathy, and provide a shared understanding of TPC needs and goals for the team and stakeholders.
Martha
(Surviving Spouse)
68 / Female
Background: Recently widowed, overwhelmed by paperwork, grieving.
Goals: Understand what to do after her husband's passing, get help with forms, verify correctness, do everything by mail.
Tech Savviness: Low. Refers to the IVR as "the lady," prefers not to use the website ("I'm too old for that").
Pain Points: Struggling with the IVR, repeated transfers, forgetting authentication details, difficulty with information for merged companies.
"I'm too old for the automated system.”
“It's so nice to finally speak to a person."
Mark (Grandson)
39 / Male
Background: Calling on behalf of his grandmother regarding old stock certificates. Grandmother has poor memory, making authentication difficult.
Goals: Determine certificate value, get transfer instructions, request a statement, avoid medallion stamps, complete transfer online ASAP.
Tech Savviness: Moderate. Can navigate IVR, prefers electronic processing.
Pain Points: Can't get account-specific info without full authentication, address change issues, inconvenience of medallion stamps, locked online accounts (flagged as deceased), repeated form rejections.
"This process is bullsht. I wanna make sure I got this right so I don't get rejected again."
Melissa (Financial Advisor/Broker)
35 / Female
Background: Working with a client to transfer a considerable amount of shares requiring a medallion signature guarantee.
Goals: Verify stock details (restrictions, holds, number of shares), follow up on transfer status, request tax info/forms, get cost basis, understand DRS delivery, complete transfer quickly.
Tech Savviness: High. Completed transfers many times, prefers electronic processing, presses '0' repeatedly to reach a CSR.
Pain Points: Can't get info without client present, rescheduling calls with clients, not speaking to the same rep, getting different information, lengthy process due to mail-in requirements, not finding needed info online.
"I'm following up on a transfer. What method of delivery do you use? DWAC/DTS?"
The Troubled Transfer Journey: A Stage-by-Stage Struggle
The transfer process is a major source of confusion and repeat calls, with TPCs facing hurdles at every step.
1
Inquire
"What now?"
2
Understand Forms
"Correct form? Online?"
3
Complete Forms
"Help me fill this!"
4
Submit Docs
“When will I hear back?”
5
Follow Up
"Status? Rejected?"
Channel Failures: Where Systems Fall Short
Every available channel proved to be a major obstacles for Third Party Callers.
IVR Issues
- Difficulty finding/requesting forms
- Forms sent to inaccessible old addresses
- Generic forms requiring extra paperwork
Web Issues
- Transfer forms hard to locate
- Accounts locked (e.g., 'deceased') without context
CSR Interaction Issues
- "Bouncing" callers back to IVR
- Information loss upon transfer
- Strong need for "hand-holding"
The "Aha!" Moment: Core Insight
"How might we provide 'hand-holding' through self-service channels, especially for tech-capable users, to make forms and information about the transfer process easier to access and understand?"
Recommendations: Paving the Path Forward
Based on the findings, key recommendations were proposed to improve the TPC experience and guide future efforts.
Improve Form Usability: Simplify language, clarify requirements, add clearer options (e.g., "sell all shares").
Enhance Web Content: Improve form findability, provide clear online guidance (FAQs, step-by-step guides).
Optimize IVR Paths: Re-evaluate and redesign TPC-specific IVR navigation to be more intuitive.
Address Internal Process Errors: Fix breakdowns causing misrouted calls or incorrect transfers back to IVR.
Prioritize Further Research: Conduct usability testing (forms/workflows), heuristic evaluations (web/IVR), and cross-functional Service Blueprinting.
Impact & Outcomes: Sparking Real Change
This 5-week discovery phase had a significant strategic impact, transforming a business metric problem into a human-centered challenge.
Raised Awareness & Empathy
Shed light on an underserved user segment, humanizing their struggles for stakeholders, including C-suite, via personas and storytelling.
Prioritized on Product Roadmap
Compelling evidence led to prioritizing TPC experience for future IVR, web, and form design improvements.
Informed Future Initiatives
Provided essential user context for planned IVR changes and the redesign of the Transfer Wizard tool.
Catalyst for Further Research
Led to subsequent activities like Service Blueprinting workshops and Heuristic Evaluations.
Advocacy for UXR
Demonstrated the value of qualitative user research, shifting organizational perspective towards user-centered practices.
Research Limitations
No study is perfect. Acknowledging the boundaries of this study was essential in informing future research directions.
Passive Call Listening
Could observe *what* but not directly ask *why*, limiting depth on motivations.
Sample Limitations
Call listening was a convenience sample; CSRs not representative of all.
CSR Interview Bias
Gathered perceptions; mitigated by triangulation and multiple interviews.
Sole UXR Synthesis
Affinity diagramming largely done alone; collaboration could yield richer insights.
The Big Problem: High Call Volume From An Unknown Group
Computershare faced significant call center strain due to a high volume of Third-Party Callers (TPCs) who couldn't authenticate via the automated phone system (IVR), leading to increased costs and potential user dissatisfaction.
Why it mattered
Cost Savings: Reducing call center volume directly translates to operational cost savings
Improved Customer Satisfaction: Addressing TPC frustrations and providing better service enhances satisfaction
Enhanced Brand Perception: A smoother, more empathetic experience improves the overall brand image
Operational Efficiency: Understanding TPC needs could lead to more efficient processes across service channels
The Approach
A Deep Dive into the TPC Experience
Given Computershare's B2B2C model and historical reluctance to directly contact end-users, I adopted a pragmatic and resourceful qualitative research approach.
Research Goals
After aligning with the Quality CX Lead, and more deeply understanding his reasoning behind the request, as well as understanding how he identified the problem with the data he had available, I aligned the business problem of high call volume and the objective of providing tailored experiences, with my key research goals which focused on building a deep understanding of the Third Party Caller segment. These goals included:
Foundational Understanding
Develop a foundational understanding of who Third-Party Callers are (types, backgrounds, technical proficiency).
Tasks & Goals
Identify the specific tasks and goals TPCs were trying to achieve.
The User Journey
Determine when in their overall journey TPCs typically interacted with Computershare.
Frustrations & Pain Points
Uncover key frustrations, pain points, and unmet needs across existing service channels (IVR, web, forms).
Opportunities
Identify opportunities to improve self-service and provide tailored experiences.
Key Research Questions
To achieve these research goals, I formulated several specific questions that guided my investigation and data collection. These were the core questions I sought to answer through my research:
WHO
WHO are the TPCs? (Breakdown, knowledge, capabilities)
WHEN
WHEN in the customer journey do TPCs call? (Triggers, journey stages)
WHAT
WHAT frustrations & pain points do TPCs experience?
WHAT
WHAT tasks & goals are TPCs seeking to achieve?
HOW
HOW well do existing service channels support TPCs?
WHERE
WHERE are there opportunities to improve self-service for TPCs?
an organizational roadblock...
Computershare had very little foundational understanding of their users, in large part, because Computershare is a B2B2C organization, meaning that our customers were actually the large companies that issue the stock, not the people who use the products on a day to day basis. Historically there had just been a lot of red tape around the idea of speaking to the end users.
So I had to take a more indirect approach...
Methods
I primarily used qualitative methods. My main approach involved extensive Call Listening, through a tool we had known as Service Observe.
In addition to listening to calls, I also conducted interviews with Customer Service Representatives (Call Reps). This allowed me to triangulate findings from call observations with the nuanced perspectives of those on the front lines directly interacting with users.
Call Listening
Observation/Field Work
What: Listened to over 100 incoming calls, identifying approximately 30 TPC-related calls. Documented observations (reason for call, demographics, issue resolution, pain points) in Excel.
Why: A non-intrusive way to observe real user behavior, hear their language, and identify pain points as they navigated the IVR and interacted with CSRs. Crucial given the constraints on direct user contact.
Call Rep Interviews
Stakeholder Interviews
What: Conducted ten 30-minute semi-structured interviews with CSRs to understand their perceptions of TPC volume, caller types, common goals, tasks, and pain points.
Why: To triangulate findings from call observations with the nuanced perspectives of frontline staff who directly interacted with TPCs daily.
Affinity Diagramming
Synthesis
What: Used a digital whiteboarding tool (Miro) to sort, categorize, and group observations, findings, and interesting tidbits from call listening and CSR interviews.
Why: Identify trends, insights, and patterns from the qualitative data, and to identify opportunities for ideation.
Key Findings
Understanding the Third-Party Caller
Who are the Third Party Callers?
The research revealed that TPCs were not a monolithic group and faced significant, often overlapping, challenges.
TPCs = Significant Call Volume:
CSRs estimated TPCs made up 50-75% of their calls; Service Observe showed ~25% of observed calls were TPC-related.
Primarily Family:
The largest segment consisted of family members, typically surviving spouses (often older), children, or grandchildren.
A large portion, particularly surviving spouses, tended to be older and less tech-savvy.
Professionals:
Brokers, Financial Advisors, and sometimes Attorneys also formed a key TPC segment.
let’s meet them...
Created three distinct personas (Martha, Mark, Melissa) based on the synthesized research data. To humanize the data, build empathy, and provide a shared understanding of TPC needs and goals for the team and stakeholders.
Martha (Surviving Spouse)
68 / Female
Background: Recently widowed, overwhelmed by paperwork, grieving.
Goals: Understand what to do after her husband's passing, get help with forms, verify correctness, do everything by mail.
Tech Savviness: Low. Refers to the IVR as "the lady," prefers not to use the website ("I'm too old for that").
Pain Points: Struggling with the IVR, repeated transfers, forgetting authentication details, difficulty with information for merged companies.
"I'm too old for the automated system.”
“It's so nice to finally speak to a person."
Mark (Grandson)
39 / Male
Background: Calling on behalf of his grandmother regarding old stock certificates. Grandmother has poor memory, making authentication difficult.
Goals: Determine certificate value, get transfer instructions, request a statement, avoid medallion stamps, complete transfer online ASAP.
Tech Savviness: Moderate. Can navigate IVR, prefers electronic processing.
Pain Points: Can't get account-specific info without full authentication, address change issues, inconvenience of medallion stamps, locked online accounts (flagged as deceased), repeated form rejections.
"I'm too old for the automated system.”
“It's so nice to finally speak to a person."
Melissa (Financial Advisor/Broker)
35 / Female
Background: Working with a client to transfer a considerable amount of shares requiring a medallion signature guarantee.
Goals: Verify stock details (restrictions, holds, number of shares), follow up on transfer status, request tax info/forms, get cost basis, understand DRS delivery, complete transfer quickly.
Tech Savviness: High. Completed transfers many times, prefers electronic processing, presses '0' repeatedly to reach a CSR.
Pain Points: Can't get info without client present, rescheduling calls with clients, not speaking to the same rep, getting different information, lengthy process due to mail-in requirements, not finding needed info online.
"I'm following up on a transfer. What method of delivery do you use? DWAC/DTS?"
The Troubled Transfer Journey: A Stage-by-Stage Struggle
The transfer process is a major source of confusion and repeat calls, with TPCs facing hurdles at every step.
1
Inquire
"What now?"
2
Understand Forms
"Correct form? Online?"
3
Complete Forms
"Help me fill this!"
4
Submit Docs
“When will I hear back?”
5
Follow Up
"Status? Rejected?"
Channel Failures: Where Systems Fall Short
Every available channel proved to be a major obstacles for Third Party Callers.
IVR Issues
- Difficulty finding/requesting forms
- Forms sent to inaccessible old addresses
- Generic forms requiring extra paperwork
Web Issues
- Transfer forms hard to locate
- Accounts locked (e.g., 'deceased') without context
CSR Interaction Issues
- "Bouncing" callers back to IVR
- Information loss upon transfer
- Strong need for "hand-holding"
The "Aha!" Moment:
Core Insight
"How might we provide 'hand-holding' through self-service channels, especially for tech-capable users, to make forms and information about the transfer process easier to access and understand?"
Recommendations: Paving the Path Forward
Based on the findings, key recommendations were proposed to improve the TPC experience and guide future efforts.
Improve Form Usability: Simplify language, clarify requirements, add clearer options (e.g., "sell all shares").
Enhance Web Content: Improve form findability, provide clear online guidance (FAQs, step-by-step guides).
Optimize IVR Paths: Re-evaluate and redesign TPC-specific IVR navigation to be more intuitive.
Address Internal Process Errors: Fix breakdowns causing misrouted calls or incorrect transfers back to IVR.
Prioritize Further Research: Conduct usability testing (forms/workflows), heuristic evaluations (web/IVR), and cross-functional Service Blueprinting.
Impact & Outcomes: Sparking Real Change
This 5-week discovery phase had a significant strategic impact, transforming a business metric problem into a human-centered challenge.
Raised Awareness & Empathy
Shed light on an underserved user segment, humanizing their struggles for stakeholders, including C-suite, via personas and storytelling.
Prioritized on Product Roadmap
Compelling evidence led to prioritizing TPC experience for future IVR, web, and form design improvements.
Informed Future Initiatives
Provided essential user context for planned IVR changes and the redesign of the Transfer Wizard tool.
Catalyst for Further Research
Led to subsequent activities like Service Blueprinting workshops and Heuristic Evaluations.
Advocacy for UXR
Demonstrated the value of qualitative user research, shifting organizational perspective towards user-centered practices.
Research Limitations
No study is perfect. Acknowledging the boundaries of this study was essential in informing future research directions.
Passive Call Listening
Could observe *what* but not directly ask *why*, limiting depth on motivations.
Sample Limitations
Call listening was a convenience sample; CSRs not representative of all.
CSR Interview Bias
Gathered perceptions; mitigated by triangulation and multiple interviews.
Sole UXR Synthesis
Affinity diagramming largely done alone; collaboration could yield richer insights.
The Big Problem: High Call Volume From An Unknown Group
Computershare faced significant call center strain due to a high volume of Third-Party Callers (TPCs) who couldn't authenticate via the automated phone system (IVR), leading to increased costs and potential user dissatisfaction.
Why it mattered
Cost Savings: Reducing call center volume directly translates to operational cost savings
Improved Customer Satisfaction: Addressing TPC frustrations and providing better service enhances satisfaction
Enhanced Brand Perception: A smoother, more empathetic experience improves the overall brand image
Operational Efficiency: Understanding TPC needs could lead to more efficient processes across service channels
The Approach
A Deep Dive into the TPC Experience
Given Computershare's B2B2C model and historical reluctance to directly contact end-users, I adopted a pragmatic and resourceful qualitative research approach.
Research Goals
After aligning with the Quality CX Lead, and more deeply understanding his reasoning behind the request, as well as understanding how he identified the problem with the data he had available, I aligned the business problem of high call volume and the objective of providing tailored experiences, with my key research goals which focused on building a deep understanding of the Third Party Caller segment. These goals included:
Foundational Understanding
Develop a foundational understanding of who Third-Party Callers are (types, backgrounds, technical proficiency).
Tasks & Goals
Identify the specific tasks and goals TPCs were trying to achieve.
The User Journey
Determine when in their overall journey TPCs typically interacted with Computershare.
Frustrations & Pain Points
Uncover key frustrations, pain points, and unmet needs across existing service channels (IVR, web, forms).
Opportunities
Identify opportunities to improve self-service and provide tailored experiences.
Key Research Questions
To achieve these research goals, I formulated several specific questions that guided my investigation and data collection. These were the core questions I sought to answer through my research:
WHO
WHO are the TPCs? (Breakdown, knowledge, capabilities)
WHEN
WHEN in the customer journey do TPCs call? (Triggers, journey stages)
WHAT
WHAT frustrations & pain points do TPCs experience?
WHAT
WHAT tasks & goals are TPCs seeking to achieve?
HOW
HOW well do existing service channels support TPCs?
WHERE
WHERE are there opportunities to improve self-service for TPCs?
an organizational roadblock...
Computershare had very little foundational understanding of their users, in large part, because Computershare is a B2B2C organization, meaning that our customers were actually the large companies that issue the stock, not the people who use the products on a day to day basis. Historically there had just been a lot of red tape around the idea of speaking to the end users.
So I had to take a more indirect approach...
Methods
I primarily used qualitative methods. My main approach involved extensive Call Listening, through a tool we had known as Service Observe.
In addition to listening to calls, I also conducted interviews with Customer Service Representatives (Call Reps). This allowed me to triangulate findings from call observations with the nuanced perspectives of those on the front lines directly interacting with users.
Call Listening
Observation/Field Work
What: Listened to over 100 incoming calls, identifying approximately 30 TPC-related calls. Documented observations (reason for call, demographics, issue resolution, pain points) in Excel.
Why: A non-intrusive way to observe real user behavior, hear their language, and identify pain points as they navigated the IVR and interacted with CSRs. Crucial given the constraints on direct user contact.
Call Rep Interviews
Stakeholder Interviews
What: Conducted ten 30-minute semi-structured interviews with CSRs to understand their perceptions of TPC volume, caller types, common goals, tasks, and pain points.
Why: To triangulate findings from call observations with the nuanced perspectives of frontline staff who directly interacted with TPCs daily.
Affinity Diagramming
Synthesis
What: Used a digital whiteboarding tool (Miro) to sort, categorize, and group observations, findings, and interesting tidbits from call listening and CSR interviews.
Why: Identify trends, insights, and patterns from the qualitative data, and to identify opportunities for ideation.
Key Findings
Understanding the Third-Party Caller
Who are the Third Party Callers?
The research revealed that TPCs were not a monolithic group and faced significant, often overlapping, challenges.
TPCs = Significant Call Volume:
CSRs estimated TPCs made up 50-75% of their calls; Service Observe showed ~25% of observed calls were TPC-related.
Primarily Family:
The largest segment consisted of family members, typically surviving spouses (often older), children, or grandchildren.
A large portion, particularly surviving spouses, tended to be older and less tech-savvy.
Professionals:
Brokers, Financial Advisors, and sometimes Attorneys also formed a key TPC segment.
let’s meet them...
I created three distinct personas (Martha, Mark, Melissa) based on the synthesized research data to humanize the data, build empathy, and provide a shared understanding of TPC needs and goals for the team and stakeholders.
Martha (Surviving Spouse)
68 / Female
Background: Recently widowed, overwhelmed by paperwork, grieving.
Goals: Understand what to do after her husband's passing, get help with forms, verify correctness, do everything by mail.
Tech Savviness: Low. Refers to the IVR as "the lady," prefers not to use the website ("I'm too old for that").
Pain Points: Struggling with the IVR, repeated transfers, forgetting authentication details, difficulty with information for merged companies.
"I'm too old for the automated system.”
“It's so nice to finally speak to a person."
Mark (Grandson)
39 / Male
Background: Calling on behalf of his grandmother regarding old stock certificates. Grandmother has poor memory, making authentication difficult.
Goals: Determine certificate value, get transfer instructions, request a statement, avoid medallion stamps, complete transfer online ASAP.
Tech Savviness: Moderate. Can navigate IVR, prefers electronic processing.
Pain Points: Can't get account-specific info without full authentication, address change issues, inconvenience of medallion stamps, locked online accounts (flagged as deceased), repeated form rejections.
"This process is bullsh*t. I wanna make sure I got this right so I don't get rejected again."
Melissa (Financial Advisor/Broker)
35 / Female
Background: Working with a client to transfer a considerable amount of shares requiring a medallion signature guarantee.
Goals: Verify stock details (restrictions, holds, number of shares), follow up on transfer status, request tax info/forms, get cost basis, understand DRS delivery, complete transfer quickly.
Tech Savviness: High. Completed transfers many times, prefers electronic processing, presses '0' repeatedly to reach a CSR.
Pain Points: Can't get info without client present, rescheduling calls with clients, not speaking to the same rep, getting different information, lengthy process due to mail-in requirements, not finding needed info online.
"I'm following up on a transfer. What method of delivery do you use? DWAC/DTS?"
The Troubled Transfer Journey: A Stage-by-Stage Struggle
The transfer process is a major source of confusion and repeat calls, with TPCs facing hurdles at every step.
1
Inquire
"What now?"
2
Understand Forms
"Correct form? Online?"
3
Complete Forms
"Help me fill this!"
4
Submit Docs
“When will I hear back?”
5
Follow Up
"Status? Rejected?"
Channel Failures: Where Systems Fall Short
Every available channel proved to be a major obstacles for Third Party Callers.
IVR Issues
- Difficulty finding/requesting forms
- Forms sent to inaccessible old addresses
- Generic forms requiring extra paperwork
Web Issues
- Transfer forms hard to locate
- Accounts locked (e.g., 'deceased') without context
CSR Interaction Issues
- "Bouncing" callers back to IVR
- Information loss upon transfer
- Strong need for "hand-holding"
The "Aha!" Moment: Core Insight
"How might we provide 'hand-holding' through self-service channels, especially for tech-capable users, to make forms and information about the transfer process easier to access and understand?"
Recommendations
Based on the findings, key recommendations were proposed to improve the TPC experience and guide future efforts.
Improve Form Usability: Simplify language, clarify requirements, add clearer options (e.g., "sell all shares").
Enhance Web Content: Improve form findability, provide clear online guidance (FAQs, step-by-step guides).
Optimize IVR Paths: Re-evaluate and redesign TPC-specific IVR navigation to be more intuitive.
Address Internal Process Errors: Fix breakdowns causing misrouted calls or incorrect transfers back to IVR.
Prioritize Further Research: Conduct usability testing (forms/workflows), heuristic evaluations (web/IVR), and cross-functional Service Blueprinting.
Impact & Outcomes: Sparking Real Change
This 5-week discovery phase had a significant strategic impact, transforming a business metric problem into a human-centered challenge.
Raised Awareness & Empathy
Shed light on an underserved user segment, humanizing their struggles for stakeholders, including C-suite, via personas and storytelling.
Prioritized on Product Roadmap
Compelling evidence led to prioritizing TPC experience for future IVR, web, and form design improvements.
Informed Future Initiatives
Provided essential user context for planned IVR changes and the redesign of the Transfer Wizard tool.
Catalyst for Further Research
Led to subsequent activities like Service Blueprinting workshops and Heuristic Evaluations.
Advocacy for UXR
Demonstrated the value of qualitative user research, shifting organizational perspective towards user-centered practices.
Research Limitations
No study is perfect. Acknowledging the boundaries of this study was essential in informing future research directions.
Passive Call Listening
Could observe *what* but not directly ask *why*, limiting depth on motivations.
Sample Limitations
Call listening was a convenience sample; CSRs not representative of all.
CSR Interview Bias
Gathered perceptions; mitigated by triangulation and multiple interviews.
Sole UXR Synthesis
Affinity diagramming largely done alone; collaboration could yield richer insights.
