UPS Claims Quick Wins
Overview
My Role
UX Designer
The Team
1 Product Manager, 1 Product Owner 8 Software Engineers, 1 UI Designer
Timeline
3 Months August 2021 - October 2021
Background
During the 2020 peak season, UPS managed an average of over 30 million packages daily, requiring the hiring of over 100,000 seasonal employees to accommodate the surge. This increase in volume also led to a rise in claims for lost or damaged packages. To maintain service levels, UPS enhanced customer support to ensure timely issue resolution.
Problem
The UPS claims submission process is overly complex and time-consuming, resulting in customer frustration and low completion rates. Users face unclear communication and long processing times, leading to a poor customer experience and competitive disadvantage for UPS.
The Hypothesis
If we implement quick wins to the claims process by simplifying screens, clarifying navigation, and humanizing language, we can improve completion rates and satisfaction.
Research
We conducted a comprehensive audit of the existing claims submission process to identify friction points and areas of complexity within the user journey. This foundational analysis provided clear insights into current challenges and established a baseline for improvement.
A competitive audit examined how other logistics providers handle claims management, analyzing their approaches and identifying best-in-class practices. Understanding the competitive landscape allowed us to identify opportunities to differentiate UPS and elevate the user experience.
We expanded our research beyond logistics to examine claims processes in adjacent industries, including automotive and insurance. This cross-industry analysis surfaced innovative patterns and practices that could be adapted to create a more intuitive and efficient claims experience for UPS customers.
Findings
Our findings were the claims submission process is complex by design, of the 1.2M users who began the claims process on UPS.com in Q1 2021, only 25% completed it. After removing one screen from the process, this increased to approximately 37% in June 2021. Painful user experience—57 steps on average for the damage flow, taking approximately 15 minutes to complete. 70% of submitted claims are rejected. Unclear communication throughout the flow, including errors, modals, and submission confirmations. Long processing times and unclear post-submission requirements
“of the 1.2M users who began the claims process on UPS.com in Q1 2021, only 25% completed it. After removing one screen from the process, this increased to approximately 37% in June 2021.”
“70% of submitted claims are rejected.”
Solution
To optimize the UPS claims submission process, we focused on eliminating friction and enhancing user experience. We removed unnecessary steps and repositioned confirmation prompts strategically to reduce frustration. The process was simplified by streamlining shipment details based on relevance and pre-populating information where possible.
We cut both total and required input fields in half for the shipper damage flow, significantly reducing cognitive load. We also integrated a reimbursement calculator for clear financial guidance and provided an upfront outline of the claims process to set proper expectations. These improvements created a more intuitive information hierarchy, resulting in a more efficient user journey.
Outcomes
What changed for users?
The claims submission process was simplified, reducing it from an average of 57 steps for the damage flow to a more streamlined process. Shortened flows from 7 pages to 4 pages. Completion time improved from the original ~15 minutes, as evidenced by the significant increase in online submissions. Communication to users was enhanced throughout the flow, addressing previous issues with unclear errors, modals, and submission confirmations. The team implemented clearer requirements and potentially improved processing time post-submission, which was a pain point identified in research.
““Completion rate is up more than 60% since this time last year, and filing is quicker for customers””
These improvements contributed to the dramatic increase in online claim submissions (from 37.7% to 70.8%), suggesting a significantly better user experience.
What changed for the business?
January 2020, 37.7% claims submitted online vs November 2021, 70.8% claims submitted online (globally) Highest on Record!
In November 2021, GBS saved $246,182 as a result of 156,804 more claims being submitted online compared to the previous year. (156,804 claims × $1.57 cost per unit)
2X increase improves the overall experience and reduces cost
““Way to move the “digital” needle for claims on UPS.com AND breaking records along the way!””