6♠️ The customer journey map: A blueprint for satisfaction

In today's competitive market, retaining customers is just as important as acquiring new ones. Understanding the customer journey is essential for identifying opportunities to improve the customer experience and increase loyalty.

Problem or challenge

Some businesses have a limited view of the customer journey, focusing solely on the sales process leading to missed opportunities to enhance customer satisfaction and build long-term relationships.

Complexities

Creating a comprehensive customer journey map for your business requires gathering data from various sources, including customer surveys, feedback, and internal records. It also involves analysing your customer behaviour and identifying pain points and opportunities.

Solution

So here's a process I encourage your team to work through and present to you in a workshop to ensure customer satisfaction. It's called Customer Journeys, and it's conceptually simple. Have them map out every interaction with the customer. From initial awareness to post-sale support, plot out each touchpoint. Consider factors like awareness, inquiry, lead conversion, sale completion, delivery, service, and relationship maintenance. As you map this journey, ask yourself: How satisfied is the typical customer at each stage?

1. Identify touchpoints (Customer kisses): Map out all the interactions a customer has with your business, from initial awareness to post-purchase support.
2. Assess emotions: Determine how customers feel at each stage of the journey, considering factors such as excitement, frustration, or satisfaction.
3. Identify pain points: Identify any challenges or obstacles customers face during their journey.
4. Highlight opportunities: Pinpoint areas where you can improve the customer experience.
5. Implement changes: Develop and implement strategies to address pain points and enhance customer satisfaction.

Benefits

Creating a customer journey map can provide several benefits, including:

• Improved customer satisfaction: By identifying and addressing pain points, you can enhance the overall customer experience.
• Increased customer loyalty: A positive customer journey can lead to increased loyalty and repeat business.
• Enhanced customer acquisition: Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend your business to others.
• Optimised marketing efforts: Tailor your marketing campaigns to address customer needs and preferences at each stage of the journey.
• Improved business processes: Streamline your operations to provide a more seamless customer experience.

Why it works

The customer journey map provides a visual representation of the customer's perspective, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and optimise your business processes. By understanding the customer journey, you can create a more personalised and satisfying experience.

Measurement

The effectiveness of your customer journey map can be measured by:

• Increased customer satisfaction: Track changes in customer satisfaction scores.
• Improved customer retention: Monitor customer churn rates and repeat purchase behaviour.
• Enhanced customer acquisition: Measure the impact of your customer journey improvements on customer acquisition rates.
• Reduced customer complaints: Track the number and severity of customer complaints.

My story

Whilst I’d known about the idea of custom journeys since my days reengineering businesses with Coopers and Lybrand (PwC) Consulting in the early 1990s, it wasn’t until recent years that the power of the approach was really brought home to me by Julie Holmes, a great speaker on sales and customer service. Julie introduced me to  a metaphor that really captures the essence of the model. She referred to the interactions with customers as customer kisses. A simple idea but captures the importance of those interactions nicely.

By creating a customer journey map, you can gain valuable insights into your customers' experiences and identify opportunities for improvement.

Start by mapping out your customers' interactions with your business and assessing their emotions and pain points.

Then, develop strategies to enhance the customer journey and build stronger relationships.