Peloton | Part 2: The Journey to Workout
Previously, I elaborated on how I discovered Peloton as a customer and the value proposition that makes it such a formidable player in the industry. That high-level view does not cover completely what makes Peloton engage and retain users at the impressive rate they do; Peloton’s user experience plays a major role.
I will not go deep into how I was induced to create an account (Peloton offered a 90 day free trial at the time) but will focus on the customer journey within the app once I signed up. I am constantly looking for different journey frameworks but the core framework I tend to use as a base can be found here:
I like to break each stage down into different categories:
Touchpoint - The stage of the journey the customer is in
Customer Needs - Functional needs at this stage of the journey
Customer Feelings - Emotions running through the customer’s mind
Measured Actions/Metrics - From a product perspective, this is what I believe Peloton is optimizing for at this stage
Journey maps are naturally focused on the feelings and needs of the customer. I’m all about getting into the mind of the customer but without anchoring them to key objectives utilizing metrics tied to overall business outcomes, we can lose sight of the business goals. Without evidence that is provided by the data we measure, iterations become all art and not the hybrid of art and science that drives value. Also, when mapping a journey, I look to identify the Aha! moments for both the customer and the product manager.
1. Open the App
2. Choosing a Workout or Filter
3. Using Filters to find a Workout
4. Choosing a Workout after Filter
5. Assessing and Starting a Workout
6. Doing a Workout (Customer Aha! Moment)
7. Workout Complete (Product Manager Aha! Moment)
I like going through journeys as they give me that all-important customer perspective at each step of the process. The customer’s (and my) Aha! moment came when they started their workout and found it to their liking. However, the product manager only had their Aha! moment when the customer completed the workout and/or left a positive rating; these are stronger barometers for customer satisfaction than just starting a workout. I believe that Peloton has a well-optimized flow that leads to strong conversion to appropriate workouts, driving strong customer engagement and retention. However, I do believe there are some improvements that could be made to get the user to the workout in an even more expedient and effective manner. I will next go into how I would improve a particular feature in order to meet customer needs.
