Industry
Auto Finance
Client
General Motors Financial
Cutting Costs with a Self-Service Status Page
Project Overview
The goal of this project was to reduce operational costs related to follow-ups after a user submitted a prequalification form on our website. Historically, the process involved multiple emails and calls from customer service representatives to update users on their application status and next steps. This not only led to increased overhead costs but also created inconsistent user experiences.
To streamline this, we proposed a centralized status tracker page that users could access directly from a post-submission email. The page would dynamically update to reflect the current status of their prequalification and outline any required actions. For users with the mobile app, we also integrated push and Apple Watch notifications.
Project Overview
The goal of this project was to reduce operational costs related to follow-ups after a user submitted a prequalification form on our website. Historically, the process involved multiple emails and calls from customer service representatives to update users on their application status and next steps. This not only led to increased overhead costs but also created inconsistent user experiences.
To streamline this, we proposed a centralized status tracker page that users could access directly from a post-submission email. The page would dynamically update to reflect the current status of their prequalification and outline any required actions. For users with the mobile app, we also integrated push and Apple Watch notifications.
Project Overview
The goal of this project was to reduce operational costs related to follow-ups after a user submitted a prequalification form on our website. Historically, the process involved multiple emails and calls from customer service representatives to update users on their application status and next steps. This not only led to increased overhead costs but also created inconsistent user experiences.
To streamline this, we proposed a centralized status tracker page that users could access directly from a post-submission email. The page would dynamically update to reflect the current status of their prequalification and outline any required actions. For users with the mobile app, we also integrated push and Apple Watch notifications.
UX Process
1. Stakeholder & Internal Interviews
Conducted interviews with product owners, customer support leads, and marketing to clarify business goals, understand the communication pain points, and align on the project timeline.
2. Cross-functional Collaboration
Worked closely with engineering to assess feasibility, backend integration timelines, and ensure real-time status updates could be securely reflected on the page.
3. Loan Ops/Approver Insights
Interviewed loan approvers and processors to understand key stages of the loan pipeline, common bottlenecks, and which statuses needed to be surfaced to users vs. kept internal.
4. Flow Mapping & Page Design
Mapped out the full user journey from prequalification form submission to final decision, identifying key milestones and user touchpoints.
Designed a responsive status tracker page that clearly communicated the user’s current state, what it meant, and what (if anything) the user needed to do next.
Worked with brand and content teams to ensure language was clear, reassuring, and aligned with voice and tone guidelines.
Research
We used a mixed-methods research approach to gather both qualitative and quantitative insights. This included in-depth interviews with 20 participants and a survey completed by 100 participants who were either selling their vehicle or exploring the idea.
User Interviews
Participants included:
10 People who had previously gone to a dealership for an appraisal
10 People interested in selling their vehicle online or through an app
Key insights:
Most users described the dealership experience as slow, sales-driven, and uncomfortable
There was overwhelming preference for using a smartphone over a laptop for submitting photos
Participants voiced a clear aversion to downloading an app, especially for a single-use task
Trust in AI was mixed but improved with clear explanation of how the offer would be calculated
UX Process
1. Stakeholder & Internal Interviews
Conducted interviews with product owners, customer support leads, and marketing to clarify business goals, understand the communication pain points, and align on the project timeline.
2. Cross-functional Collaboration
Worked closely with engineering to assess feasibility, backend integration timelines, and ensure real-time status updates could be securely reflected on the page.
3. Loan Ops/Approver Insights
Interviewed loan approvers and processors to understand key stages of the loan pipeline, common bottlenecks, and which statuses needed to be surfaced to users vs. kept internal.
4. Flow Mapping & Page Design
Mapped out the full user journey from prequalification form submission to final decision, identifying key milestones and user touchpoints.
Designed a responsive status tracker page that clearly communicated the user’s current state, what it meant, and what (if anything) the user needed to do next.
Worked with brand and content teams to ensure language was clear, reassuring, and aligned with voice and tone guidelines.
Outcome
We successfully launched a responsive status tracker page that clearly communicated each phase of the prequalification process—from “Form Submitted” to “Prequalified” to “Next Steps.”
For users with the MyAccount mobile app, we also integrated real-time push notifications and Apple Watch alerts for key updates, reducing the need for manual outreach.
Impact:
Customer support call volume related to status inquiries dropped by 32% within the first 3 months.
Email outreach volume related to prequalification updates decreased by 47%.
Outcome
We successfully launched a responsive status tracker page that clearly communicated each phase of the prequalification process—from “Form Submitted” to “Prequalified” to “Next Steps.”
For users with the MyAccount mobile app, we also integrated real-time push notifications and Apple Watch alerts for key updates, reducing the need for manual outreach.
Impact:
Customer support call volume related to status inquiries dropped by 32% within the first 3 months.
Email outreach volume related to prequalification updates decreased by 47%.
Outcome
We successfully launched a responsive status tracker page that clearly communicated each phase of the prequalification process—from “Form Submitted” to “Prequalified” to “Next Steps.”
For users with the MyAccount mobile app, we also integrated real-time push notifications and Apple Watch alerts for key updates, reducing the need for manual outreach.
Impact:
Customer support call volume related to status inquiries dropped by 32% within the first 3 months.
Email outreach volume related to prequalification updates decreased by 47%.