Unzipped: FlixTrain - UX and CX Evaluation
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Context
In March, I'm heading to Hannover for a day with a friend, using this trip to delve into the User Experience (UX) and Customer Experience (CX) of FlixTrain. My preference for train travel stems from its safety and my commitment to sustainability, making FlixTrain an ideal choice for my ongoing exploration of Germany. This journey isn't just about sightseeing; it's an opportunity to evaluate how FlixTrain caters to eco-conscious travelers like myself, focusing on everything from the digital booking experience to the onboard services. This short trip to Hannover is part of my broader mission to discover Germany’s diversity, assess sustainable travel options, and enhance my insights as a UX designer.
Evaluation Process
FlixTrain, as part of the broader FlixBus ecosystem, offers train services across Germany, aiming to provide an eco-friendly, efficient, and comfortable travel experience. My evaluation will focus on both the digital touchpoints — spanning PC, mobile, and tablet interfaces — and the real-world service onboard FlixTrain's green trains.
Digital Experience Evaluation
Website Interface on PC
Homepage & Navigation
Search Functionality
Booking Process
Payment Process
Account Creation and Management
Customer Support
Mobile & Tablet App Experience
App Onboarding
Performance & Speed
User Interface Design
Offline Functionality
Cross-platform Consistency
Advanced Features
Real-World Service Evaluation
Pre-Journey
Station Signage and Information
Onboard Experience
Boarding Process
Seating Comfort and Availability
Onboard Amenities
Cleanliness and Maintenance
Ticket Inspection Process
On-train Information
Accessibility
Post-Journey
Feedback Mechanism
Issue Resolution
Desktop Experience
Homepage & Navigation Impressions:
The homepage of FlixTrain presents a user-friendly interface with a focus on travel planning and service offerings. Key features include trip planner, route map, service details, real-time information, and customer support links. The site emphasizes affordability, convenience, and sustainability, highlighting cheap ticket options, onboard amenities, and eco-friendly travel choices. The navigation is structured to facilitate easy access to information on routes, timetables, and ticket purchasing, aiming to enhance the user experience for both planning and booking journeys.
P.S. FlixTrain gets an advantage of upcoming Rail Strike informing passengers that their busses and trains depart as scheduled at the top of the Homepage.
Ideas for Improvement:
FlixTrain's homepage features a network coverage map to showcase its route options. However, even on a 27-inch screen, the details, particularly for destinations within the densely packed NRW region, are difficult to discern. Although there is a list of stops for each route, users must frequently switch between browser tabs to pinpoint locations accurately.
Implementing an Interactive Route Map with zoom capabilities could significantly improve user experience.
Search Functionality
On the homepage, you can swiftly plan your journey with suggestions and recent searches as you type in your departure and arrival locations. However, the "Explore the map" feature might lead to some confusion since it showcases bus routes instead of trains, which could mislead customers looking specifically for train travel. Additionally, the passenger limit is peculiar—42 for adults and children, but only 5 for bikes, which might not accommodate larger groups with multiple bikes without splitting their booking.
Ideas for Improvement:
Ensure the "Explore the map" feature includes both bus and train options to avoid confusion.
Revisit and adjust the passenger and bike limits to accommodate diverse group sizes more flexibly or add option for those who require specific needs.
Search Results
The search function initially displays a combination of bus and train options, with the flexibility to switch to trains only. Additional filters allow users to refine searches based on departure/arrival times, direct routes or those with connections, price, etc. The results conveniently highlight key details like price per person, journey duration, number of connections, and the start and end points, with the lowest prices prominently marked.
Ideas for Improvement:
Implement visual markers or color-coding to more clearly differentiate between bus and train options in the search results.
Booking & Payment
The current booking system on FlixTrain's website does not enforce strict checks on the formatting of customer names, which may lead to potential issues if ID checks are implemented in the future. Customers have the option to choose and book specific seats, including those with a table or extra space, and add additional luggage, although these options do not seem to be rigorously enforced at the moment.
Payment options are accessible, with support for popular methods like Google Pay and PayPal. The final price, including a service fee, is visible, ensuring transparency. But there is less payment options available on website comparing to the apps.
Ideas for Improvement:
Introduce a validation step to ensure that names are entered in a standardized format, possibly by including a gentle prompt for users to check that names match their IDs to prevent any future travel issues.
Seat Reservation UI: Center the seat reservation pop-up on the screen to make it more visually accessible and balanced.
Luggage Verification: Consider implementing a luggage check to ensure that customers are bringing only what they've indicated during the booking.
Payment Options Consistency: Evaluate the possibility of aligning the payment options available on the website with those on the mobile app for consistency.
Mobile Experience
General, Onboarding, Performance
The FlixBus & FlixTrain app mirrors the website, ensuring a consistent user experience across platforms. It operates with good speed and performance, without noticeable lags.
The app does not currently support user accounts or synchronization across devices, which could streamline the experience for frequent travelers.
Key features include in-app ticket storage, booking management, help resources, and locating nearby stops.
It offers a broader range of payment options compared to the website.
The app directly immerses users into its features without an onboarding process, catering to both new and returning users who prefer to dive straight into the app's functionalities.
Ideas for Improvement:
Introduce user accounts for personalized experiences and cross-device synchronization.
Implement an onboarding process for new users for a guided introduction to the app’s features.
Explore the possibility of integrating loyalty programs or rewards for frequent users.
User Interface Design
The FlixBus app employs an energetic green theme consistent across its interface, enhancing the brand's visual identity.
The user experience is streamlined through a navigation bar with clear icons for key features like booking, ticket management, and stop locations.
Despite its strengths, the app lacks a dark mode, which could help minimize eye strain.
Some icons and tags, particularly "fast" and "express," could be clarified as their meaning may vary.
Furthermore, improving text readability and contrast in some areas would enhance accessibility.
Ideas for Improvement:
Clearly distinguish between 'Bus' and 'Train' tabs in the search results to prevent user confusion.
Increase the font size across various screens to enhance readability, especially for users with visual impairments.
Implement a dark theme to reduce eye strain during use in low-light conditions.
Clarify the meaning of 'Express' and 'Fast' tags, as they can be misleading due to varying travel durations.
Introduce country flags next to search results to confirm the user's selected location accurately.
Differentiate icons for destinations to easily distinguish between major cities and smaller towns.
Offline Functionality
The FlixBus app's offline functionality allows access to purchased tickets, displaying trip details and a QR code for train personnel verification.
However, the inability to find nearby stops offline is a drawback, particularly for those traveling without data plans.
Additionally, offline users cannot access the Help and FAQ sections, which limits support.
Ideas for Improvement:
Implement caching for key help topics and FAQs for offline use.
Provide an offline list of customer service phone numbers for assistance without internet.
Offer offline maps for major stops.
iOS
Android
iOS
Android
iOS
Android
iOS
Android
Cross Platform Consistency
The FlixBus app presents a cohesive experience across iOS and Android with similar functionalities.
The app currently lacks a tablet-specific design, leading to a suboptimal user experience on these devices. Interface elements on tablets may simply appear as enlarged versions of the phone interface, or they might be centered on the screen without making full use of the available space.
However, differences do emerge in aspects such as iconography, text sizes, navigation approaches, illustrations, and available amenities, like the toilet icon present on iOS but missing on Android.
Although price discrepancies between platforms were noted in the past, they appear to have been resolved.
Ideas for Improvement:
Standardize icons and amenities information across both platforms for consistency.
Adjust text sizes for better readability on different devices.
Ensure uniformity in navigation and illustration styles to avoid confusion.
Continuously monitor and address any platform-specific disparities in pricing or features.
Dedicated Tablet experience
Tablet (Android)
Tablet (Android)
Advanced Features and Additional Insights
Currently, the FlixTrain app lacks advanced features, operating with a minimalist approach, but it can enhance its app to improve customer satisfaction without incurring high expenses.
Implementing in-app entertainment, such as access to music, e-books, or movies, would improve the travel experience without substantial costs, potentially funded through partnerships or a freemium model.
Personalized recommendations based on user preferences can further customize the travel experience. These features would offer practical benefits to users, such as aiding in trip planning and helping to discover local hidden gems, thereby enhancing the overall value of the FlixTrain service.
A loyalty rewards program can incentivize frequent travel, translating into consistent revenue.
Travel disruption alerts keep passengers informed, reducing stress and building trust in the service.
An environmental impact tracker could appeal to eco-conscious customers by showing the carbon footprint savings of train travel, promoting the brand's commitment to sustainability.
Real World Experience Evaluation
Pre-Journey
Station Signage and Information
Onboard Experience
Boarding Process
Seating Comfort and Availability
Onboard Amenities
Cleanliness and Maintenance
Ticket Inspection Process
On-train Information
Accessibility
Post-Journey
Feedback Mechanism
Issue Resolution
Pre-Journey
Considering FlixTrain's position as a low-cost carrier, the pre-journey customer experience is notably efficient.
Passengers receive timely email and app notifications a day before travel, ensuring awareness of their upcoming journey.
While the lack of dedicated FlixTrain ticket machines or service centers at stations could seem like a gap, the provision of information desks, comprehensive app support, and clear station displays with audio announcements competently fill this void.
The introduction of a pre-journey checklist within the app is an excellent tool, ensuring passengers are fully prepared for their trip.
But real-time train tracking doesn't show live location, working with a notable time-lag.
Boarding, Comfort, Amenities
The efficiency of the boarding process is commendable, facilitated by clear information on displays and within the app regarding car placement on the platform.
Assigned seating streamlines the boarding process, though the seats are best suited for short trips. The lack of recline and limited leg space for taller individuals can lead to discomfort on journeys longer than 4 hours. The "Extra space" seats don't seem to offer a noticeable difference.
The provision of electricity outlets is a plus; however, the Wi-Fi service is unreliable, with accessibility issues noted during the journey.
The challenge of accommodating large, heavy suitcases is noted, particularly when overhead shelves are used as a solution. This practice raises safety concerns, especially in overcrowded conditions, as luggage could fall.
Ideas for Improvement:
Redesigning or adjusting seats to offer better support and the option to recline could improve long-distance travel comfort. At least for new or modernised train cars.
Ensuring reliable Wi-Fi connectivity onboard to keep passengers connected throughout their journey.
Clearly define and enhance the extra space seating option to offer tangible benefits over standard seating.
More spacious overhead storage.
Cleanliness, Ticket inspection
The cleanliness of the FlixTrain cars during your journey, both from Berlin to Hannover and the return trip, underscores the efficiency of the cleaning protocols, ensuring a pleasant travel environment even at full capacity. The well-maintained toilets, equipped with essentials like water, soap, toilet paper, and paper towels, as well as special seat covers, significantly contribute to the overall positive experience, particularly noting the attention to details that enhance comfort and hygiene for all passengers, including women.
It's important to note, however, that the condition of the train also depends on the passengers' tidiness during the journey.
The ticket inspection, conducted by a friendly inspector, proceeded without any issues. However, it was noted that the inspector was dressed in casual, somewhat untidy clothes.
Ideas for Improvement:
Standardized dress code for inspectors to ensure a professional appearance, which could include neat, branded uniforms. This would help maintain the service's professionalism and ensure passengers can easily identify staff members.
On-train Information, Accessibility
Information aboard the train is communicated solely through audio announcements by the crew, with no visual displays for assistance. This approach proved challenging, especially during a significant delay on the return journey, where visual screens could have provided clearer, more accessible updates.
Additionally, while the app offers updates, there's noticeable lag, making it less reliable for real-time information.
The FlixTrain website and app provides information for passengers with reduced mobility, outlining services and accommodations like designated seating and accessible toilets. It specifies the process for booking assistance and traveling with wheelchairs, service animals, or assistants.
Ideas for Improvement:
Introduce visual information screens for updates and delays.
Enhance the app for real-time, accurate journey updates with minimal lag.
Detailed guidance on navigating stations and trains.
Online booking option for wheelchair-accessible seats to reduce reliance on customer service calls, and enhanced on-board assistance for a more seamless travel experience.
Enhancing digital accessibility and providing clearer, step-by-step online resources could significantly improve the pre-journey planning phase for passengers with reduced mobility .
Post-Journey
For the journey to the destination, everything proceeded on time, providing a seamless travel experience. However, on the return trip, there was a departure delay of 15 minutes, resulting in an arrival that was 33 minutes late.
After the journey I received an email to rate the trip, and subsequently, a voucher was offered as compensation for the delay.
Ideas for Improvement:
Enhance communication around delays, providing real-time updates and clearer explanations.
Conclusion
Reflecting on my journey with FlixTrain, I felt a blend of satisfaction and recognition of potential areas for enhancement. It served as a low-budget alternative to Deutsche Bahn, offering commendable value for the price of the tickets. Given FlixTrain's budget-friendly model, my expectations were managed accordingly, yet pleasantly met, affirming the service's worthiness.
Getting used to the frequent delays and cancellations that often accompany rail travel, the delay experienced during our return didn't significantly worsen my perception. Recognizing that FlixTrain isn't at fault for infrastructure challenges, it's evident how such delays can detract from the overall customer experience.
The trips to Hannover and Celle unveiled new facets of Germany, enriching my travel experience. These visits wouldn't have been without FlixTrain's service.
Looking forward, I'm optimistic about FlixTrain's journey towards expanding its network, offering more routes, and solidifying its stance as a viable and affordable alternative in the railway sector.
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