“The customer is always right” is an annoying cliché – regardless of whether it’s true or not. Let’s tweak the wording and tell it like it is: The customer experience is always right. With that said, it’s time to get to grips with the customer journey, the foundation of successful customer experiences, digitally or in real life.
Who is travelling with you? When and where is the departure? What challenges do customers face along the way? What pain points determine whether they return, or never come back? The questions you ask yourself to map this journey are not rocket science. Based on interviews and insights, the result is a bittersweet experience since it becomes painfully clear where you must implement improvements, see development potential or rethink completely.
Time to map the journey
Assume you run an indoor swimming pool. A reasonable assumption is that your customers are people who love to swim. The insight work shows that even if this is true, the potential customer journey begins much earlier when everyone with a health care allowance must choose a form of exercise. How can you be in their minds at that time, challenging the gym and that pretentious yoga studio next door?
Talking to existing customers makes it clear that almost no one understands how to book your water gym on the website. Nevertheless, you refer to that website every time someone calls you. Once in place in the pool area, the lockers in the changing room feel too small, and the pool is full of screaming kindergarteners – an acoustic nightmare for any grown-up ear. However, the staff are wonderful, the lighting is lovely and someone, but far from everyone, has discovered your cosy cafe – what a potential!
Improve the customer experience
So, what do you do with all the truths, clamouring for attention? You use them, of course: In your daily work, as a basis for product and service development, target group segmentation, inspiration, action lists and why not on coffee mugs in the staff room. This way, even during breaks, you can naturally think about whether the future lies with families with children or those sensitive to sound. Is it worth replacing the cupboards? Could a lunchtime session be launched? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing’s for sure: your website needs a facelift!
Helena Helsing Mork
Concept developer & copywriter
helena.helsing.mork@grow.eu
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