Touchless UX: Small Business use of QR codes during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Grant, Hayley (2020)
Grant, Hayley
2020
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020120325973
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020120325973
Tiivistelmä
Due to the drastic effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on small, non-essential businesses in the United States, businesses in the restaurant and retail sector have had to adapt their services and offerings in order to keep up with strategy and meet customer needs. This study looks at the decision-making process and adoption of four businesses in Lexington, Ky to convert their high touchpoint activities into “touchless” digital solutions using QR codes.
Research was conducted with two restaurant and two retail businesses with owners being interviewed as well as ethnographic research conducted to ensure observational validity. Insights into the deciding factors of why QR was chosen over other digital solutions, process of adopting QR code and the positives and friction points of this decision demonstrate the changes the businesses endured because of the pandemic.
Results are shown with customer journey maps built off of mental models coded from interviews conducted by the author on the business owners, and supporting data was collected through 20 hours of ethnographic research and observation in each environment. Results were verified and reviewed by the participating businesses to ensure validity and reliability.
This thesis concludes by stating that the motivating factors behind the decision to adapt services and other consumer actions to QR codes was customer engagement and safety of staff and customers. The cause of these factors was a decline in sales due in part to closure of “non-essential” businesses from March-May 2020, as well as restrictions on capacity and customer interaction by government mandate.
The choice of QR code above other digital alternatives came as a result of cost-effectiveness, ease of recognition and use as well as meeting business goals of increasing safe and effective customer engagement.
The study was conducted from September to November 2020 with the final report submitted November 2020.
Research was conducted with two restaurant and two retail businesses with owners being interviewed as well as ethnographic research conducted to ensure observational validity. Insights into the deciding factors of why QR was chosen over other digital solutions, process of adopting QR code and the positives and friction points of this decision demonstrate the changes the businesses endured because of the pandemic.
Results are shown with customer journey maps built off of mental models coded from interviews conducted by the author on the business owners, and supporting data was collected through 20 hours of ethnographic research and observation in each environment. Results were verified and reviewed by the participating businesses to ensure validity and reliability.
This thesis concludes by stating that the motivating factors behind the decision to adapt services and other consumer actions to QR codes was customer engagement and safety of staff and customers. The cause of these factors was a decline in sales due in part to closure of “non-essential” businesses from March-May 2020, as well as restrictions on capacity and customer interaction by government mandate.
The choice of QR code above other digital alternatives came as a result of cost-effectiveness, ease of recognition and use as well as meeting business goals of increasing safe and effective customer engagement.
The study was conducted from September to November 2020 with the final report submitted November 2020.