As the Swiffer example in the previous Lesson shows, we need to understand the customer experience from their perspective. What steps do they go through to buy and use your company’s product or service? While they are doing so, what are they both doing and feeling?
I ask my clients and students to map out the entire customer journey when they purchase something from a supplier. I want them to put themselves in the customer’s shoes and identify every step taken in that process. What do they physically have to do, what questions do they have, what emotions take hold as they are doing it, and what barriers must they overcome to complete each step in the journey, as well as proceed to the next step?
For example, if I want to buy a newer smartphone, I will spend time on the internet looking at the latest models. I might read reviews comparing the Apple iPhone models, Samsung’s product line, and Google’s latest offerings. Once I decide on a manufacturer, I will examine the models in the product line-up. I may talk to friends who have the models I’m considering to get their opinions.
After I pick my desired phone, then I’ll look at the carriers, such as Verizon and AT&T, to see what packages they offer and which one matches both my phone habits and my budget. This may take more internet searches. If my phone plan affects others in my family, then I will need to consult them.
At some point, I will have to decide if I will buy the phone outright or lease it from the carrier. Depending on the state of my bank account and my credit worthiness, I may need to check with my bank, credit card company, or family members to obtain the financing for this $1000 purchase.
Then, I finally go to a store to actually see and hold the phone. In fact many people visit multiple stores, such as the Apple Store, Costco, Best Buy, Verizon, and AT&T stores. Once inside each store, if the salesperson is busy, I’ll have to wait or return later. If a salesperson is free, I will pepper her or him with all my questions. They will explain to me the various options to buy or lease the phone and any deals they have with the network carriers. This will lead to more questions and cost calculations I’ll have to make.
When I finally pick my model, the store that gives me the best deal, and the carrier, then the sales person will check my credit before approving the sale. They will also try to sell me additional products like phone protectors, ear buds, car chargers, and insurance. Eventually, they will sell me the phone along with any of the extras I’ve chosen.
Many retailers would think the customer interaction stops once the sale is made. But it doesn’t.
I will need the employee transfer everything from my old phone to my new phone. They also need to help me set up my phone’s password, voicemail, apps, and my cloud account with the carrier. They will test it to make sure that it actually connects to the carrier’s network and maybe try to connect the Wi-Fi to the store’s signal.
When I get home with the phone, I’ll have to learn how to use it. Some buttons will function differently, some new apps will need to be installed, and I’ll have to set up my browser and email. I will have to sync it with my smart speakers and any “Internet of Things” (or IoT) devices in my house, like the lights, thermostat, or garage door. All this will take time and may not work smoothly.
For the remainder of the phone’s life, somewhere between two to four years, the carrier will send me a monthly bill if I’m leasing the phone. If the phone is not working right, I will probably call for technical support or go to one of the local stores for customer support. Should I drop the phone or damage it another way, I may take it to a repair shop.
At some point, I will decide to upgrade this phone to a newer model. Not only will I need to repeat this cycle, I will have to figure out what to do with this phone. Do I keep it as an emergency back-up? Do I donate it to charity? If I want to dispose of it, how do I do that?
We’ve covered what the customer does. Now, let’s cycle back to understand what the customer is feeling while taking all the steps above.
At the start of this customer journey, they may be excited that they are planning to purchase a new phone. Looking at the new models, they may get more excited by the new features, better technology, and cool designs. Or, they might be overwhelmed by all the choices. Or, they might be disappointed that not that much has changed or that the prices have gone up so much.
As they spend more time on the internet, they may grow tired wading through the deluge of information. It may frustrate them that they cannot make easy comparisons between models. They may grow anxious because they can’t make a decision in the face of so much information.
When they get to carrier selection, they may face sticker shock at the product price. They may dislike getting locked into just one carrier or get angry at the high price of unlocking the phone so that it can be used anywhere and on any network.
If they don’t have the money, they may feel like a loser. If they have to get financing, especially from parents, they may become embarrassed.
Once in the store, they may be excited again. But when the salesperson tries to entice them with other products, they may get very annoyed. Since the transfer process from the old phone to the new one does not always go smoothly, they may get very anxious. If photos, music, or contacts get lost, they can become quite angry. Should they leave the store with a brilliant new phone and no transfer problems, they may feel relieved and maybe even pleased.
However, that feeling may dissipate upon arriving home and having to learn the ins-and-outs of the new phone. The syncing with all the home IoT devices will take patience and time. If it doesn’t go smoothly, it may lead to frustration or anger.
But, the first time the phone doesn’t work as it should, they will be quite unhappy having to reach out to customer support. Should they be stuck with a lemon, they will be angry.
With each month’s bill, they will be reminded of the cost and wonder whether the new phone is worth it. Could the kids have less expensive phones? Would it help their grades to not have a phone? Or, they will simply resign themselves by believing that smartphones are a necessity in today’s world.
At some point, they may start to feel that they need answer model. Depending on how this cycle of the customer journey went, they may delay the new purchase to avoid repeating the pain.
As you review the steps and emotions in the customer’s journey, it becomes clear that from the customer’s experience, the critical path to buying a smart phone requires many steps. Along the path, the customer faces barriers that might make it difficult to proceed or might stop them in their tracks. Every pain point invites the customer to disengage.
These barriers are a universal fear of all internet retailers. Customers put items in their online shopping carts but do not proceed to purchase. Something along that critical path tells them not to go any further. This problem becomes exacerbated when you mix clicks-and-bricks shopping where the customer goes back-and-forth between the internet and physical stores.
Disruptors examine these customer journey maps to see where they can make the critical path better, shorter, faster, smarter, and more effective from the customer’s viewpoint. As we saw earlier, convenience stores did this to the grocery business. Peapod and other early grocery delivery businesses tried to one-up the convenience stores by bringing the groceries to the customer’s door, thus taking out more steps of the customer’s journey. Currently, Walmart and Amazon are now experimenting with delivering the groceries inside the home and putting appropriate items into refrigerators and freezers when the customer is not even home – taking additional steps out of the journey and freeing the customer to do other activities with the time that grocery shopping demanded. Uber and Lyft applied this same concept to the taxi business. FinTech companies use the internet to make banking easier and faster for the customer. Some online car sellers, like Carvana and Shift, are trying to reduce the pain of car shopping by doing it online with no haggle pricing. Journey maps reveal where suppliers can add value from the customer’s point of view.
The customer’s journey matters as you solve their problem for them. You have to get outside of your head to understand that customer’s experience. They care how easy or hard it is to do business with you. This cost to them is as real as the money they pay you for your product or service. In many cases, it matters even more. That’s true even if they are not conscious of what the journey “costs” them, even if, like many customers, they only notice particularly annoying journeys. In that sense, this “cost” may matter even more to the consumer than the cost indicated on the price tag. As soon as a more attractive customer journey is offered to them, do not be surprised if you no longer see them.
Critical Path Action Items
What is the journey map for your customers: what steps, questions, emotions, barriers, and pain points exist along their journey?
What do your customers feel during their critical path journey: what do they like and dislike?
What steps and pain points could you eliminate for your customers that would make a positive difference to them?
What would a disruptor do to the critical path to get your customers?