6-step guide to conducting a successful customer journey / customer experience mapping exercise. Over 30 years of expertise goes into this best practice guide.

1. Best Practices in
Customer Experience
Mapping

2. • What
is
Customer
Experience
/
Customer
Journey
mapping?
• Our
methodology
– Best
prac<ces
– Common
pi=alls
• Six
steps
to
a
Customer
Experience
Map
• Case
Study:
Major
Luxury
Retailer
Overview

3. • Each
map
can
have
mul<ple
purposes
• Iden<fying
flows
(communica<ons,
informa<on)
• Measuring
“gaps
&
overlaps”
• Assessing
efficiency/effec<veness
of
interac<ons
• They
can
be
itera<ve
or
‘layered’
• Types
of
customer
experience
maps:
• Process
maps
• Lifecycle
maps
• Web
or
Contact
center
op<miza<on
• Data
maps
• Communica<on
maps
• Resource
/
empowerment
maps
• Privacy
compliance
roadmaps
There
are
many
types
of
Customer
Experience
Maps
Image
Sources:
East
Bay
Group,
SNG
Consul<ng

4. • An
Experience
map
is
an
essen<al
tool
• Creates
a
visualiza<on
of
your
touchpoints
and
relevant
informa<on
• Shows
where
and
when
customers
experience
sa<sfac<on/pain
point, who
is
most
impacted
and
how
it
affects
your
bo[om
line
• Priori<za<on
for
both
customers
and
business
to
understand
what
creates
or
detracts
value
Data-­‐driven
Maps
enable
many
disciplines
• Data
Integra<on/Consolida<on
• Collects
and
standardize
disparate
data
sources
(data
integra<on)
• Helps
get
to
a
common
data
set
of
customer
profile/
dimensions
• Collabora<ve
and
‘Social’
• Shared
tool
in
‘3D’
• See
how
ac<vi<es
&
processes
in
one
area
affect
the
en<re
organiza<on,
and
get
everyone
on
the
same
page
• Living
vs.
sta<c
• Allows
you
to
con<nue
to
uses
it
over
<me
to
drive
strategy,
planning
and
tac<cs.
• A
“Dashboard”
that
can
reflect
trends
and
progress
over
<me

5. • There
are
different
exercises
that
can
be
done
at
different
points
in
the
map
crea<on
or
follow-­‐up
processes:
• Storyboarding
–
illustra<ng
a
customer
experience
through
the
map
• Choose
a
scenario
–
the
group
walks
through
the
customer
experience
via
the
map
(great
process
for
business
rule
development)
• Idea<on
session
• Break
down
issues
iden<fied
in
the
experience
maps
• Brainstorm
solu<ons
• Create
high
level
priori<za<on
for
implementa<on
• Deep
Dive
sessions
• Create
the
future
state
for
specific
problem
areas
• ROI
analysis
• Gather
data
across
touchpoints
(i.e..
Collateral
crea<on
cost,
fulfillment
cost,
cost
per
interac<on,
etc.)
• Do
calcula<ons
based
on
focused
assump<ons:
one
touchpoint,
one
campaign,
one
customer
type,
etc.
Offshoots
of
the
mapping
process
Image
Sources:
UXMa[ers.com,
DesigningCX.com,
Branddriveninnova<on.com

6. • Communica<on
strategy
–
develop
an
integrated
communica<on
through
all
touchpoints
• Opera<onal
strategy
-­‐
iden<fy
the
infrastructure
that
is
needed
to
support
a
customer
centric
environment
• Process
reengineering
–
refine
processes
to
be
more
efficient
and
customer
focused
• Privacy
issues
–
iden<fying
poten<al
risks
• Data
management
– Develop
data
strategy
– Develop
an
understanding
of
how
data
can
be
used
as
a
compe<<ve
advantage
to
increase
loyalty,
sa<sfac<on,
etc.
– Iden<fy
places
where
data
can
be
leveraged
• Lifecycle
opportuni<es
–
understand
the
customer
experience
throughout
the
lifecycle,
work
to
alleviate
the
highest
pain
points
and
leverage
interac<ons
to
improve
customer
rela<ons
Poten<al
outputs
of
an
experience
mapping
effort
Impact
on
Revenue
Ease
of
Implementa2on
Customer
Sa2sfac2on
Time
to
Implement
Cost
to
Achieve

7. 1. Documentation of vision
- Overlaps and synergies across BU’s
- Conflicting strategies
2. Useable Best Practices
3. Documentation of gaps and
Opportunities
4. Documentation of the current
customer experience
- Living Customer Journey Map
- Holistic view of the customer experience
and infrastructure that is supporting it
- Gaps and opportunities between
customer experience and stated
customer strategies
5. High Level Recommendations
6. Initiative Identification &
Prioritization
INTANGIBLETANGIBLE
1. Engagement of key stakeholders
across divisions and business
units
- Begin to see commonality of key challenges
- See the overlap and chaos from the
customer’s perspective
2. Key Customer Journey Insights
3. Forum for breaking down silos
- Realization that customers view and
experience the whole brand and not
divisions or business units
- As such, need for greater collaboration and
coordination where customers are cutting
across different parts of the organization
4. Recognition for the right ideas and
the proper execution
- Elevation of best practices to senior
stakeholders and across divisions provide
forum for superior and peer recognition
Summary
of
experience
mapping
outputs

8. • Interview
at
least
some
staff
that
are
closest
to
the
customer
• They
know
more
about
the
customer
experience
than
anyone
in
the
enterprise
• Interview
people
who
“own”
customer
data
• They
know
best
what
happens
to
the
data
• What
customer
data
you
have
is
less
important
than
how
you
use
it
• Look
for
data
flows
(or
lack
of
flow)
among
func<ons
• What
technology
you
have
is
less
important
than
what
you
do
with
it
• People
and
process
integra<on
with
technology
determine
how
successful
it
is
Tips
for
effec<ve
mapping

9. • Mapping
only
outbound
communica<ons
• Does
not
address
the
customer
experience;
omits
the
feedback
loop
• An
inflexible
process
that
fails
to
iden<fy
real
opportunity
• Provides
lots
of
data,
but
li[le
real
insight
• No
clear
view
of
purpose
or
outcome
• Results
are
equally
fuzzy
• Poli<cal
agendas
• Office
poli<cs
prevent
interviews
of
appropriate
staff,
acquisi<on
of
needed
informa<on
Common
pi=alls
of
the
mapping
experience

10. Planning
• Set
the
map’s
scope
and
scale
• Create
interview
material
and
iden<fy
interviewees
Data
Gathering
• Schedule
and
execute
interviews
• Gather
and
review
documenta<on
Map
Crea<on
• Plot
customer
interac<ons
on
map;
refine
&
validate
• Overlay
metrics,
customer
data
&
collateral
Idea<on
Session
• Iden<fy,
analyze
and
priori<ze
opportuni<es
Conduct
“deep
drills”
on
issues/opportuni<es
• Iden<fy
“deep
drill”
needs
• Conduct
deep
drills,
analyze
results
Six
steps
to
a
Customer
Experience
Map
Analysis
&
Recommenda<ons
• Analyze
map
• Develop
recommenda<ons
and
compile
roadmap
for
change

11. • Establish
the
project
scope
• What
are
the
expected
results?
• What
informa<on
is
necessary
to
support
those
results?
• Establish
the
project
scale
• Enterprise,
divisional,
func<onal?
• Iden<fy
the
specific
informa<on
to
be
acquired
• Drah
data
acquisi<on
process
and
tools
• Drah
and
test
interview
ques<on
set
• Train
the
team
• Interview
process
• Data
acquisi<on
process
Step
1:
Planning
the
mapping
process
Planning

12. • Do
we
agree
on
approach
&
outcome?
• Do
we
agree
on
scope
and
scale?
• Have
we
iden<fied
all
key
stakeholders?
• Who
should
own/drive
this
project?
• What
are
the
interdependencies?
• Project
sequencing
• Leverage
exis<ng
work
and
resources
• What
is
the
risk
of
not
doing
this
project?
• Are
there
any
<ming
or
resource
issues?
Step
1:
Ques<ons
to
ask
before
star<ng
Planning

13. • Finalize
interview
list
and
data-­‐gathering
targets
• Revise
target
list
of
interviewees
to
ensure
coverage
• Review
data
sources
to
ensure
completeness
• Conduct
interviews
• Pilot
interviews
(then
adjust
ques<on
set
as
needed)
• Schedule
and
conduct
interviews
• If
there
are
a
large
number
of
interviews,
create
a
scheduling
system
for
the
team
• Compile
interview
reports;
review
for
completeness
• Complete
the
data-­‐gathering
process
• Review
data
dic<onaries
and
other
sources
as
they
are
acquired
• Iden<fy
gaps;
re-­‐acquire
missing
informa<on
sets
Step
2:
Data
gathering
phase
Data
Gathering

14. • Set
map
parameters
from
exis<ng
data
• Review
interview
reports
and
datasets
• Drah
and
submit
map
op<ons
for
review
• Drah
ini<al
map
• Create
core
map
• Plot
customer
interac<ons
and/or
datasets
on
map
• Refine
the
map
and
validate
informa<on
flows
• Pinpoint
“gaps
&
overlaps”
• Iden<fy
poten<al
problem
areas
(missing
data,
possible
privacy
viola<ons,
etc.)
• Overlay
other
data
as
deemed
relevant
• Metrics,
communica<ons
tools,
dataflow
gaps,
etc.
Step
3:
Map
crea<on
Map
Crea<on

15. • In
a
team
semng,
review
map
for
opportuni<es
and
threats
• Customer-­‐iden<fied
needs
and
preferences
• Touchpoints
with
unusually
high
or
low
customer
interac<on
results
• Gaps
in
the
feedback
loop
• Obvious
“missed
signals”
from
the
customer
• Points
of
high
customer
sa<sfac<on
or
preference
• Analyze
the
opportuni<es
and
threats
• Determine
“do-­‐ability”
of
poten<al
solu<ons
• Es<mate
poten<al
ROI
of
solu<ons
• Priori<ze
opportuni<es
• Determine
priority
metrics
(budget,
growth,
ROI,
etc.)
• Score
and
rank
opportuni<es
• Recommend
“deep
drills”
to
be[er
analyze
high-­‐value
opportuni<es
or
threats
Step
4:
Idea<on
Idea<on
Session

16. • Iden<fy
deep
drill
needs
• Areas
where
the
mapping
process
iden<fied
an
issue,
but
did
not
provide
sufficient
informa<on
to
support
a
decision
• Large-­‐scale
opportuni<es
or
threats
that
require
addi<onal
analysis
• Intriguing
ideas
or
concerns
that
need
to
have
an
ROI
specified
before
approval
• Conduct
deep
drill
• Acquire
necessary
data
• Conduct
interviews
• Analyze
results
• Determine
priority
metrics
(budget,
growth,
ROI,
etc.)
• Score
and
rank
against
other
opportuni<es/threats
Step
5:
Conduct
deep
drills
Conduct
“deep
drills”
on
issues/opportuni<es

17. • Iden<fy
key
findings
from
map
• 3-­‐5
major
issues
(opportuni<es,
threats,
needs,
etc.)
that
surfaced
in
the
customer
experience
mapping
process
• Develop
recommenda<ons
for
each
finding
• Core
recommenda<on
• Support
data
(ROI,
etc.)
• Create
high-­‐level
roadmap
to
implementa<on
• Key
steps
to
implementa<on
• Major
implica<ons
Step
6:
Analysis
and
recommenda<ons
Analysis
&
Recommenda<ons

18. Challenge/Opportunity
Results
§ Created
a
customer
experience
that
drives
brand
loyalty,
resul<ng
in
shared
value
for
the
customer
and
the
company
§ Developed
a
360-­‐degree
view
of
the
customer
to
deliver
what
they
need,
when
they
need
it,
and
how
they
want
it
§ Leveraged
customer
data
to
drive
ac<onable
insights
&
measurable
ROI
§ Iden<fied
“quick
wins”
while
working
towards
the
long
term
strategy.
§ Leveraged
the
strategic
framework
from
North
America
to
enable
it
to
scale
to
a
global
footprint.
Approach/Solu2on
§ Organiza<onal
assessment
across
Sales,
Marke<ng
and
Service
to
determine
gaps
in
CRM
efforts
§ Created
Touchmap
to
fully
understand
customer
through
retailer
and
distributor
Experience
§ Developed
ini<a<ves
to
close
gaps
(opera<ons,
people,
informa<on,
technology)
§ Used
Touchmap
to
gather
requirements,
inform
RFPs
and
manage
bid
processes
for
MRM,
CRM
solu<ons
§ Developed
Sales
and
Marke<ng
Training
for
Segmenta<on
and
1:1
Marke<ng
concepts
Client
had
several
failures
to
launch
CRM
programs
Sales/Marke<ng
not
in
agreement
on
how
to
proceed
Realized
technology
plan
would
not
work
without
a
Go-­‐to-­‐Market
Strategy
and
clearer
understanding
of
Marke<ng/Sales
Needs/Objec<ves
Business
Requirements
Concern
about
aliena<ng
Resellers
kept
them
from
collec<ng
relevant
end
user
data
Sales
and
Marke<ng
ohen
blind
in
trying
to
create
lead
nurturing
programs
Case
Study:
Mul<-­‐brand
Retail
Experience
Map

19. Connect
and
Follow:
www.suitecx.com
@custoholic

20. Valerie Peck
Co-founder and CEO, SuiteCX
About
the
Content
Authors
Valerie has more than 20 years of diverse experience delivering accelerated
growth and strong bottom line results. Valerie has successfully led multi-
functional teams to ensure marketing strategy is translated into technical
solutions.
Valerie
Peck
is
the
founder
of
East
Bay
Group
and
a
co-­‐founder
of
SuiteCX.
She
focuses
on
developing
Marke<ng
and
CRM
strategies
and
driving
them
through
tac<cal
execu<on.
She
is
highly
skilled
in
developing
and
execu<ng
marke<ng/rela<onship
and
sales
strategies
within
both
large
scale
and
startup
organiza<ons.
She
specializes
in
the
area
of
u<lizing
technology
for
strategic
advantage.
Her
areas
of
exper<se
include
all
facets
of
rela<onship
management,
marke<ng
op<miza<on
and
customer-­‐centric
service.
Acknowledged
for
developing
BI/KM
capabili<es
within
corpora<ons
as
well
as
professional
services
firms.
Valerie
has
mul<-­‐ver<cal
CRM
exper<se
with
over
50
clients
such
as
Samsclub,
Limited
Brands,
Overstock.co,
Bluefly,
Royal
Caribbean,
EDS,
Blue
Shield
of
CA,
Bank
of
Turkey,
HP
and
Luxomca
to
name
a
few.
She
also
has
strong
repeat
client
business
in
integrated
marke<ng,
digital
marke<ng
and
marke<ng
automa<on
such
as
HP,
Houghton-­‐Mifflin,
Wells
Fargo,
Bank
of
America
and
Kaiser
Permanente.
She
has
significant
B2C
and
B2B
experience.
Her
client
side
experience
was
gained
within
the
industry
leading
CRM
prac<<oners
in
telecommunica<ons,
star<ng
her
career
with
Pacific
Bell
and
then
Director
of
Strategic
Alliances
and
Product
Marke<ng
at
StorageTek
and
Director
of
Marke<ng
for
PwC’s
High
Technology
prac<ce
in
the
West
Coast.
Valerie
has
a
BS
in
Marke<ng
and
an
MBA
from
the
University
of
Southern
California.

21. Anne Cramer
Co-founder and COO, SuiteCX
Anne is an experienced Marketer and CRM subject matter expert. Her focus
on detail and strong writing skills enable her to produce insightful and usable
deliverables across the spectrum of marketing/CRM projects.
Anne
Cramer
is
has
served
as
a
Partner
at
East
Bay
Group
and
is
a
co-­‐founder
of
SuiteCX.
Anne
is
a
seasoned
strategy
and
management
consul<ng
professional
with
deep
exper<se
in
crea<ng
and
implemen<ng
data-­‐
driven,
customer-­‐centric
business
strategies.
Having
been
in
the
consul<ng
and
professional
services
industry
for
over
12
years,
Anne’s
passion
lies
in
finding
and
replica<ng
best
prac<ces
all
over
the
world.
She
believes
that
all
clients
can
learn
from
other
successful
organiza<ons
regardless
of
their
size,
business
model
or
country
of
origin.
Anne
is
a
specialist
in
process
improvement,
customer
data
strategy,
and
customer
experience
mapping
across
a
variety
of
ver<cal
and
geographic
markets.
She
is
fluent
in
French
and
proficient
in
Spanish
and
Czech.
Anne
has
worked
for
clients
such
as
PayPal,
Salesforce.com,
Autodesk,
Kaiser
Permanente,
Silicon
Valley
Bank,
Volkswagen
and
United
Airlines.
She
has
also
built
CRM
and
loyalty
programs
from
scratch
in
the
gaming
and
healthcare
industries.
Anne
graduated
magna
cum
laude
from
the
University
of
Southern
California
with
a
degree
in
Interna<onal
Rela<ons,
a[ained
a
Master
of
Arts
in
Interna<onal
Development
from
the
American
University
and
received
her
MBA
from
Cornell
University.
.
About
the
Content
Authors