in store insights share

Report: In-Store Research Ola Micek – UX Research Intern Bryan Kern – Senior UX Researcher Jerry Q. Sinocruz – Senior UX Researcher

Objective

Why did we conduct this study?

Objective:

• Learn about Associates and Customers In-Store journey of generating Pro Referral lead • Learn about the process: how, when, and where the PR lead generation is happening in the store.

• Why is the PR lead generation process effective or not effective?

• Understand opportunities non-specialist associates have to engage customer

80 % of Pro Referral leads are generated in the store.

But we know very little about how those leads are being generated.

We know how looks using Service Connect for Associates.

But what happens before the lead generation?

How looks Associates and Customers journey before, during, and after generating the lead?

Which associates are generating leads? Are associates given equal opportunity to generate the lead?

Which devices do they use and why?

My goal was to answer those questions.

Process

What did we do?

1. Interviews with internal stakeholders: to gather baseline understanding of In-Store lead generation

Questions Asked: • How many managers to associates?

• How often Home Depot hires new employees?

• How many leads happen within a day?

• What generates the most leads?

• What are the main tasks associates are performing?

2. In-Store Research in five HD locations: Where: • San Mateo (nearby, for research test) • Emeryville (top 8% in volume) • San Ramon (specialty store) • Daly City (high specialty, struggle with PR) • San Carlos (high volume) Process in each store: • Interviewed Store Managers • Acted as a customer • Interviewed Associates • Mapped devices (e.g. computers & First Phones) • Mapped areas where leads are being generated • Observed areas where leads are being generated

Findings

What did we learn?

What are the possible In-Store Customers Scenarios for generating a lead?

• Scenario 1: Customer knows upfront they need a service.

• Scenario 2: Customer learns about DIFM opportunities from Specialty Associate • Scenario 3: Customer bought something and needs it installed.

• Scenario 4: Customer asks Associate in the Aisle for DIFM recommendation

Customers Journey Scenario 1: Customer knows upfront they need a service.

1A: Customer finds THD customer service phone number on HD.com and calls Service Desk, Pro Desk, or Specialty Desk.

Associate generates the lead on their desktop while on the phone with the customer.

1B: Customer enters THD and asks first available Associate about the service.

Those are generally at Service or Pro Desks. Associate generates the lead.

Customers Journey Scenario 2: Customer learns about DIFM opportunities from Specialty Associate 2A: Specialty Associate asks Customer if they need something (proactive), and generates the lead after conversation (even if the lead is not related to department they work in) 2B: Customer asks Specialty Associate about DIFM service, Specialty Associate generates the lead (even if the lead is not related to department they work in)

Customers Journey Scenario 3: Customer bought something and needs it installed.

Customer bought the product. He comes to the Service Desk or Pro Desk and asks about the DIFM service. Associate generates the lead.

Customers Journey Scenario 4: Customer asks Associate in the Aisle for DIFM recommendation 4A: Associate generates a lead on their First Phone.

4B: If the First Phone is not available Associate walks with the customer to the desk with computer (the nearest or in quietest area) and generates the lead.

4B 4C

4C: If the associate doesn’t feel comfortable with generating leads they walk around and look for superior for help.

4A

4D

4D: If the associate is busy with other duties, they send the customer to the Specialty Desk, Pro Desk, or Service Desk. The lead is generated from there.

Where are Pro Referral Leads generated in the store?

There are differences in the layout, but what is inside is generally the same.

All stores have Department aisles, Service Desk, Pro Desk, Specialty Desks, Checkouts.

Where are PR leads being generated in the store?

San Carlos Store: average 5 PR leads per week, Location of Associates who generated many PR leads within last month:

Flooring 6

Service Desk 4

Millwork 2

Pro Desk 2

Why are PR leads being generated mostly at the Pro Desk, Service Desk, and Specialty Desks?

1. For the customers who just entered the store, Pro Desk and Service Desk are generally the first place customers see associates willing to help. This was observed in 4 out of 5 stores visited.

2. There are not enough first phones on the floor. Even if the associate has access to one, they might not know how to navigate Service Connect through it. The Process of learning how to submit Pro Referral lead can easily be forgotten if not practiced by new hired associates. In that case associates send customers to desks.

3. Customers are being sent to associates who are more experienced in generating leads. Associates at specialty departments have more experience in generating leads in general. Due to their experience they are better skilled in recommending the service even for customers who don’t ask about it first and even for services not related to their departments.

4. Associates working on the floor have many duties, and aren’t necessarily as experienced navigating Service Connect on the first phone; therefore, they send customers to the desks.

5. Frequent Customers know that Home Depot has relationships with Pros so they call Pro Desk, Service Desk, or Specialty Desk for Pro recommendation. Associate generates the lead on their

desktop while talking with the Customer on the phone.

What are customers emotions while asking for DIFM recommendation in the store? How do they differ based on who generates the lead?

Customers emotions while generating PR lead in the store: • Confidence: Customers trust Home Depot to have relationships with Pros and look forward to recommendations • Disappointment: Customers expect Pros to contact them sooner, feel disappointed if Associate informs them that it takes up to 48 hours. Some of them are also disappointed that the Pro contacts them right-away while customer is still in the store.

• Trust: The information about being insured and bonded is highly valued by customers

Customers emotions while generating PR lead at the Pro Desk: • Expectation: Customers expect that Home Depot has relationships with Pros and this is why they look for DIFM recommendations at the Pro Desk. At some stores, inexperienced or busy Associates working in the aisles send customers to the Pro Desk.

• Waiting time: “Pro Desks tend to be very busy. More leads are being generated at the Pro Desk over the evenings and weekends, when there are not so many Pros in the store” • Discomfort: “It can be intimidating in here.

There are busy Pros around carrying lots of stuff waiting at the same line as customers, and those carts in this area are very noisy.”

Customers emotions while generating PR lead at the Service Desk: • Expectation: Customers expect that Home Depot has relationships with Pros and this is why they look for DIFM recommendations at the Pro Desk. At some stores inexperienced or busy Associates working at the aisles send customers to the Service Desk.

• Waiting time: Service Desks are usually very busy.

Customers have to wait here to be able to talk to the associate. Some of them are calling in and it also takes time for the associate to pick up the phone and generate the lead. At times customers will walk out of the store if Service Desk is overloaded. • Comfort: Generally Associates at the Service Desk are better trained in Customer Service which leads them to offering better experience for the customer.

Customers emotions while generating PR lead at the Specialty Desk: • Expectation: Customers expect that Home Depot has experienced specialists offering broad services and this is why they look for DIFM recommendations at the Specialty Desks. Generally inexperienced or busy Associates working at the aisles send customers to the Specialty Desks. • Comfort: Generally specialty desks are in areas that are more quiet and allow for comfortable conversation between customers and experienced specialists. Specialist Associates generally have also more time to explain how the service works and give additional advices based on their knowledge. • Professionalism: specialty Associates are usually experienced in the area of their expertise. They tend to connect with customers on the conversation level, and generate leads from there.

Customers Emotions while generating PR lead in the Aisle: • Expectation: Customers expect that Home Depot has relationships with Pros and this is why they ask associates in the aisles for DIFM recommendations.

• Looking for available Associates: Aisle Associates are usually very busy. Customers have to look for them and/or wait for them to assist other customers.

• Inexperienced or busy Associates: Associates who are newly hired or busy tend to send customers who need DIFM recommendation to the desks. (Pro desk, Service Desk, Specialty Desks).

• Devices: Even though theoretically every department owns at least one first phone, not every Associate in the aisles has access to it due to many circumstances. If there is no first phone in hand and the Associate knows how to navigate SC, he/she visits the nearest (or the quietest space with) desktop computer together with customer. It makes him leave their department for some time and other customers may assume there is nobody in the aisle at all who could assist them.

What is the difference between Associate working in the Aisle and Specialty Associate? Why do Aisle Associate struggle with generating PR leads?

vs

Aisle Associate:

Specialty Associate:

• Doesn’t use Service Connect a lot

• Knows Service Connect very well

• Theoretically owns first phone, but not always.

Even if they do, the might not know how to navigate Service Connect through it.

• Desktop computer is always available nearby

• Has less expertise in the field • Greater rotation: more new hires • Generally more busy with other duties than submitting leads

• Has more expertise in the field • Operates phone so can submit leads also when someone calls in • Generally less busy with other duties than submitting leads

Why does Aisle Associate struggle with generating PR leads?

• Associates in the Aisles have other duties: assisting customers with finding and choosing products, stocking products.

• They have usually only one first phone per department, so their access to SC is limited in the area of their department.

• They are usually not tech-savvy • They might have minimal expertise of the services related to their department • There are many new hires, so they usually don’t have experience with generating leads.

General Findings: • 7 out of 10 customers don’t interact with associates at all • PR categories throw Associates off • In Daly City only Service Desk and Pro Desk generate PR leads • Associates are curious what happens after they submitted the lead for the customer (The want to know whether the lead went through, whether all selected pros contacted the customer and whether customer chose some pro to do the work).

• ”50% of customers will buy a product only after receiving quote of installment” • “It takes forever for SC to load”

Opportunities

What can we improve?

Consider the opportunity for lead generation at checkout (installing service options could automatically show on cashier’s desktop based on what customer bought) and/or provide information about ProReferral.com on the receipt.

Don’t expect every Associate to submit leads; however, all Associates should be

expected to know how to submit leads.

Provide some alternative for customers who don’t want to wait in line for Pro Desk and/or Service Desk associates (iPad for Customers, Kiosk, Chatbot, etc.)

Ask associates in Aisles to send Customers to Pro Desk only in the evenings and weekends, other times to Specialty Desk, Service Desk, or to the alternative solution

(iPad for Customers, Kiosk, Chatbot, etc.)

Provide the opportunity for the customer to choose the time frame within which they prefer to be called by the Pro after submitting the lead.

Provide an update for the Associate if the lead they generated was successful (Pros contacted Customer and Customer chose one of them to do the work). This might boost Associates motivation to generate more leads in the future.

Improve usability of Service Connect and Pro Referral for Associates. Make the interface easy to learn and use at both Smartphone and Desktop (also those with touch screen in Paint Desks), improve search and browse functions.

Summary

What are the conclusions?

• There are 4 possible In-Store Customer Scenarios for generating the lead.

• PR leads are generated mostly at the Pro Desk, Service Desk, and Specialty Desk.

• Customers emotions while asking for DIFM recommendation in the store differ based on which type of Associate generates the lead.

• Aisle Associates struggle with generating PR lead due to lack of experience, lack of practice in generating the lead, the need for performing other tasks, lack of access to devices in their department, and high retention.

There are 4 possible In-Store Customer Scenarios for generating the lead.

• Scenario 1: Customer knows upfront they need a service.

1A: Customer finds THD customer service phone number on HD.com and calls Service Desk, Pro Desk, or Specialty Desk.

Associate generates the lead on their desktop while on the phone with the customer.

1B: Customer enters THD and asks first available Associate about the service. Associate generates the lead.

• Scenario 2: Customer learns about DIFM opportunities from Specialty Associate 2A: Specialty Associate asks Customer if they need something (proactive), and generates the lead after conversation (even if the lead is not related to department they work in) 2B: Customer asks Specialty Associate about DIFM service, Specialty Associate generates the lead (even if the lead is not related to department they work in) • Scenario 3: Customer bought something and needs it installed.

Customer bought the product. He comes to the Service Desk or Pro Desk and asks about the DIFM service. Associate generates the lead.

• Scenario 4: Customer asks Associate in the Aisle for DIFM recommendation 4A: Associate generates a lead on their First Phone.

4B: If the First Phone is not available Associate walks with the customer to the desk with computer (the nearest or in quietest area) and generates the lead.

4C: If the associate doesn’t feel comfortable with generating leads they walk around and look for superior for help.

4D: If the associate is busy with other duties, they send the customer to the Specialty Desk, Pro Desk, or Service Desk. The lead is generated from there.

PR leads are generated mostly at the Pro Desk, Service Desk, and Specialty Desk.

•

For the customers who just entered the store, Pro Desk and Service Desk are the first place customers see associates willing to help.

•

There are not enough first phones on the floor. Even if the associate owns one, they might not know how to navigate SC through it. Process of learning how to submit PR lead can easily be forgotten if not practiced by new hired associates. It that case associates send customers to desks.

•

Customers are being sent to associates who are more experienced in generating leads. Associates at specialty departments have more experience in generating leads in general. Due to their experience they are better skilled in recommending the service even for customers who don’t ask about it first and even for services not related to their departments.

•

Associates are often missing in the allies due to performing other duties on the floor, are not enough tech-savvy, or are busy with helping other customers so the Customer who wants DIFM service looks for help on their own, usually finding

Associates at the desks.

•

Frequent Customers know that Home Depot has relationships with Pros so they call Pro Desk, Service Desk, or Specialty Desk for Pro recommendation. Associate generates the lead on their desktop while talking with the Customer on the phone

phone.

Customers emotions while asking for DIFM recommendation in the store differ based on who generates the lead.

•

Lead Generation by Specialty Associate is the most comfortable and professional. Generally specialty desks are in areas that are more quiet and allow for comfortable conversation between customers and experienced specialists. Specialist Associates generally have also more time to explain how the service works and give additional advices based on their knowledge.

•

Lead Generation by the Associate in the Aisle is the least comfortable and unprofessional.

•

Lead Generation at the Pro Desk can be intimidating due to proximity to many Pros. There are busy Pros around carrying lots of stuff waiting at the same line as customers, and those carts in this area are very noisy. More leads are being generated at the Pro Desk over the evenings and weekends, when there are not so many Pros in the store

•

Both Pro Desk and Customer Desk are very busy and it forces the customer to wait in line. At times customers will walk out of the store if Service Desk and/or Pro Desk are overloaded.