{"id":1640,"date":"2020-12-07T13:45:46","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T12:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.serenagiust.com\/?post_type=portfolio&p=1640"},"modified":"2020-12-22T11:39:44","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T10:39:44","slug":"inform-guests-temporarily-closed-facilities","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/www.serenagiust.com\/en\/portfolio\/inform-guests-temporarily-closed-facilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Help guests make better informed decisions by letting them know when certain facilities are temporarily closed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Goal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Help guests make better informed decisions <\/strong>by letting them know when certain facilities are temporarily closed<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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*designer Alex des Forges<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Problem:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It may happen that in some periods certain facilities or services are temporarily closed, such as the outdoor swimming pool. If so, it\u2019s important to let people know about it, otherwise this can negatively impact the ratings of a property. There\u2019s a challenge though: this type of message will discourage people from booking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can we balance user needs and business priorities?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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First attempt:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I worked with my designer and we decided to inform people regarding facilities or services temporarily closed using a long explicative copy on a red banner, placed on top of the relevant picture. The aim was to provide as much information as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outcome: <\/strong>the A\/B test experiment result was strongly negative, we noticed a drop in conversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learnings<\/strong>: we should not show this message to everyone, some people might not be interested in that specific facility or time period.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Second attempt:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We changed different elements here, including copy. I\u2019ve decided not to show the full sentence including dates of closure but keeping it simple and short, easier to translate. I wrote \u201cTemporarily closed\u201d<\/em> next to the facility. The message is shown only if the facilities are closed during the user’s search period. If the user is interested, there\u2019s a tooltip to read all the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outcome<\/strong>: fewer people are booking properties with temporarily closed facilities, but at the same time there was no drop in conversion. People are now booking alternative properties, and making more informed decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learnings<\/strong>: we should not show this message to everyone, some people might not be interested in that specific facility or time period.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Third Attempt:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We tried to highlight this copy also on the search page. In this case, I\u2019ve decided to show the full sentence for people filtering for that specific facility and time period, so that they are fully aware of the dates of closure. This information is essential for them at this stage, to compare between properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outcome<\/strong>: people are booking alternative properties with open facilities. We also noticed fewer customer service complaints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learnings<\/strong>: we are setting the right expectations and people are making informed decisions. With less customer service complaints, we also brought value to the business.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Messages for our partners, tone of voice:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While I was trying to improve clarity for guests on the website, I also informed our partners regarding the changes we were making. The key elements of my communication with partners are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n