{"id":8792,"date":"2014-07-23T22:06:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-23T22:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/preview.prophet.com\/?p=8792"},"modified":"2022-05-27T02:36:45","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T02:36:45","slug":"the-changing-shape-of-the-customer-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prophet.com\/2014\/07\/the-changing-shape-of-the-customer-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ever-Changing Customer Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Ever-Changing Customer Journey<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Developing this new matrix of touchpoints requires understanding that customers\u2013not companies\u2013are in charge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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It wasn’t that long ago that when companies talked about the customer journey, it sounded as simple as a walk in the park. The customer journey, once linear, has been replaced by a complex matrix of touchpoints with the customer at the center. Consumers\u2019 ability to access your brand in so many avenues and on so many devices has highlighted just how indirect and fractured these multiple journeys can be. To talk about the challenges of creating breakthrough customer experiences<\/a>, we brought together three distinctly different perspectives: Harry West, a senior partner in Prophet\u2019s customer experience practice, Chan Suh<\/a>, Prophet\u2019s chief digital officer and Andres Nicholls<\/a>, a partner in our design practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mapping customer pathways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe used to draw a line on a board to represent the path to purchase,\u201d says West. \u201cNow, it\u2019s multiple lines, and we talk about journeys in the plural. The path to purchase is increasingly intermittent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine someone considering opening a new type of account at his bank. He may begin to gather information while physically at the bank, from an ATM or teller. He may then learn more from his desktop at work or his laptop at home, perhaps emailing the bank for more details. His wife, who handles most of the banking responsibilities, may complete the account registration process using a tablet or mobile phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What that means, West adds, is \u201cthat while most companies have a preconceived hierarchy of touchpoints, they don\u2019t apply anymore. In each instance, it is the customer who decides how to move forward, not the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means every possible access point has to be perfect, says Nicholls. \u201cA touchpoint the company might have regarded as less important may turn out to be the critical deciding factor.\u201d But banking on a mobile phone is very different than banking from a 17-inch laptop, and unifying these experiences is difficult. USAA, which has long functioned without branches, is a great example, says West. \u201cNot only was it the first bank to offer a depositing feature via smartphone, it\u2019s been a pioneer in using text messaging, alerting its military members to everything from low balances to potential fraud. It confronted digital challenges a decade before most of its competition.\u201d The consumer-determined hierarchy is a tough lesson for some companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it means for companies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In some ways, we can blame this ever-escalating cycle of innovation<\/a> on Amazon, says Nicholls. It consistently tops customer service surveys, outshines its varied competition and raises expectations. \u201cIf people can buy a mountain bike that is perfectly sized for them in just one click, why can\u2019t their bank, doctor or airline offer the same level of service?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if disappointed, consumers now have access to technology that will amplify how they feel about the customer experience \u2014 the good, but especially, the bad. \u201cThey’ll talk you down in customer comments, in blogs or on their social media accounts. And word-of-mouth can be the most influential driver of purchase,\u201d says West. Two-thirds of all consumers say they read customer reviews, for example, and 90 percent say they act on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means companies must work to deliver experiences that meet customer expectations, focusing resources to deliver experiences that will be memorable, and drive overall perception. \u201cCompanies need to understand, in a very intimate way, how customers react to their brands at each touchpoint,\u201d West says. \u201cThat includes those you can control\u2014your website, for example. But you also need to understand how people react to your brand in places you don\u2019t have much control\u2014in stores, at dealers, on blogs and in product forums.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Two thirds of all consumers say they read customer reviews, and 90 percent say they act on them, either positively or negatively.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Next, companies need to measure the importance of each touchpoint and get a sense of which will have the biggest impact on the customer experience. Once the ideal experience \u2014 the signature<\/em> touchpoint \u2014 has been achieved, everything needs to be brought in alignment with it. \u201cWe also recommend parallel measures that will track that experience over time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that\u2019s not the end. Customer expectations are constantly being ratcheted up from same-day delivery, to free shipping, to BOGO. With innovative companies like Uber, Mint.com and WunWun, a company that delivers anything at any time. Suh says, \u201cCustomers expect experiences to get better all the time. Once they’ve shopped at stores where product passion is the key ingredient\u2014whether they\u2019re buying lipsticks at the MAC counter or a stand-up paddleboard at REI\u2014they\u2019re going to want that level of expertise and enthusiasm with more transactions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Suh adds, \u201cDon\u2019t forget that the most important interaction your customer has with your company isn’t always through a marketing or distribution channel. Sometimes it’s with the product itself. We have to put as much effort into the user experience as we do the marketing experience\u2014that way, every time they use the product, they\u2019ll be reassured that yes, they made the right purchase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the barriers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For companies to keep up with this ever-traveling consumer who expects more and more, they need to be aligned and involve each division, department and market. Completely breaking down silos isn’t realistic, \u201cbut companies can build effective tunnels and bridges to connect them,” Nicholls says. Project teams need to accept that in this new universe, the launch trajectory is upended: \u201cIn the old way of thinking, once a marketing project was published, it was done. In the digital world, once it\u2019s out there, it has just begun. And you have to help it, give it momentum and keep it alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all organizations are equally suited to uncovering that kind of cooperation. But it\u2019s a skill that can be learned. \u201cAt Prophet, we have PlayStudio, where we remove clients from their daily routines and combine inspiration with business tools,\u201d Suh says. It doesn’t just lead to great ideas (such as the Hanes tagless t-shirt, the first innovation in t-shirts in 50 years and a customer experience touchdown). \u201cIt fosters customer-focused collaboration across departments with very different backgrounds. And the human interactions are what to lead to innovation,\u201d says Nicholls.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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