I overheard a conversation today about gas stations and it made me think about why I keep filling gas at same company for the last couple of years. As a bike owner I don't really feel the rising prices of gas so my main consideration isn't money - what then makes me come back?
Oddly enough, the reason is User Experience. You see, I don't like to move my fat buttocks more than I have to, that's why I prefer using a credit card – I don't even need to get off of the bike thanks to the gas station's self-service user terminal. Yey.
The only thing I do need to do is enter my ID number and license plate number. While my ID number is obviously critical when paying with a credit card, the license plate should be optional since it's up to me to limit my card to specific vehicles, right? Well, most gas station companies don't think so since it's a required field! I bet it means nothing for most users… (either that, or I'm the proud owner of a vehicle licensed 11-111-11 for some time now).
My favorite gas station company is different because the terminal's user interface instructs me to enter my license plate number or press 'Enter' to continue. Silly as it may be, they get my money – others don't.
When designing a good UI don't make the user think – make him experience. Try to make that extra step forward in figuring out what he may want at any point, without clutter and noise. Definitely not an easy task, but if you won't take it somebody else will – and that might be a good enough reason to choose a competing product.
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