Page 20 - AeM_Dec_2018

BEST PRACTICES & STRATEGIES

Limitations of the Customer Journey

and how to tackle them

The concept of the customer journey is very demanding, such and other attributes for guaranteeing a good
since it requires a consistent orientation to the digital customer experience, it is now defined by much more
transformation, both in terms of the processes depicted than that. The fact is that the customer experience is
and the organizational structures. Furthermore, a and will never be ‘in control’ because customers are
powerful technical foundation is essential, or if the individuals and the core element in the customer
solution is to run in the cloud, the alignment of IT to cloud experience equation is highly emotional, personal,
computing – e.g. with integrated virtualization. contextual and diverse.
Many companies are finding it difficult to set up a Given the many dimensions and elements in the overall
customer journey for their customers. Often, the different customer experience, it does require management,
distribution channels and touchpoints are not yet transformation and process optimization, involving the
integrated, so that customers, for instance, find different customer on various levels, making intensive use of
offers depending on the channel. In most cases, only actionable data and information, and removing
certain touchpoints are detected - and these are usually obstacles and silo effects.
not the ones that can achieve the greatest effect, but
those that require the least technical effort. Often, It can’t be emphasized often enough that it is crucial to
companies do not even manage to recognize their deploy increasingly connected technologies and
customers properly. Certainly, the anticipation of important to involve the customer. So, if you haven’t
customer behavior, which is once again a prerequisite for done so yet, put yourself in the shoes of your customer
optimizing the customer journey, is hardly possible that to get the whole picture.
way. The customer journey deliberately avoids marketing
aspects that revolve around sales and costs and
In fact, so far only a few companies exploit the focuses on customer satisfaction or customer
possibilities of the customer journey to its fullest. Due to experience. But since customer-centric companies
insufficient technical conditions, a low degree of must also make money, a new way of thinking is
digitization, or simply a misunderstanding about the required - like a lot of things in the era of digitization.
basic idea of the customer journey it isn’t possible, since So, start broadening your horizon! ◊
it is all about the implementation of a consistent
customer view.
By Daniela La Marca
In today’s digitally connected age the determining factors
shaping the customer experiences are constantly
multiplying: if in the past, we had to look only at face-to-
face contacts, interactions across several channels,
customer service, products and solutions, the brand as

20 December 2018 - Customer Experience & Customer Journey