Let's take a deep dive into my check-in experience at a ski resort in Lake Tahoe. I just have been handed my room key card inside of an envelope with the room number written. The hotel receptionist tells me to park my car towards another building.
Sequence of events
I approach elevators, open key card envelope, and view room number.
Emotion: exhausted from travel, anxious to settle in
I enter elevator and press '3'.
Emotion: still tired, anxious, but calm
I arrive on 3rd floor, then check sign. Room # doesn't appear.
I try to decipher my room #.
Emotion: shocked it's missing, confused on what to do
I assume 2nd digit in room # is floor, I go to 4th floor.
Emotion: irritated I wasted time, impatient to find room
I check floor signage and room number appears.
Emotion: relieved, still irritated about detour
Facts
Travel fatigue and pushing heavy cart full of luggage
Assumes first digit of room number is floor number
After not locating it, defers to second digit as floor number
Learns first digit is building number after the fact
Outcomes
Frustrated
Time and energy wasted
Required extra cognitive load and effort
Mental and physical fatigue
Bad customer experience
Possible solutions
Room number legend
Include room number legend next to corresponding floor number button in elevators.
Building digit at end
Include the building digit number at the end of the room number.
Eliminate building digit
Delete building digit from the room number to optimize for high percentage of use cases
Summary
First-time experiences are critical to impression and memory of a system
Frustrating first-impressions will remain in memory after learned behaviors
Provide guidance to customers while minimizing unnecessary decoration
Customers forget what is told to them and will instead try or do on their own
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