Analyzing problems in a Sandwich
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The presentation compares software testing challenges to customer experiences in a sandwich fast food restaurant, highlighting various user issues and inviting testers to reflect on how they could be prevented. It emphasizes the importance of anticipating customer needs and training staff to enhance customer satisfaction while minimizing defects in the service. The document includes numerous examples of customer experiences and learning opportunities for testers to improve service quality.
Analyzing problems in a Sandwich
- 1. Sandwich testing challenge Nilanjan Bhattacharya Counterfactuals
- 2. Overview • In a previous presentation I had listed problems, reported by customers in a desktop software, as an exercise in thinking about testing • In this presentation I list problems faced by a customers in a sandwich fast food restaurant • This presentation can be used for a non-technical audience to appreciate the challenges of testing • Feel free to skip the introductory slides if you’ve seen the previous presentation
- 3. Background Software testing has been compared to games like 20 questions or Pictionary In Pictionary one person draws pictures to describe a card Others try to guess what was on the card
- 4. Practicing thinking Suppose you want to get better at creating clues in Pictionary, you could look at example drawings, which weren’t succesful, and think about what you could do differently In this presentation I show you problems faced by customers of a software product and ask you to think about how you (as a tester) would have thought about those problems
- 5. Instructions User experience I have listed problems that users have faced. Background In some cases I try to give background information Your turn I’ve left a blank slide for you to enter your analysis Learning I then give my analysis There are no scores :-(
- 6. My definition of a defect If a customer experiences even a hint of discomfort or irritation when using the software, and I hadn’t considered that possibility, that is a shortcoming/defect in my thinking. I need to think about how to think about that aspect of the software which resulted in the user discomfort. In my analysis I try to create (generic) rules which will make me think about these issues during testing.
- 7. Application under test Software is complicated. In this example instead of looking at software, I decided to look at the defects customers face in a fast-food sandwich restaurant. This is not a burger restaurant. In this store submarine sandwiches are assembled for each customer Note: I had written a similar article which was focused on software
- 8. Customer experience • Customer wanted Egg mayo with 2 additional scoops of tuna. • She was charged for Tuna with 2 scoops of egg mayo • Staff argued that she would have to pay the higher price
- 9. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 10. Learning • Did I think about the different variations of add-ons? • Did I think someone would combine tuna and egg-mayo? • Given that tuna is more expensive did I think about the confusion that might cause? • As a business did I think about training wait- staff to offer the customer the better option even if it means loosing money?
- 11. Customer experience • Store has run out of bread at 9 pm. Customer is resigned….
- 12. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 13. Learning • This seems like business as usual. I included this purposely to stretch your tester imagination/brain • I should have thought about how the wait- staff can respond to customers. • Can we do anything less vapid than ‘I’m sorry….buh-bye….’? • Can we distribute free coupons? Or more…?
- 14. Learning (contd.) • As a response to this problem business owners/developers may be tempted to write better algorithms to predict when the store will run out. No harm in that. However, you should, at the same time, think about risk and mitigation, i.e., what if the unthinkable happens.
- 15. Customer experience • Store introduces a special promotion – a designer take-away bag. The customer purchases a 6-inch sandwich and while commuting the bag handle breaks
- 16. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 17. Learning • This is one of the issues which could be classified as a ‘defect’ • I can only guess that the people who designed the bag didn’t try to commute with something in the bag
- 18. Customer experience • ‘I can’t submit the survey form at www.*****.sg’
- 19. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 20. Learning • Are there any alternatives if the website fails • Does it start with displaying a phone number on the receipt to call as an alternative? • Should a customer service website fail? Isn’t that terrible?
- 21. Customer experience • Customer: ‘I was told the promotion bags are available only from 2 pm to 5 pm’
- 22. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 23. Learning • I should have anticipated that there would be miscommunication with customers, e.g., terms and conditions are not known • In this case, should the staff have given the bag to the customer? • Should I have modeled all the possible sources of confusion?
- 24. Customer experience • I asked for the bread to be toasted longer, but I was refused…only in this outlet
- 25. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 26. Learning • Did I think about the customer asking for custom cooking times? How should the staff respond? • This is a classic case of a problem which a ‘developer’ would likely dismiss – ‘No user would ever do that’
- 27. Customer experience • Customer: ‘What type of meat do you use in Meatball Marinara’
- 28. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 29. Learning • Did I think about the customer wondering what is in the meatball? • Is this more of a problem because the store is in Singapore with a large Muslim and Hindu population? • I should think about the variety of stores and how they can have different types of customers and environments • Compare with McDonalds – there is no mystery meat – a burger is a beef burger?
- 30. Customer experience • Customer: ‘Can I get the grilled chicken sandwich?’ • We don’t serve ‘green chicken’ • Customer complained that he was ridiculed by staff
- 31. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 32. Learning • Should the staff have been trained to be more tolerant of accents • Is this a problem in Singapore with the large number of non-English accents? • Should I have provided a menu with numbers, so customers can order #1?
- 33. Customer experience • The store ran out of bread and added the usual extra charge for flatbread or wrap
- 34. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 35. Learning • Did I think about this scenario – when the store runs out, if there is a substitute, don’t charge the customer the extra amount, or maybe charge less? • Are there other combinations when the store runs out and the customer asks for a substitute? How will they be charged? • Should I have spent more time focusing on problems like this?
- 36. Customer experience • Customer: ‘Not familiar with submarine sandwiches, staff stares while I struggle to figure it out’
- 37. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 38. Learning • Given a fast food business model, minimum wage, staff turnover, explicit menus, what if a customer needs help? • Most people (staff) like to help customers – let them do so • If a customer needs help or is not sure, do volunteer to help
- 39. Customer experience • Waiting for change for 10 minutes while staff guides another staff member
- 40. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 41. Learning • In hindsight, this seems like a simple fix, ‘Train staff not to keep the customer waiting.’ • Did I think of emergencies/distractions? Should I have educated staff to always have a laser focus on the customer waiting? What if the customers ordering and paying are both waiting? • Will training staff work in a franchise model?
- 42. Customer experience • Customer: ‘Is Spicy Italian beef or pork?’
- 43. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 44. Learning • This is similar to a previous issue • This could be more of a problem in Singapore or other Asian countries • Given the fast food business model, i.e., staff turnover, minimum wage staff, it may be worth listing the meat composition
- 45. Customer experience • Customer: Same meal at two outlets is at a different price • Customer service response: Different franchise outlets may charge different prices
- 46. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 47. Learning • The learning here for a tester is, ‘was I aware of this policy’. • If I was aware, it would probably mean a long conversation with the product owner • As a tester I am more interested in how customers would perceive this policy. I may not be able to change the design
- 48. Customer experience • Customer is told, ‘Promotional meal not available.’ • Customer service: Meal should be available at all outlets
- 49. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 50. Learning • Did I think about an outlet being unaware of a promotion? • It’s easy to think that the only action is - make sure the outlet is aware the next time. • The more important learning is to train staff to listen to the customer and do some fact checking
- 51. Customer experience • Customer says, ‘I don’t want this.’ • Staff: ‘I’ve already keyed in the amount.’
- 52. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 53. Learning • Can the customer change his mind at any stage? (Can they always undo without a threat?) • Can we display what they are purchasing and the price like McDonalds, i.e., display a screen with the purchased items and price? • Would it be better to pay first? If selecting the ingredients is part of the experience, can we take special care to avoid sticker shock?
- 54. Customer experience • Customer: ‘I want the chicken strips heated separately.’ Background • Customer says that chicken remains cold
- 55. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 56. Learning • This is similar to a previous issue • What if a customer needs a custom order? • Should staff ask customers why they want a special order?
- 57. Customer experience • Customer is shocked by the price of avocado add-ons. ‘The staff assumed I want 4 scoops. I couldn’t understand the accent.’
- 58. Background • Another example of sticker shock • Was this even more of a problem with Singapore’s diversity, i.e. ,with many different accents, taking orders can result in confusion?
- 59. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 60. Learning • Should I have made sure price is explicit when ordering add-ons? • Should I have thought about the diversity of the population and the potential confusion when informing customers?
- 61. Customer experience • Customer is puzzled that a foot long costs more than two $5 meals
- 62. Your turn • As a tester, write down how you would have prevented this problem
- 63. Learning • In hindsight, this seems like an obvious problem. • Was it as easy when I looked at the promotion to think about a customer comparing two 6- inch meals to a foot long?