Improving Menu Design for the Rapid Order Audiotext System Using Cluster Analysis

Abstract

Rapid Order® is an Ameritech Services audiotext system which lets consumers learn about and order 12 telephone services. The current menu structure is based on the development history of the services rather than on an intuitive organization for the consumer. Four studies were performed to develop a new menu structure which would be easier for consumers to use. The first study used cluster analysis to develop a menu structure. The second experiment tested the goodness of fit of the new menu compared to the old menu. Results showed that consumers were more accurate in determining where on the menu a service would be found with the new menu. In the third experiment, we changed the name of one of the menu categories and got an even greater improvement in performance. Finally, we tested the same three menu structures using a phone prototype rather than a paper task and the results were similar to those with the paper task. Consumers were 18% more accurate in locating a service on the best new menu than on the existing menu. These results strongly suggest that changing the Rapid Order menu will result in improved customer performance with the menu. They also illustrate how cluster analysis alone will not provide all the answers in menu design. The labeling of the clusters can have a significant effect on the goodness of fit of the menu.