Waymo: The Future of Autonomous Mobility

A Comprehensive CIT & CEM Analysis of the World's Leading Self-Driving Service.

Group 2

Noble Bndawa · Chun-Yu Li · Kudzaishe Muriva · Tiwonge Nyambuwa · Samarth Rajen Panchal · Pelagia Tareva

Company Overview

What is
Waymo?

"The world's most experienced driver — with over 20 million miles of autonomous driving."

2009 Founded by Google

~150k Weekly paid rides

100% Driverless operation

About Waymo:

• Subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (Google's parent company)
• Operates fully autonomous ride-hailing with no human driver
• Uses LiDAR, radar & cameras for 360° real-time perception
• Currently serving San Francisco, Phoenix & Los Angeles

Project Overview & Methodology

Analyzing customer experience through Critical Incident Technique (CIT) to build a robust Customer Experience Model (CEM) for Waymo.

Data Collection

• 30 CI Interviews conducted with Waymo users.
• Participants shared 10 incidents each (Ideally 5 positive and 5 negative).
• Total of 302 Critical Incidents identified and analyzed.

Research Goal

Map incidents to Satisfaction Items (SI) and Customer Requirements (CR) to develop a comprehensive Customer Experience Model (CEM).

Data Distribution

[TYPE] CIT Methodology

[SCOPE] 302 Total Incidents

Autonomous Vehicle Service Analysis

Interviewee Demographics

A comprehensive study involving 30 diverse participants across multiple sectors

Key Locations

Phoenix, AZ ●
Tempe, AZ ●
Scottsdale, AZ ●
California ●

Occupations

Students RNs Security Guards Caregivers Truck Drivers Lyft Drivers TAs

Interview Modes

Zoom/Video

In-Person

Phone Call

Waymo Usage Intensity

Participants were segmented based on their interaction frequency with autonomous vehicles, ranging from casual/light users to daily/heavy commuters.

30

Total Sample

10

Incidents/Person

Critical Incidents

Positive Highlights & User Experiences

Incident #1

Comfort

"Without a driver, I avoided unwanted conversations, which made the ride more comfortable."

Incident #2

Control

"I had more control over the radio" and climate settings, providing true personal freedom.

Incident #3

Safety

"Waymo cars follow prescribed speed limits" and adhere strictly to traffic rules.

Incident #14

Efficiency

"It Arrived in time at the pickup location," ensuring reliable scheduling for students.

Incident #34

Economics

"Waymo is cheaper than Uber during peak times," making it a viable academic commute option.

TGM 556 User Study

Positive Insights Collection

Critical Incidents: Negative Challenges

A summary of technical and operational friction points identified during passenger interviews and field observations.

CI #6

Accuracy

Inaccurate drop-off locations requiring extra walking from the intended destination.

CI #8

Reliability

System-initiated ride cancellations triggered during heavy rain conditions.

CI #17

Usability

Interface complexity causing app difficulty for first-time users navigating the service.

CI #26

Performance

Excessive hesitation at intersections, impacting traffic flow and trip duration.

CI #28

Support

Lack of immediate human assistance to resolve issues during critical system errors.

CI → SI → CR Mapping: Safety

Critical Incidents (CI)

CI 4
"I felt safe riding in a Waymo vehicle"
CI 20
"Waymo cars follow traffic rules strictly"

Satisfaction Item (SI)

I have confidence in the safety of the vehicle throughout the ride.

Customer Requirement

Safety

Operationalizing Voice of Customer (VoC) into Engineering Requirements

CI → SI → CR Mapping

Customer Requirement: Affordability

Critical Incidents

CI 12

"It was cheaper compared to Uber and Lyft"

CI 57

"Waymo is more affordable than other cab companies"

Satisfaction Items

Waymo provides affordable price
Waymo provides competitive pricing
I would use Waymo more often if the pricing were lower.

Customer Requirement

Affordability

Mapped from the Customer Requirements Table

Satisfaction Items Analysis

Key drivers of passenger satisfaction derived from 302 ride incidents.

SI 01

Confidence in vehicle safety throughout the ride.

SI 02

Accuracy of drop-off and pick-up locations.

SI 03

Ease of access to human support when needed.

SI 04

Time-efficiency of completed trips.

SI 05

Protection of personal data and privacy.

SI 06

Smoothness of traffic merging and maneuvers.

SI 07

Application Usability and Interface Accessibility

DATA SOURCE: WAYMO SATISFACTION ITEMS DOCUMENT

Customer Experience Model (CEM)

Satisfaction Items → Customer Requirements → Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction Items (SI)

SI 01 Confidence in vehicle safety throughout the ride

SI 02 Accuracy of drop-off and pick-up locations

SI 03 Ease of access to human support when needed

SI 04 Time-efficiency of completed trips

SI 05 Protection of personal data and privacy

SI 06 Smoothness of traffic merging and maneuvers

SI 07 Application usability and interface accessibility

SI 08 Absence of unwanted social interaction

SI 09 Personal control over in-ride environment

SI 10 Competitive and transparent pricing

SI 11 Service availability across locations and times

SI 12 Reliability in adverse weather conditions

SI 13 Novelty and innovation of autonomous technology

SI 14 Smooth and comfortable ride quality

Customer Requirements (CR)

Safety

SI 01 SI 02 SI 03 SI 06

Comfortable Experience

SI 08 SI 09 SI 14

Affordability

SI 10

Availability

SI 04 SI 11 SI 12

Advanced Technology

SI 05 SI 07 SI 13

Customer Satisfaction

Overall Customer Satisfaction

A function of how well Waymo meets the five core customer requirements identified through CIT analysis.

CS = f(CR)

Safety Comfort Affordability Availability Technology

Figure: CEM framework derived from CIT analysis of Waymo rider experiences

Customer Experience Model (CEM)

Satisfaction Items → Customer Requirements (Independent Variables) → Customer Satisfaction (Dependent Variable)

Figure: CEM framework derived from CIT analysis of Waymo rider experiences

Survey Design: Likert Scale Questions

1.

Waymo can navigate unexpected obstacles quickly.

2.

Waymo allows free control of the infotainment system.

3.

Waymo demonstrates advanced technology.

4.

Waymo provides an innovative experience.

5.

I would use Waymo more often if the pricing were lower.

6.

Waymo provides affordable price.

7.

Waymo provides competitive pricing.

8.

Pick up location of Waymo rides are accurate.

9.

Waymo provides consistent availability.

10.

Drop off location of waymo rides are accurate.

11.

The trip was completed in a time-efficient manner.

12.

Waymo delivers a comfortable ride.

13.

Waymo maintains a clean vehicle environment.

14.

Waymo provides an easy-to-use application.

Academic Survey Tool

Rating Scale: 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree)

Survey Design

Likert Scale Questions (15-27)

15

Waymo provides sufficient space for luggage.

16

Human support was easy to access during my ride.

17

Waymo ensures strong protection of customer personal data.

18

Waymo merges into traffic smoothly without hesitation.

19

I have confidence in the safety of the vehicle throughout the ride.

20

Waymo cars follow traffic rules strictly.

21

Overall, I am satisfied with the service from Waymo.

22

Overall, the service from this Waymo met my expectations.

23

Overall, I am pleased with the service provided by Waymo.

24

I am likely to recommend Waymo to others.

25

I am likely to repurchase from Waymo again in the future.

26

I am unlikely to switch from Waymo to another service provider.

27

I am likely to increase the usage of Waymo.

Participants evaluate these items on a standard Likert scale to measure service quality, safety perception, and future intent.

Conclusion & Strategic Insights

Mapping Qualitative Incidents to Quantitative Requirements

Strategic Performance Summary

Core Strengths

Waymo excels in Safety and Advanced Technology, meeting critical user needs for obstacle navigation and strict rule adherence.

Growth Opportunities

Focus on Availability (geographic expansion) and Human Support accessibility during active rides.

Transition Strategy

The transition from Critical Incidents (CI) to a Structured Survey allows for quantitative measurement of qualitative user insights.

Transition Logic

Qualitative Root Quantitative Target

30 CI Interviews Scaleable Survey

"The survey translates real-world encounters into measurable Customer Requirements (CR) to guide future iterations."

Safety SI

Rule Adherence

Tech SI

Obstacle Nav

TGM 556 | Waymo Strategic Analysis Portfolio

Academic Report • Strategic Insights

Conclusion

Thank You

Thank you for your attention!
Questions?

Advanced Tech

Safety First

Innovative Experience

Autonomous Mobility Research

TGM 556 • Academic Session

Waymo: The Future of Autonomous Mobility

What isWaymo?

About Waymo:

Project Overview & Methodology

Data Collection

Research Goal

Data Distribution

Interviewee Demographics

Key Locations

Occupations

Interview Modes

Waymo Usage Intensity

Critical Incidents

Comfort

Control

Safety

Efficiency

Economics

Critical Incidents: Negative Challenges

Accuracy

Reliability

Usability

Performance

Support

CI → SI → CR Mapping: Safety

Critical Incidents (CI)

Satisfaction Item (SI)

Customer Requirement

CI → SI → CR Mapping

Critical Incidents

Satisfaction Items

Customer Requirement

Satisfaction Items Analysis

Customer Experience Model (CEM)

Overall Customer Satisfaction

Customer Experience Model (CEM)

Survey Design: Likert Scale Questions

Survey Design

Conclusion & Strategic Insights

Strategic Performance Summary

Core Strengths

Growth Opportunities

Transition Strategy

Transition Logic

Thank You

What is
Waymo?