For example, the experience for a customer of an Internet service provider may involve customer service representatives, technical support, installers, and other departments. Each of these departments may have their own set of metrics, objectives, and skill sets.
MMR Strategy Group’s Customer Journey Maps provide a way to depict the customer experience in clear and concise terms that provide a visual picture of the customer’s experience with a company. They provide a way to operationalize some old advice from the Harvard Business Review that managers should “Staple Yourself to an Order” to understand the customer’s experience.
Customer Journey Maps also identify key moments of truth in the customer experience. Not every step of the customer experience is equally important and not every customer needs to be highly satisfied on all steps. For some routine transactions, such as paying a bill, customers may want a simple interaction that goes smoothly but does not need to be memorable. For other transactions, customers may seek a higher and more memorable level of service. For example, consider the difference between taking out a new mortgage and making a monthly payment on the mortgage; taking out a mortgage is a less frequent and more emotional experience.
By identifying the key moments of truth – those steps that are most important to customer satisfaction and renewal – Customer Journey Maps identify the places where investments in higher levels of service are more likely to attract or retain customers. Equally, their graphical nature can help generate a common vision of the customer’s perspective.
MMR Strategy Group has a detailed white paper on Customer Journey maps. Download it today to learn more.
Dr. Bruce Isaacson
President
MMR Strategy Group