Customer Experience Mapping That Works

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When implementing our quality assurance systems, we discovered that customer experience mapping was an exciting side benefit.

We mapped out our job and service processes using step-by-step prompts to ensure quality. We then added special prompts for “customer feel-good experiences.” In other words, not only could we guarantee QUALITY, via a quality assurance checklist, but using the same checklists assured a consistent happy experience for our customers.

For example, when on-boarding a new customer, we offer them our book called "System Busters" as a free gift. To be sure, we do not leave our free book offer to chance, because the offer is a written prompt on a QA checklist. In addition, the person performing the new customer on-boarding signs the QA checklist, when completed, and submits it to management.

As you can see, customer experience mapping, via control checklists, ensures the same experience for ALL clients. Quality assurance is NOT just for manufacturing, but is crucial in the SERVICE of customers.

Touch Points of a Customer’s Experience

Every touch point—that place of engaging a customer—is an opportunity to provide them a positive, memorable experience. For this reason, using a systematic approach ensures our customer touch points are not happenstance. Whereby, increasing the chance of repeat business, exponentially.

In fact, any business professional knows it costs much less to maintain an existing customer, than to find a new customer.

How do I know?

Because, we often reminded our CSR’s of a customer’s value when confronted with a tough decision to give discounts or refunds to an unhappy customer.

To put it differently, what would you pay to get another customer similar to one of your best customers? For instance, would you pay a thousand dollars, ten thousand dollars, or even fifty thousand dollars for that type customer?

Truth is, we've had several customers that we would have paid over fifty thousand dollars to acquire more with their value. In fact, we would have considered that a great investment.

With that in mind, when having to refund or give a valued customer a discount, the decision can be rather obvious. DO IT!

Fact is, this is a touch point that can make or break your business.

Other Not-So-Apparent Touch Points

Other not-so-apparent touch points can be that of packaging and shipping a customer’s product. Although this type of touch point is not a direct customer engagement, it is no less important.

In fact, this is a place where a quality assurance checklist will play a vital role ensuring the handling of a customer’s product is with utmost care. Moreover, using a checklist with prompts to ensure correct packing, correct weight, correct delivery address, etc., pays high dividends.

In addition, you might add a prompt to place a nice discount coupon in the customer’s package for their next order. To be sure, this is just another touch point in a well-designed map of a customer’s experience!

Did I mention? Great systems work!