Behind every successful business there's a smooth operation going on.

That was the message from Scott Griffith, CEO of Zipcar, who spoke at User Experience Week last month.

Zipcar has emerged as the world’s largest car sharing service having 225,000 members and gaining 15,000 new members every month.

Unlike a normal rental car company Zipcar is self-service. “We’re in the freedom business” said Scott. "Our goal is to give freedom to urban dwellers, businesses and universities".

And they've kept it simple: One price for gas, insurance, the car.

Here's how it works:

1. So you apply online, then once you're approved, you get your very own Zipcard.
2. You can then reserve one of a selection of cars for a couple hours or the entire day. Do it online or use a phone. 
3. You walk up to the car (located in handy locations around the city), then hold your Zipcard to the windshield. The doors will unlock, and it's all yours!
4. You drive away... At the end of your agreed time-period you need to return the car to the same reserved parking spot.

Here's some facts and figures touted by Scott:

• Each Zipcar takes 20+ personally-owned cars off the road.
• Forty percent of Zipcar members have told Zipcar they either sold their car or decided not to buy a car because of Zipcar.
• Members also told them that they save over $US435 a month using Zipcar. They appreciate the low rates, living without the hassle of car maintenance, gas, parking and insurance.

So why is Zipcar so successful?

Their whole business is modelled, not around cars, but ease-of-use. They're continually improving the experience for customers. And it seems to be working - YouTube is loaded with fan videos raving about Zipcar.

They have a dedicated Experience team (previously Product Marketing) and keep a clear line of separation of between teams:

1. Experience (responsible for the design of the customer experience).
2. Member Services (responsible for day-to-day operations).

So, they design the total experience and rely on back-office operations to support the desired experience.

PEOPLE-CENTRIC DESIGN + SMOOTH OPERATIONS

A recipe for success for Zipcar and an approach I'd like to see more of in New Zealand.