What’s tremendous about i-Metropolis’s SuperApp? We tried it on the Shah Alam theme park to search out out.

Backing up this speculation was the parking web page, which promotes season passes reasonably than one-time passes.

As we hadn’t made any plans to repeatedly return to i-Metropolis, we forwent that possibility, and as an alternative assumed that we should always be capable of simply use our QR code anyway to enter the parking.

This was after doing our analysis on-line and seeing customers speak about it. Nevertheless, we weren’t in a position to get previous the boomgate with simply the QR code.

Since we couldn’t resolve this with out blocking your complete path, we ended up taking a ticket.

Later, in accordance with a response from a person within the discussion board web page, we learnt that guests can use the parking QR code, however should put in a certain quantity of steadiness within the app first.

The difficulty with this although is that after you reload your app, you received’t be capable of get a refund or switch. 

To keep away from this, guests can try the parking charges throughout the app to get a greater concept of how a lot steadiness they’ll want for his or her journey.

Another resident-friendly options embrace the “gossips” tab, which is extra like a newsroom stuffed with titbits of knowledge round i-Metropolis. 

For instance, there’s some brief information about DoubleTree by Hilton’s mooncakes and a grand automotive roadshow taking place on the town.

Bear in mind the discussion board we talked about earlier? Effectively, the operate is aptly named whateverLAH and the obtainable threads you’ll be able to chat in presently embrace “Players Hideout”, “Theme Park”, “Half Time”, “Storage Gross sales”, and others.

We chatted within the Theme Park thread for our parking woes and acquired a response from an admin round 4 hours later—not probably the most responsive, however positively higher than radio silence.

We additionally tried the Assist Chat, which remains to be in Beta. We obtained a response inside an hour, although there was some forwards and backwards between us earlier than we lastly acquired our questions answered appropriately. 

However it’s nonetheless a theme park must-have, actually

Clicking into the app class merely referred to as “Theme Park”, you’ll be capable of try the packages obtainable, in addition to discuss with your personal e-Tix (digital ticket). 

You may as well simply discuss with the park’s map and keep on high of your obtainable rewards, however extra on the latter later.

To get into the sights at i-Metropolis, guests are basically required to have the app readily available because the employees might want to scan your QR code earlier than you go on any trip.

We purchased the All Day Happyness Go, which allowed us to expertise nearly all of the sights obtainable, excluding the Purple Carpet wax museum. Guests who didn’t purchase the package deal also can purchase passes for particular person sights through the app. 

The app sounds good in concept, however after spending a day utilizing it within the theme park, I used to be reasonably upset.

As we had one person-in-charge who purchased all of our package deal tickets (thanks, boss), we quickly realised that the QR code was a bit for a downside in our state of affairs.

To start with, the tickets technically can’t be disseminated to completely different holders. Being the one who purchased all of our tickets, our boss continuously had to make use of her cellphone to get everybody else into varied rides.

(The best way we acquired round it was by taking a screenshot of the QR code and sending it in our group chat. Then we may simply get the employees to scan the screenshot on anybody’s cellphone.)

The map can be a tough to make use of, because it’s basically a digital brochure, and never a lot else. To be correctly helpful, it ought to have been interactive, so you possibly can search up the attraction you wish to go to and it might be highlighted within the app. 

It could be even higher for those who may click on on every attraction and see its working hours too, and get some data on every trip so you’ll be able to resolve if it’s well worth the stroll.  

So as to add, for the reason that map doesn’t present you what course you’re dealing with, navigating the 72-acre theme park will get even trickier.  

Aside from sights, the app may also be used at choose distributors to buy gadgets corresponding to snacks and drinks. We used the app at a stall inside Water World, which solely accepted credit from the app and never money.

Though we unintentionally scanned our code twice right here, which resulted in a unfavourable steadiness on our account, the employees on the stall was in a position to request for a refund for us.  

Are its rewards actually rewarding although? 

Bear in mind the rewards we talked about earlier? Effectively, we have now ideas.

Whenever you click on into the rewards tab, you’ll learn that each RM1 spent equals one iReward level. The difficulty with that’s how excessive the variety of factors wanted are to redeem a free ticket. 

Take WaterWorld for instance. The quantity of factors wanted to redeem a ticket for this water park is 10,000 factors. 

Meaning you would need to theoretically spend RM10,000 over the course of different visits simply to get a free entrance into WaterWorld. 

By the way in which, one WaterWorld ticket is RM35. You would need to purchase a minimum of 286 tickets to the water park to get one free ticket. To rephrase, you should spend RM10,000 to get RM35 off, making the earn charge 0.35%.

Let’s examine this rewards system to Seize, although. Right here, you’ll be able to trade 750 factors for RM5 off GrabFood Signatures. 

You earn 0.75 GrabRewards factors for each RM1 spent (for those who’re not a GrabUnlimited subscriber), so that you’ll must spend RM1,000 to get RM5 off. This provides an earn charge of 0.5% in your GrabRewards. 

The distinction between the earn charge might sound small, however the reality is, you most likely use Seize much more than you’d use the i-Metropolis SuperApp. 

In my view, the rewards for the i-Metropolis SuperApp don’t incentivise the utilization of the app in any respect.

What may’ve been higher

Some options within the app appear to nonetheless be in beta mode, such because the help chat operate. Because of this, responses are reasonably delayed. 

As talked about earlier, I even have some qualms with the theme park options, particularly the map and ticketing system.

However one of many larger points is relating to the fintech capabilities of the app.

Whereas the incident the place we have been charged twice might sound foolish at first, it confirmed us the potential risks of the app. 

The truth that the cost went by way of so simply with none affirmation is one factor, however the truth that the account’s steadiness may even go into negatives is one other trigger for concern. 

Logically, shouldn’t there be a safeguard that tells the person they haven’t any steadiness left, reasonably than let the transaction undergo anyway? 

I additionally discover it a bit odd that as an alternative of getting separate QR codes for the tickets, it’s all packed into the one QR code that doubles because the pockets. 

Whereas this may sound handy at first, we realised the downsides within the night, once we have been unintentionally charged for one among our rides with out our data. We had assumed that they’d deduct from our tickets within the package deal.

Judging from what I noticed once I regarded on the employees’s tablets, which they use to scan the QR codes, I do know that it confirmed that there have been 8 obtainable tickets on the QR code. 

But, the employees should’ve missed that and ended up charging us. The cost immediately went by way of, and even the holder of the pockets wasn’t conscious that the transaction was made. 

Thus, human error on both finish of the transaction can nonetheless, fairly actually, price you.

Total, our verdict is that the i-Metropolis SuperApp is a little bit too formidable, but not essentially in ways in which profit customers.

It’s nonetheless rudimentary in varied elements, regardless of being launched in 2018. If it could actually overcome the transaction considerations we highlighted above, it actually has tons extra potential for many who reside there or guests. 

• Be taught extra about i-Metropolis right here.
• Learn different opinions we’ve written right here.

All Picture Credit: Vulcan Submit