'Unlocking' features

(Tristan Thomas) #1

Hey all :wave:,

Iā€™m writing copy at the moment for some new feed items where we can tell new users about Mondo features they havenā€™t used, eg. search, receipt scanning etc. and would love to get thoughts on a few questions:

  1. How do you feel about ā€˜unlockingā€™ features within your (Mondo) bank account? Some of you may have had some in the past.
  2. If you are getting features enabled after a certain period of time/certain actions, how should we describe that to you? Is it unlocking/enabling/something else?
  3. Other more general thoughts about this?

Thanks! Have a great evening

(James Billingham) #2

I donā€™t personally like it being referred to as ā€œunlockingā€, but I do appreciate and think itā€™s a good idea to draw attention to features which have become useful because a certain amount of data now exists.

(Colin Robinson) #3
  1. :heart: :heart: :heart:
  2. :unlock:

:smile: :thumbsup: :mondo:

(A/S/L?) #4

Iā€™m brain dumping here, how about achieving or levelled up, I like a sense of achievement! :yum:

(Ross) #5

Iā€™m with you on that, ā€˜unlockingā€™ might cause us to make more transactions just for the sake of unlocking a feature

(Andrew Ross) #6

Unlocking also feels like something I might have to pay for. Levelling up seems good but could be annoying for someone that needs the features straight off.

Guess it depends on what those features are.

#7

Personally I find the unlocking of features after time or number of transactions to be childish. I donā€™t need to gameify my bank account.

(Herp Derp) #8

I donā€™t think it would benefit myself personally to ā€˜unlockā€™ any features as it were, as much as i did like Foursquare back in the day I think those days may have passedā€¦

I would actually like to see how many reports/corrections Iā€™ve submitted as it kind of makes me think I am the first Mondonaut to hit that store and then maybe after that how many of us actually go there before/after me (that branch)?

(Tristan Thomas) #9

Yeah, for sure. How should we explain when new features become available because youā€™ve used your card enough ā€“ eg. a balance graph is no use until youā€™ve had at least a couple of transactions spread over a few days? :slight_smile:

(George) #10

This is something Iā€™ve been curious about. It would be cool to know if I was the first Mondonaut to visit the store! Or how many others have been beforeā€¦

(Jack Worton) #11

I donā€™t really know how I feel about this. Itā€™s an interesting idea. Itā€™d be exciting to make a transaction and then be told Iā€™ve unlocked something new. Thatā€™d be cool. But what if I need the feature but Iā€™ve not unlocked it yet? Iā€™m on the fence with that one. Itā€™s cool, but could have its problems.

Something Iā€™d be more interested in (and would make banking a little more fun) would be something like achievements. Like a couple have said above me, being the first Mondonaut to spend at a certain store and being told of that would be cool. A dedicated page on the app showing what achievements youā€™ve unlocked, and what ones you havenā€™t.

Examples could include;
Top up amounts (achievements for reaching Ā£500 topped up, Ā£1000 etc, over the lifetime of your account not just one top up)

Achievements for spending overseas (unlocking achievements for making a purchase in USA, Spain, France etc)

Just an idea. :slight_smile:

#12

I see no problem with unlocking features. It helps with learning new features if theyā€™re introduced over time. So far Iā€™ve think youā€™ve gotten the balance correct. Thereā€™s no point having the pulse or search until youā€™ve got some data to use it with. It makes perfect sense to introduce those features the way you currently do.

I can understand how people feel uncomfortable with calling it unlocking though. Enabling is a good alternative but I donā€™t think itā€™s that different in usage.

As long as you carry on with your current approach and only keep features locked until the point theyā€™re useful then I canā€™t see an issue.

(Saveen) #13

Hey @tristan,

Just to clarify, by ā€˜unlockingā€™ did you mean a feature that is already there but has just been discovered/used for the first time? I received feed items for ā€˜Searchā€™ and ā€˜Pulseā€™ some time ago.

Or also new features that are added but which have not yet been used? (Like a prompt)

Also, are these ever for certain users only ie. privileges?

(Tristan Thomas) #14

Hey @saveen,

Probably a combo ā€“ features that arenā€™t useful if you donā€™t have enough transactions for example, that we can then enable and tell you about. Some, like search, will probably always be there but once itā€™s useful, we might tell you about it. Does that make sense?

(Saveen) #15

Yeh, I see no problem describing the first scenario as ā€˜unlockingā€™. It generates a positive emotion which is good.

But if the feature was already there all along, I donā€™t think unlocking is the right term. More like ā€˜discoveredā€™ which also feels positive.

#16

I think unlocking is a really stupid way to go about it. I make a first impression based on what I see. And if I donā€™t see enough then Iā€™m not buying. Comprende?

How about just putting a button for walkthrough / features which we can click to get an explanation on whatā€™s what. And if we donā€™t have enough information for it to be useful. I donā€™t really care. Put it there, let me know that itā€™s there even if itā€™s blank, then put a notification saying what data requirements are needed.

One example was the daily use line graph. It came after I did about 6-7 transactions over a course of a few weeks? I really donā€™t need to wait that long for that. I have excel charts with less data points than that. In short it makes me feel like you think Iā€™m an idiot.

(Wfarhys) #17

ā€˜Welcome toā€™ rather than ā€˜unlockingā€™

(Kris Nocker) #18

Have to agree with DaveTMG and others here, unlocking (whatever it is called) is like setting up a game with your bank account - terribly irresponsible. Itā€™s one thing to access new data based on (for example) the number of transactions youā€™ve had (data, patterns etc) but to open a new feature by using your card in a different city/country/place doesnā€™t seem like something responsible with money.

Iā€™d think of this in the same light as credit cards that make a donation every time you spend, it might make you feel slightly less bad about spending but youā€™re still spending to get that ā€˜new levelā€™.

There is already a certain level of unlocking after a few weeks (when you get the spending graph) but I wouldnā€™t want to be trying to unlock a feature that I knew you could provide me with - that would just make me annoyed in the first place. On the flip side, if I have to ā€˜unlockā€™ it with you, what happens is Atom or Starling offer this already unlockedā€¦ new customers might be wooed by themā€¦ just a thought

#19

Replying to up vote topic

#20

With all due respect, Mondo should represent an easier, simpler way to do banking. To me that does not go hand-in-hand with obfuscating your ability to analyse your spending. I can understand wanting to get enough data points to generate a useful graph before ā€œunlockingā€ it for users, but gamifying my bank experience feels a tad unprofessional to me and might encourage irresponsible behavior as others have mentioned. I would prefer it if you clearly explained the feature list somewhere in the app, and made it clear which ones I currently have access to, and why I donā€™t have access to the others yet (eg: ā€œPlease wait while we gather enough data points to generate your balance graphā€).