Point of View
Segment of One - the importance of customer journeys
When analysing recent data, one can easily state that improving customer experience through integrated management of customer journeys and business processes is of utmost importance, for those seeking success.
On that note, companies that have been particularly prosperous or even revolutionised within their industries over the past few years, often attribute their success to exceptional customer experiences, as well as bettering the understanding of prospective customers’ needs.
Thus, the development of customer journeys has become an important strategic tool, with the focus of optimising customer interactions, at various touchpoints, designed according to the type of customer, or persona, which we have talked about in one of our previous article.
One thing that should be decided upon beforehand is who is in charge of such cross-functional developments – generally, this responsibility lies with the product management, marketing and sales divisions, since these areas focus on successfully managing customer relationships. However, when the journey is not as smooth as expected, the operational areas are often blamed, in spite of not having been involved.
Moreover, in order to successfully create the desired customer journey, it is crucial that operational managers are involved in the development process. Hence, open dialogue between managers from operations, product management and sales need to be held, providing points of view that sufficiently consider both the customer perspective and the operational framework.
Albeit, in order to have a positive experience when interacting with the company and effectively address weak points, the previously mentioned touchpoints must be evaluated and controlled using suitable metrics. Since every department operates with different key figures, a common denominator must be found.
Net promoter score (NPS) and Customer satisfaction index (CSI) are some of the most frequently used key figures used for measuring customer satisfaction, yet companies should not only rely on a limited number of figures, but rather adapt, according to the customer’s expectations.
It is our firm belief that the sought-after success can only be achieved through cross-departmental cooperation, involving continuous monitoring, coordinating and ensuring the achievement of customer-oriented objectives.
