Customer experience is the sum of all a person's contacts with a company – from the first search, through purchase and delivery, to a complaint and a repeat purchase. It is precisely these moments that shape the brand in the customer's mind more strongly than any campaign. Most companies invest in the first part of the journey and neglect the later ones, even though dissatisfaction after a purchase has a stronger effect on recommendation than the impression made by advertising. A useful approach is to map the customer journey and, at every touchpoint, determine who is responsible for it and how it is measured. Transitions between departments deserve particular attention – from sales to delivery, from delivery to support – because it is precisely there that most disappointment arises from information not being handed over.
See also: Brand promise, NPS – Net Promoter Score, Complaints process as marketing.
