objective of BTL Activation campaign —

Give 100 rupees cashback for first ticket booking on Paytm app

• The purpose of giving cashbacks is to reel in the potential user and to make the newly acquired user use the cashback for something (offline merchants, ticket bookings, mobile recharge, dth, utility bills.etc).

Isn't it true, that Paytm App should have become viral. User can do hell lotta things with this one app. It should've made obsolete a lot of businesses, but why didn't it happen ? (businesses = travel agencies)

Is it like, "people are not aware and that is the only reason we're not seeing exponential growth" ? No, I don't think so. There are also people who are aware and yet don't use the app.

All those who book bus / train tickets can be classified into two types -

• those familiar with online booking
• those who’re used to offline booking and have never done online booking

Here, we’ll try to understand the 2nd one, those who’re used to offline booking and have never done online booking

problem in brief —

#1 Bounce — If we're so kickass why do people uninstall us ? - is the question I kept getting repeatedly.

The not so tech savvy user might use it once, but we've no guarantee if he/she will come back to us. Newly acquired users prefer to do mobile recharge, DTH, ticket bookings.etc wherever they were doing before, instead of dealing with the hassles of adding money, navigating through the app and a lot more. When their existing solutions are comfortable enough, they simply don't have any motivation to try Paytm. It might be alienating to them and moreover -;money on the internet'. airoutes They might be afraid if something goes wrong and they lose their money, it'll be hell for them until they get their refund. One story of a failed transaction and rumors are enough to scare those who are not tech savvy. This is why they say - 'offline is safer'. When a transaction fails, the user is unclear as to who he can ask for help. Customer care nooo, they'll simply put you on hold. There should be a point of contact. A human they can talk to and resolve their problem. (something has to be done here).

I feel it is the not-so tech savvy users, who should be taken care of, to cross the chasm.

Yes, we teach them how to do it during activation but then again, if he/she forgets how to use if user has assistance user will stay in the funnel, or else user might abandon us.

Since they're so used to cash, they might avoid all the hassle and simply say, "I don't know how to use it".

Users will not do everything they can to learn how to use the app and claim cashback, they'll simply say "I just don't know how to use the app and I'm comfortable wherever I am" - meaning they’ll go back to their existing solutions.

Hence, even if someone is motivated by cashback - he'll install app, try to use it, then get frustrated (if they don’t have any assistance) and fall out of the funnel.

• #1 Offline users might not be familiar with login / logout -
• #2 Those who’ve never booked online will have to transition from cash to using cards / netbanking / UPI

ideas —

• Acquiring Offline Merchants at places where buses stop for food during travel

/ 1 To make sure they don’t say, “I don’t get it” and fall out of the funnel - App walkthrough & on-screen instructions.

/ 2 Instead of Help Tabs with videos - App Walkthrough that'll give him on-screen instructions. On-Screen Instructions > Help Tabs, as it guides him throughout the process

/ 3 Fetch users contacts list, showing them people in their circle who use the Paytm App - to trigger FOMO in them. This might motivate them to ask a friend (from that list we show) how to use the app ? -- this brings about advocacy { le flywheel }.

This might ensure they move further through the funnel and not fall out of it.

p.s - we should definitely stop - spray and pray

/ 4 Refunds - As soon as customer clicks 'çonfirm' money is debited, but when there is an error (tech malfunction/ seat not available.etc) it takes upto 4-5 days for refund. Without ensuring a proper solution for refunds, it’ll be difficult for us to cross the chasm.

/5 > MDR - us levying charges on wallet to bank transfers can be a problem for users, as this charges users whenever he wants wallet money transferred to bank for withdrawal or other reasons.

Also, cashbacks are not enough, for the not so tech savvy (those who belong to the early majority) -

other observations & ideas

-/ Live Tracking - Ask operator side to share location with passengers who booked through Paytm via ‘Whatsapp for Business’.

-/ Filter by Boarding Points - some Boarding Points are shown more than once. Anand Rao circle 12 times, Attibele Toll gate 7 times, and so.

-/ Seat confirmation after money is debited - if the selected seat is not available during seat confirmation, money debited will take 4-5 days or more to reflect in user’s account, which results in poor customer experience. >something could be done here<

-/ APSTRC & GSRTC are not shown inside regular Bus Inventory (shown separately in the end). Why is this so ?