Designing Copilot: A better customer and repair technician experience at UBREAKIFIX stores

In 2019, I joined the product design team at Asurion in Nashville where I primarily worked inside Home Management and Network Scan teams. Inside these two teams I led remote and in-person user research, as well as designed workflows and prototypes for conceptual and production web and mobile applications.

Asurion and UBREAKIFIX, the nation's largest chain of electronics repair stores, wanted to explore potential new products and services as well as improve the retail experience for sales associates and customers. I led the design and research efforts to test new conceptual products as well as improve the in-store UBREAKIFIX retail experiences for customers and store technicians.

We conducted in-person interviews across regional franchise stores in Middle Tennessee, talking directly with customers to test new product concepts. We also had in-depth conversations with in-store repair technicians to identify pain points in their customer interactions. Through this research, we uncovered significant challenges, such as customers frequently feeling frustrated with long wait times during device drop-off and pick-up. These findings highlighted a clear opportunity to streamline the process and reduce inefficiencies.

Using rapid prototyping and iterative design in Figma, I explored ideas for “Copilot”, a tablet-based solution aimed at reducing overall customer drop-off and pickup time by an estimated 20% to 30%, improving the check-in process, and enhancing transparency in pricing.

Copilot bridged the gap between customers and technicians, creating a more transparent and engaging in-store experience. We estimated that introducing a self-service check-in experience could reduce overall customer drop-off and pickup time by 50%.

It introduced upsell opportunities within the purchase funnel, benefiting both franchisees and store technicians. The system allowed customers to preview repair costs, add relevant products to their order, and initiate the pick-up process independently. Franchise owners found Copilot attractive because it not only enhanced the overall customer experience but also opened new revenue streams for the business.

This project faced several key challenges. Firstly, securing buy-in from franchise owners was crucial, as their support was essential for implementing the new system across stores. Secondly, the varying levels of customer sophistication across different regions meant that the solution needed to be flexible and adaptable to diverse user needs. Lastly, we encountered difficulties in engaging customers during in-store interviews, which initially limited our ability to gather comprehensive user insights.

These challenges required a thoughtful approach to design and implementation so we focused on creating a user-friendly interface that could cater to different levels of tech-savviness, while also demonstrating clear benefits to franchise owners.

The Copilot concept garnered enthusiasm from customer service representatives and several franchise owners, who recognized its potential to enhance the in-store experience and drive revenue. However, despite this positive reception at the local level, we encountered a significant hurdle at the corporate level. The UBREAKIFIX corporate office was not convinced to adopt the concept, which ultimately prevented its implementation across the network. This outcome highlighted the importance of aligning innovative solutions with corporate strategies and the challenges of introducing new technologies in established franchise systems.

This project deepened my understanding of stakeholder management and the importance of aligning early with corporate goals. In future projects, I've incorporated stakeholder feedback earlier in the design process, ensuring solutions are better aligned with strategic objectives, and have used leaner research methods to keep projects on track.

I also learned the importance of balancing research with project efficiency. While our extensive research provided valuable insights, it may have delayed other critical aspects of the project. Finally, the experience underscored the importance of assessing organizational readiness before initiating large-scale innovations. Asurion, as UBREAKIFIX's new owner, wasn't prepared to allocate resources to the project, emphasizing the need to consider the broader organizational context in future endeavors.