F50 Checklist

The Challenge - 2016

In China, Uber encountered a distinct challenge. With the introduction of ZYJ—a revolutionary background check system that streamlined the verification process from days to mere minutes—the driver onboarding process was significantly expedited. However, this efficiency inadvertently led to many drivers, particularly those with minimal commitment, diving into the app's intricacies without adequate preparation or training. Coupled with the natural apprehension of undertaking their inaugural trip, this saw a notable attrition rate among drivers. The most pronounced drop-offs were observed between the stages of activation-to-first-trip and the journey from the first trip to the 50th.

This challenge was addressed as a component of a broader initiative geared toward ensuring that every activated driver completes at least 50 trips. For a deeper dive into strategies employed from activation to the first trip, kindly refer to the Guided First Trip segment.

The Significance of 50 Trips:

Our data analysis unveiled a consistent trend: high-value drivers invariably completed a minimum of 50 trips within their initial 28 days on the platform. Recognizing this behavioral pattern, we aimed to establish this "50-trip" milestone as a pivotal goal, fostering a sense of habit and commitment among new drivers on our platform.

Role

Serving as the Design Lead for Uber China Growth's Driver Engagement team, I collaborated closely with a diverse set of professionals. This included a Product Manager, a specialized Chinese Content Strategist, the operations team stationed in China, and the Allocation and Map team at Uber's global headquarters.

Process

Following the successful implementation of the Guided First Trip, our next objective was to craft an equally streamlined and targeted experience. Moreover, we aimed to weave in elements of gamification, enhancing engagement and reinforcing the sentiment that driving with Uber offers not just monetary but also emotional rewards. We held several meetings to define milestones and features for drivers.

Result

We introduced a 28-day challenge targeting 50 trips. By creating a focused in-app experience, we believe that drivers will reach the magic number and thus become less likely to churn.

Within the challenge, different features are released at different stages of the challenge to help reduce the learning curve of digesting all these features at once. For example, forward dispatch is introduced after 5 trips and pool dispatch is only introduced after 15 trips.

To ease the learning curve, we gradually introduced features during the challenge. For instance, forward dispatch becomes available after 5 trips, while pool dispatch emerges post the 15-trip mark.

Bonus missions were intertwined with milestones to amplify user satisfaction. Refer to the accompanying image for a glimpse of the celebratory animation tied to mission completion. Furthermore, operational teams across cities have the flexibility to customize incentive amounts.