Marketing mistakes to avoid
Instead, businesses need to find ways to make their products or experiences more appealing and unique to their target market.
By differentiating themselves, businesses can create a competitive advantage and attract more customers. This can lead to increased sales and profits as well as a stronger brand reputation.
Mastering touch points is more than just being present at every point of contact with the customer. It’s about delivering a consistent, positive experience at each touch point that is aligned with the brand promise.
It requires understanding the customer journey and mapping out all possible touch points. Then it’s also about using data and insights to optimise each touch point and ensure that it is delivering the best possible experience.
You need to make sure that the touch points work together to create a seamless experience. In short, it’s about creating a customer experience that is exceptional at every touch point.
If a company does not manage its customer touch points, it can lead to a number of negative consequences.
First, customers may become frustrated or dissatisfied with the company which can lead to decreased loyalty and increased churn.
Second, the company may miss out on opportunities to collect valuable customer feedback, which can limit its ability to improve the customer experience.
Third, the company may fail to create a consistent brand experience, which can lead to confusion and frustration among customers.
Finally, the company may find it difficult to achieve its business goals as a poor customer experience can impact sales and growth.
Never forget that the customer journey is the overall path that a customer takes from the moment they become aware of a brand to the point where they make a purchase and beyond.
It includes all of the touch points that a customer has with the brand. A customer touch point on the other hand is a specific point of contact between a customer and the brand.
It could be a physical interaction such as visiting a store or a digital interaction such as visiting a website.
Each touch point is part of the overall customer journey but they are not the same thing.
The customer journey can begin in a variety of different places depending on the customer and the company.
For some customers, the journey might begin with a search engine query or a recommendation from a friend.
For others, it might begin with an advertisement or a visit to a store. In any case, the journey typically begins when a customer becomes aware of a brand or product and starts to form an opinion about it.
From there, the customer journey will typically involve a series of interactions with the brand including learning more about it, considering whether to purchase it and ultimately making a decision.
On that customer journey that’s where we find touch points. Touch points in the customer journey are any interactions that a customer has with a brand whether direct or indirect.
This can include everything from seeing an advertisement to visiting a store to talking to a customer service representative.
Touch points are important because they can influence a customer’s decision to buy or not buy a product or service and they can also affect their overall perception of the brand.
For example, a positive experience at a store can lead to a customer developing a positive impression of the brand.
On the other hand, a negative experience can result in a negative impression.
Pain points on the customer journey are any factors that cause the customer to experience frustration, disappointment or other negative emotions.
These can occur at any stage of the journey. Common pain points include high prices, poor customer service, confusing or difficult to navigate websites and long wait times.
When a customer encounters a pain point, it can affect their decision to buy or not buy a product or service and it can also affect their overall satisfaction with the brand.
Identifying and addressing pain points is an important part of creating a positive customer experience.
Just as there are pain points on the customer journey, there are also pleasure points. Pleasure points are any factors that cause a customer to experience positive emotions such as: excitement, happiness, or satisfaction.
Common pleasure points include receiving a good deal, receiving personalised service or experiencing a brand that aligns with their values.
Pleasure points can have a positive impact on a customer’s decision to buy a product or service and they can also increase their overall satisfaction with the brand.
In order to create a positive customer experience, it is important to identify both pain points and pleasure points and take steps to address them.
I am not surprised when I get booked by small, medium and big companies to conduct customer experience sessions with their people. They know I am a guy who delivers real value!
There are many reasons why customers might choose to do business with a particular company.
The most important reason is that they believe the company can provide them with a product or service that meets their needs.
Customers also want to feel that they are being treated fairly and with respect and that the company is honest and trustworthy.
Additionally, customers want to feel like they are getting good value for their money and that the company is committed to providing excellent customer service.
Finally, customers may choose a company based on its reputation, brand image or personal recommendation from a friend or family member.
There are a variety of reasons why customers might choose not to do business with a particular company.
The most common reason is if the customer feels that the company is not providing good value for their money.
This could be due to high prices, poor product quality or poor customer service. Other reasons might include a lack of trust or respect, a lack of transparency or a negative reputation.
Some customers might also be put off by a company’s marketing or advertising or by the way the company conducts its business.
Ultimately, it is up to each individual customer to decide whether or not to do business with a particular company.
A determinant of customer experience is any factor that influences how a customer feels about their interaction with a brand.
These factors can either be positive or negative. The impact of these determinants can vary depending on the individual customer but they all play a role in shaping the overall experience.
By understanding the determinants of customer experience, businesses can better design experiences that meet and exceed customer expectations.
Store layout is a very important factor in shaping a customer’s experience. The layout of a store can impact everything from how easy it is to find what the customer is looking for to how long they spend in the store.
A well-designed store layout can make the shopping experience easier and more enjoyable leading to more satisfied customers.
Some of the ways that store layout can impact customer experience include:
Traffic flow: How easy it is for customers to move through the store.
Focal points: The areas of the store that draw customers’ attention.
Product displays: How products are arranged and displayed in the store.
The product itself is also a critical determinant of customer experience as it is the main reason why the customer is interacting with the brand in the first place.
If the product does not meet the customer’s expectations, it can lead to a negative experience even if all other aspects of the interaction are positive.
On the other hand, if the product exceeds the customer’s expectations, it can create a very positive experience.
The key is to ensure that the product is of high-quality, functional and easy to use.
Additionally, the product should be priced fairly and aligned with the customer’s expectations.
The people that a customer interacts with during their experience with a brand can also have a major impact on their overall satisfaction.
This includes not only the employees of the brand, but also other customers. Employees who are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful can create a positive experience while employees who are rude, unhelpful or incompetent can create a negative experience.
Similarly, customers who are polite, respectful and well-behaved can create a positive experience, while customers who are disruptive, impatient or disrespectful can create a negative experience.
Processes are the steps that a customer goes through to complete their interaction with a brand.
These processes can include things like placing an order, making a return or getting help from a customer service representative.
If the processes are smooth, efficient and easy to navigate, they can create a positive experience. However, if the processes are confusing, time-consuming or difficult to complete, they can lead to a negative experience.
By streamlining and improving processes, businesses can create a more positive customer experience. However, there are a few reasons why some customers might not complain even if they are unhappy with a product or service.
One reason is that they may not feel like their voice will be heard. They may believe that the company is too big or powerful for them to make a difference in it.
Another reason is that they may not want to go through the hassle of filing a complaint.
Customers may also feel that it’s not worth the time or effort. Some customers may simply accept poor service as a fact of life especially in Africa. Whatever the reason, it’s important for companies to be proactive in seeking out customer feedback so that they can address any issues.
There are a few ways that companies can adopt to encourage customers to provide feedback or file complaints. One way is to make it easy and convenient for customers to do so. This might involve having a phone number for complaints or offering incentives for customers who take the time to provide feedback.
Another way is to actively seek out feedback from customers. This could be done through surveys, focus groups or other methods of data collection.
Finally, it’s important for companies to have a culture of openness and transparency so that customers feel comfortable voicing their concerns. This could involve training employees to be responsive to customer feedback or publishing customer reviews online.