Usability Study Of Telephone Banking

Currently, the telephone banking service system is increasingly developing in theworld, it can contact with customers and banks more closely using fixed telephone,mobile phones, fax machines or other modern communication tools, so that banks andtheir customers can build a more quality, efficient, convenient and low-cost businessrelationships, customers just simply dial the telephone banking service hotline phonebank will be able to get a variety of services (such as transaction information,remittance, financial services, etc.). Because of the telephone banking widely be used,its usability problems is getting more and more important for bankers and users, theusability level of telephone banking is needed to be improved urgently.This study took laboratory research methods, took performance and usersatisfaction as independent, investigated the usability of telephone banking by usingcognitive Walkthrough and performance assessment methods, and on this basis,proposed a practical model of telephone banking and evaluation process of interactivevoice response system products.There were three studies consisting of one survey and three experiments. Study1investigated users' current operation behaviors and current satisfaction on telephonebanking by questionnaire. According to the experimental data gained in Study1,experiment1in study2made two prototypes of typical telephone banking, then tookperformance and user satisfaction as independent, investigated the usability oftelephone banking by using cognitive Walkthrough and performance assessmentmethods; Experiment2in study2used card sorting method, obtained standarddenominations of choice items, standard classification and operating processes inauditory menu, and optimized information architecture of auditory menu, to make itsinformation content classification match the user's mental model. According to the optimization scheme gained in Study2, study3obtained optimized prototype oftelephone banking, then compared with the original telephone banking by usabilitytesting, in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the optimization scheme whichproposed. At last, on those series of experiments basis, proposed a practical model oftelephone banking and evaluation process of interactive voice response systemproducts.According to the experiments results, there were the following conclusions:(1)There are many usability problems in the telephone banking, and thoseusability problems on auditory menu structure, choice items setting, function moduleand operating function are summarized.(2) In response to those usability problems, proposed and summarized targetedrecommendations for its improvement:The breadth and depth of auditory menu structure on telephone banking in themedium range (4-8choices/levels) is reasonable, and in the same task, increasingthe breadth is more efficient than increasing the depth.Reasonable classification of choice items in auditory menu; Avoid choice itemsrepeated; Place the choice items which users frequently chose on the top ofauditory menu.Use denominations of choice items which are familiar and easy to understand tothe users, ensure the presentations of the denominations clearly.Provide feedback, return and repeat function.(3) Optimized telephone banking is better than original in the objective evaluationand subjective performance, and its usability level has a significant increase, whichdemonstrate the effectiveness of the optimization scheme proposed.(4)On those series of experiments basis, and in summarizing and the basis ofprevious studies, this study proposed a practical model of telephone banking andevaluation process of interactive voice response system products.The results of this study can be used in design and optimization for telephone banking, it provide a scientific assessing basis for telephone banking prototype design,practical model design, uniform standards and evaluation, and there is an importanttheoretical and practical significance to evaluate interactive voice response systemproducts.