Photo by ecatoncheires

.

We all get the concept of customer journey mapping now…

….the broad steps that people take in finding, choosing, buying a product or service, across any industry.

Photo by Lumbertribe

We all get the concept of customer journey mapping now…

…. But do customers really act out their journeys in such a single-minded and linear way?

Photos by Lumbertribe and Susan NYC

McKinsey added a ‘loyalty loop’ to the customer journey, but it is still ‘silo-thinking’ - just the customer and the purchase involved

Photo from: wilgengebroed

Is it ‘real-life’ to think that a customer spends their life always thinking about our product?

Photo from: David Barrie

In the real world, peoples’ lives are a mash-up.

…. A constant juggle of domestic chores, and work life, of family moments and unwanted interruptions, of nice surprises, triumphs and tragedies.

And maybe our product once in a while.

The traditional Customer Journey does not reflect the context of our lives

…. from the regimented and routine

……to the unpredictability of life

Photos by Ludosphère and russellstreet

In fact, traditional customer journey maps are insular, even blinkered

Most companies only look for those parts of its customers’ lives that it has some direct interest or control over.

In healthcare, the mindset has become so internally focused, that the so-called ‘patient pathway’ is little more than a process

This ‘patient pathway’ shows the clinical treatment steps a patient will encounter for a type of cancer.

Yet, there is no reference to how patients experience these steps. In fact the only reference to “patient” at all is in the title.

The sole context of this map is the internal process. The truth is that it’s not a patient pathway at all, but rather a treatment process.

This teaches organisations to only see half the story and lose the context.

To see the disease, not the person.

Even the arrival of multichannel journey mapping remained locked in the same linear thinking

The inflection point was social media – suddenly we could see the bigger picture – not a map but a landscape

Social media taught us to ‘tune in’ to the frequency of the consumer landscape, not just listen to ‘in-house radio’

Photos by Tribaling

Brands began to recognise ‘tribes’ as well as individuals – exploring what they say, the links they reference, the issues and frustrations and distractions they experience.

It might highlight how TV shows and news stories are grabbing peoples’ attention, and sparking their interest.

And amongst these broader customer narratives, one might see them ‘drop in’ to shopper mode, including a desire to publicly discredit companies and brands that they feel have disappointed them or let them down.

This is the future of how customer journey maps will evolve.

Customer Journey data will need to reflect and respect the different personas in peoples’ lives

Photos by Brassyapple.com

A new generation of customer journey maps will be built on customer-defined environments, that show landmarks in peoples’ lives rather than pain-points in company processes.

The information will be less of a celebration of ‘Big Data’ and more of a nuanced interpretation of where and how organisations & brands play a role in peoples’ lives.

Too theoretical a prediction? Consider the car hire industry………

For decades, Avis had been using customer journey maps to improve their processes

Over time, their processes became pretty slick, from easy ordering on-line to a seamless handover of the vehicle.

Yet, the silo-mentality remained.

Meanwhile, a new (typically younger and urban) generation of customers was reassessing their need for cars and transportation altogether.

Many felt that they barely needed or could afford to own a car. Instead, they only actually needed a vehicle for an hour or so at a time– not a whole day or a week.

Zipcar arrived to fill this need. Whilst the global car hire firms were looking at themselves, Zipcar was grabbing a new market by focusing on the way younger customers were living their lives.

Photo by moon_child

Ten years on, Avis ended up buying Zipcar in Jan 2013 for $500m.

Quite a price to pay for sleeping at the wheel.

The new generation of customer journey maps require a fresh name. We call them Lifelines™

Lifelines™ describe the experiences of peoples’ lives – as shoppers, parents, travellers, employees. It builds the consumer landscape from the vivid detail of an individual perspective, zooming out to trends across a tribe of thousands.

It speaks from the customers’ voice (literally) and shows not just a purchase path, but a far richer journey of emotion and attitude.

They are as colourful and controversial as the people they represent. And for those who interpret them, they deliver competitive advantage….

Take the next step and find out more about…

Customer Journey Mapping. Reinvented.

™

info@customerfaithful.com @cust_faithful www.customerfaithful.com