S6 | 481: Customer journey management with Stacy Sherman, Doing CX Right

Digital StrategyTechnologyConversational AI
Written By Basil Ali

About the Episode

As the voice of the customer becomes increasingly important in driving business success, companies are recognizing the need to optimize and personalize every touchpoint along the customer journey. From initial awareness and consideration to purchase and post-purchase support, every interaction matters and can make or break a customer's loyalty and advocacy.

Today we’re going to talk about customer journey management - how to do it well, how to measure success, and how to improve it over time. 

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Stacy Sherman, Founder & Chief Customer Officer at Doing CX Right.

About Stacy Sherman

A renowned professional speaker and customer experience (CX) expert. Specializes in strengthening loyal relationships between individuals and companies. She’s coached and delivered hundreds of speeches and workshops based on her Heart & ScienceTM framework that consistently produces tangible results and brand distinction. Stacy's been walking the talk for 25 years as a strategist and practitioner at companies of all sizes and industries, i.e., Verizon, Liveops, Schindler Elevator Corp, Wilton Brands, AT&T. Recognized repeatedly as a Top 30 Global Guru and a Top 25 CX Thought Leader by ICMI, Stacy is also a W3 award recipient for her Doing CX Right podcast. LinkedIn Learning course and Journey Management book, offering deeper CX insights, are launching in 2024.

Resources

Synopsis

Customer journey management is a comprehensive approach to understanding and optimizing customer interactions with a brand across various touchpoints. It involves actively managing and improving the entire customer experience, going beyond just mapping the customer journey.

In a podcast episode, Stacey Sherman, founder and chief customer officer at Doing CX Right, emphasizes the importance of journey management as a holistic way of looking at customer interactions. It involves considering all touchpoints, both online and offline, and ensuring consistency and alignment across channels. Journey management also takes into account the role of the workforce in delivering a seamless customer experience.

Sherman highlights the need for organizations to break down silos and bring together cross-functional teams to design the customer experience. By walking in the customer's shoes and understanding the impact of each team's role on the overall journey, organizations can create a more cohesive and integrated experience.

To align customer journeys with business objectives, Sherman suggests involving representatives from different departments, including marketing, e-commerce, finance, and customer service. By bringing these teams together, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of the customer journey and identify areas for improvement.

Measurement and feedback play a crucial role in customer journey management. Sherman emphasizes the importance of collecting both qualitative and quantitative data to understand customer pain points and prioritize areas for improvement. This feedback can come from various sources, including surveys, focus groups, social media, and contact centers. By analyzing this data, organizations can identify common issues and challenges and make informed decisions on how to address them.

Continuous improvement is a key aspect of journey management. Sherman emphasizes the need for a governance structure that holds teams accountable and ensures ongoing improvement. This involves creating a committee with representatives from different departments and establishing a clear agenda for regular meetings. By continuously gauging customer feedback and data, organizations can identify pain points and prioritize improvements.

Sherman also highlights the importance of personalization in customer journey management. With advancements in AI and customer data platforms, organizations have the opportunity to deliver more personalized experiences. However, it is crucial to balance the needs of different customer segments and ensure consistency in communication and service.

Overall, customer journey management is an ongoing process that requires organizations to continuously monitor and improve the customer experience. By aligning journeys with business objectives, breaking down silos, collecting feedback, and prioritizing improvements, organizations can create a seamless and personalized experience that drives customer loyalty and advocacy.

Effective communication is a critical aspect of the customer journey, and lack of consistency in communication can be a major pain point for customers. As mentioned in the podcast episode, one of the most common issues that customers face is poor communication from companies. This lack of consistent and effective communication can have a negative impact on the overall customer experience.

Customers expect clear and timely communication throughout their interactions with a brand. Whether it's during the purchasing process, seeking assistance, or even returning a product, customers want to be kept informed and have their questions or concerns addressed promptly. However, when communication is inconsistent or lacking, it can lead to frustration, confusion, and a breakdown in trust between the customer and the brand.

One example highlighted in the episode is the case of contacting a company's customer service department and receiving conflicting information. For instance, if a customer calls the airline and receives one answer, but then chats with an agent and receives a different answer, it creates a sense of inconsistency and can leave the customer feeling frustrated and unsure of what to believe. This lack of consistent communication can erode customer trust and loyalty.

To address this pain point, companies need to prioritize effective communication throughout the customer journey. This involves ensuring that all touchpoints, whether it's the contact center, e-commerce platform, or retail stores, are aligned in their messaging and provide consistent information to customers. Breaking down silos within the organization and fostering collaboration among different departments is crucial in achieving this consistency.

Additionally, companies should actively seek feedback from customers to identify areas where communication can be improved. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, or social media listening. By understanding the specific pain points and challenges customers face in terms of communication, companies can take targeted actions to address these issues and enhance the overall customer experience.

In conclusion, communication is a key pain point for customers, and lack of consistency in communication can have a detrimental impact on the customer experience. Companies need to prioritize effective and consistent communication throughout the customer journey, breaking down silos and fostering collaboration among different departments. By actively seeking feedback and addressing customer pain points, companies can improve their communication strategies and enhance the overall customer experience.

Continuous improvement and governance are crucial aspects of successful customer journey management. As discussed in the podcast episode, organizations need to establish a feedback loop, analyze data, and foster collaboration among teams to ensure ongoing improvement.

To begin with, it is important to recognize that customer journey management is not a one-time project but a continuous process. Companies should not stop at simply mapping the customer journey; they need to go beyond and focus on managing and improving it over time. This requires a commitment to continuous improvement and a mindset of always seeking ways to enhance the customer experience.

One approach to continuous improvement is to establish a governance structure. This involves creating a committee or a cross-functional team that includes representatives from various departments within the organization. It is essential to involve not only the C-suite but also the individuals who are directly involved in delivering the customer experience. This committee should meet regularly to discuss the entire customer journey, review data and feedback, and prioritize areas for improvement.

Data analysis plays a crucial role in continuous improvement. Organizations should collect both qualitative and quantitative feedback from customers to gain insights into pain points and areas of improvement. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, social media monitoring, and other feedback mechanisms. By analyzing this data, companies can identify common issues and prioritize them based on their impact on the customer experience.

Collaboration is another key element of successful customer journey management. Silos within the organization can hinder the delivery of a seamless customer experience. To break down these silos, it is important to bring together representatives from different departments and functions that are involved in customer interactions. By walking through the customer journey together, these teams can gain a better understanding of how their roles and responsibilities impact the overall experience. This collaborative approach helps ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal.

In summary, continuous improvement and governance are essential for effective customer journey management. Organizations should establish a feedback loop, analyze data, and foster collaboration among teams to drive ongoing improvement. By prioritizing pain points, leveraging data insights, and involving the right stakeholders, companies can create a customer-centric approach that enhances the overall customer experience.

Stacy Sherman, Founder & Chief Customer Officer, Doing CX Right

Basil Ali
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