Driver performance KPIs
Focus areas
Interaction design
User-centric design
Business acumen
Context
SIXT is a premium car rental business founded by Martin Sixt in 1912. Based out of Munich, Germany, SIXT currently operates in 105+ countries.
Other than rental cars, SIXT also offers on-demand cab hailing services called RIDE.
SIXT RIDE was facing low ride acceptance rates from third-party drivers due to a lack of trust, unclear expectations, and no performance feedback. We embedded a gamified feedback loop into the driver app using quantifiable KPIs and engaging visual cues. This system gave drivers real-time clarity on their performance, incentivized improvement, and helped build trust in the platform. As a result, driver performance significantly improved—'Perfect Rides' increased by 2.8x, and overall ride acceptance rose 2.5x within three months—directly contributing to better business outcomes for SIXT.
Orientation - SIXT RIDE ecosystem
Problem space
Business acumen
For SIXT:
There was no mechanism in place for SIXT to communicate performance expectations to drivers.
Drivers are employed by third-party companies, and SIXT has no control over their compensation or how they are penalized for not meeting their performance goals.
Due to lack of trust and visibility, drivers often rejected SIXT rides—leading to business losses.
For drivers:
Drivers lacked clarity on how their performance was being evaluated.
They received no timely feedback to identify issues or improve.
Penalties were applied during monthly payouts without clear explanations.
SIXT did not directly employ or pay drivers; they were managed and compensated by partner companies. However, SIXT could penalize these companies for poor driver performance based on system metrics or customer feedback—penalties that often indirectly impacted the drivers’ payroll beyond SIXT's purview.
Competitor analysis
Blacklane's mantra cards:
Blacklane handed out printed ’Mantra’ cards to drivers.
The ‘Mantra’ cards outlined the expected code of conduct and instructions for every stage in an active ride.
This approach may have succeeded in educating the drivers, but it did not provide any feedback about their performance.
Printed cards are easily misplaced.
A deep understanding of the problem space and a quick competitor analysis helped us narrow down the approach.
Design brief
Design an in-app feedback system to build driver trust, clarify performance expectations, and improve ride acceptance through timely, actionable insights.
Guiding principles:
🔸
🔸
Transparency to build trust.
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🔸
Option 1 - reminder cards before pickup
ℹ️ Explanation
Inspired by Blacklane’s physical ‘Mantra’ card, we explored a digital version to display key guidelines before each pickup. However, its limitations—being repetitive, distracting, and static—led us to drop the idea. Instead, we aimed to leverage SIXT’s driver app and existing performance signals to build a more dynamic, actionable feedback loop.
✅ Pros
Reminding the driver about the desirable code of conduct just before the passenger on-boarded would result in better performance.
⛔ Cons
Might distract the driver while driving.
Too much to read and memorize.
Will be redundant once the driver memorizes it.
No feedback about actual performance.
Non-quantifiable pointers.
Inspiration Angry Birds
💡 Idea
We took cues from Angry Birds to design our ‘Ride Report’ that would be shown at the end of each ride.
❓ Rationale
Sense of gratification on completing each level.
Builds up excitement.
Constructive feedback.
Motivates to do better in the next level.
Option 2a - ride report after a ride is ended
ℹ️ Explanation
The SIXT driver app allowed us to track metrics reflecting adherence to service guidelines. I proposed a three-part solution: use quantifiable thresholds to rate rides as ‘Perfect’, ‘Average’, or ‘Poor’; show drivers exactly what went wrong; and link each issue to the relevant guideline for quick reference and improvement.
Showing this at the end of each ride would ensure minimal distraction for the driver. #non_intrusive
✅ Pros
Clear feedback about what was expected versus what was missed. #transparency
Will motivate the driver to perform better in the next ride.
Sense of accomplishment if all the expected goals were met. #positive_reinforcement
Quantifiable parameters.
⛔ Cons
System will take time to fetch and/or calculate actual performance parameters right after a ride is ended.
Option 2b - performance tracking over time
ℹ️ Explanation
In addition to the transient ride report, I proposed a persistent performance dashboard to help drivers track their progress and identify patterns over time.
✅ Pros
This will enable drivers to monitor their performance over time.
Scope for goal setting and gamification.
⛔ Cons
Drivers may not regularly review past rides unless there's a dispute; long-term tracking may be more useful for driver companies.
Communicating performance insights in multiple driver-friendly languages poses a significant localization challenge.
Consistently poor performance feedback could demotivate drivers if not framed constructively.
