Research Proposal: How Airbnb can help guests find a better match

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Research Proposal: How Airbnb can help guests find a better match"

Louise Gardner
7 years ago
Views:

1 Research Prpsal: Hw Airbnb can help guests find a better match Researchers: Kudzai Chinyadza (kchinyad@indiana.edu), Jiaqi Li (li396@iu.edu), Urvashi Gupta(ugupta@indiana.edu) Stakehlders: Lead Ux designer, Prduct Manager, Marketing, Head Develper, Custmer Service Manager Research Study Duratin Study Dates May 5 - June Intrductin The study will be a mnth lng prject, with three full time researchers dedicated t the study. Custmer service has been receiving a lt f cmplaints frm users during r after their stay. Sme f the cmplaints include misleading phts, hsts nt respnding t maintenance issues during the stay e.t.c. The general cmplaints have lead us t assume that there is a gap between what users are expecting t what they are actually experiencing. Gals f the Study The gal f this study is t research ways in which Airbnb can imprve hw guests get their infrmatin abut a ptential rental frm the website. We are lking fr steps that can be taken t imprve the match between guests and hsts. The end gal is t bridge the gap between guests expectatins and the reality. Research Subjects Smetimes the guest behaves differently than what the hst expected r desired and the ppsite is als true. Hwever, we decided t fcus nly the guests side f issues because f the fllwing reasns Once the hst has put up the infrmatin abut his rental n the website, the nly infrmatin that the hst is unaware f is the guest. But the guest is unaware f bth the rental as well as the hst. Thrugh secndary research, we fund that mst f the cmplaints abut mismatch ccur frm the guests end. Given the limited time f ne mnth that we have, research n bth ends wuld nt have been pssible. Hence, thrugh ur research we are trying t understand what issues the guests are facing because f a mismatch and hw it can be imprved thrugh the website. Questins we are trying t answer thrugh ur research This is the verall questin we are trying t answer: Hw can Airbnb reduce surprises and clsely match guests expectatins thrugh infrmatin prvided by the website. The fllwing are specific questins we are trying t answer: Fr Guests

2 1. Hw clse were yur experience with yur expectatins 2. What kind f infrmatin d yu want t knw frm the website? 3. What kind f questins d yu ask the hst thrugh ? 4. What are the questins yu wish yu asked befre the reservatin? 5. What surprised yu when yu lived there? 6. What steps did yu take t ensure a perfect match befre reservatin? a. Hw d yu use currently existing infrmatin n website t chse the hst yu want t get in tuch with? 7. D yu read the huse rules very carefully? 8. When d yu read the huse rules? 9. D yu think yu have behaved differently than what was expected during any f yur experiences? Fr Airbnb 10. What are the mst cmmn cmplaints that yu get frm guests? 11. D peple call t enquire abut the hsts befre reservatin? Participants We have restricted the demgraphic f subjects t San Francisc t save time and mney. We als believe that the insights that we are expecting t receive frm the research is gegraphy independent. The issues being faced by guests because f mismatch are similar arund the glbe. Incentives fr participants Since the participants we will be recruiting are part f ur cre users, we will give them discunted rates n their stays in additin t a mnetary gift that wuld be awarded at the end f the study.

3 Timeline M T W Th F M T W Th F PD PD PD PD PD P CS CS P Rc+Sc Rc+Sc P Rc+Sc Rc+Sc H G H G Week 1 1. Send ut survey 2. Recruit subjects thrugh survey, facebk, craigslist, pster, phne call (less) and schedule 4. Analyze data 5. Cnduct pre-stay interviews with guests Week 2 1. Cnduct pre-stay and pst-stay interviews with guests 2. Cnduct interviews with ther guests wh had bad experience abu - M T W Th F M T W Th F PD PD PD PD FG FG H G H G G FG Week 3 1. Same with week 2 Week 4 1. Cnduct pst-stay interviews with guests 2. Cnduct fcused grup interviews 3. Analyze all the data

4 Perid - 1 mnth Researchers - 3 ; R1,R2,R3 Week 1 - METHODS Survey, Interviews and Subject recruitment. Survey : During the first week f the research, we plan t send ut survey via t all the peple wh have used Airbnb befre, arund the glbe. This is t get an initial verview f the issues being faced by the guests because f a mismatch. WHY SURVEY Thrugh surveys, we can cver wider demgraphic. The Insights we get frm the surveys can infrm ur next step f the research. Thrugh the survey, we are als trying t recruit peple fr the research. Initial quick and dirty research. Cheap Peple (Guests) wh have used Airbnb in the past WHEN Surveys t be sent n Tuesday and Reminder t be sent ut n Thursday. (Research suggests the right days t send surveys DATA ANALYSIS Friday R1, R2, R3 INCENTIVE Lucky draw fr a chance t win free trip Mnetary incentive fr Pht Diary Studies Subject Recruitment :

5 15 Guests t cnduct pht diary studies ver the next 2 weeks Ideal- we wuld like t have all the participants wh can start a trip in the next 2 weeks (spnsred by Airbnb) s that we can cnduct cntextual inquiry with them t. Backup - Peple wh have already made reservatins and are flying int San Francisc during the next 2 weeks. Instead f cntextual Inquiry, we wuld have nly the pre interviews with these peple. Interviews with the custmer service department T understand the majr issues guests are cmplaining abut R1 Custmer service f Airbnb Pre interviews and cntextual Inquiry Subjects wh are starting their pht diary studies ver the weekend r early next week Week 2 and 3 METHODS - Cntextual Inquiry, Interviews and Pht Diary Studies Cntextual Inquiry T understand hw peple are using the website t make reservatins and if there are issues faced by them Peple recruited the previus week t cnduct pht diary studies

6 Pht diary studies T understand issues faced by the guests while they are engaged in the experiences. Subjects recruited the previus week 15 recruited subjects Fllw up interviews fllw up interview t understand their experiences in detail Interviews T understand experiences and issues faced by guests and hsts in the past 10 guests and 5 hsts living in San Francisc; wh have used the website befre. R1 Week 4 METHODS - Interviews, Fcus grup, Data Analysis Fllw up Interviews fllw up interview t understand their experiences in detail Fcus Grup T have the guests and hsts cme tgether and discuss their experiences

7 Guests and hsts f the last week Expectatins Understanding f the surces f issues being faced by the guests. Design implicatins which Airbnb shuld use t imprve rental Infrmatin prvided thrugh the website t the guests. Imprvement in the verall match between guests and hsts. Future strategy Understand the surces f issues faced by the hsts and imprve the website further.

Getting Started Guide

AnswerDash Resurces http://answerdash.cm Cntextual help fr sales and supprt Getting Started Guide AnswerDash is cmmitted t helping yu achieve yur larger business gals. The utlined pre-launch cnsideratins