Unless you\u2019ve been avoiding the news for the last couple of weeks, you\u2019ve most likely seen all sorts of troubling stories surrounding customers who have been treated poorly by various airlines. If you\u2019ve missed them here are a few;<\/p>\n
California Family Kicked Off Delta Flight After Argument Over Toddler\u2019s Seat<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n American Airlines investigates after video shows mom in tears<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Delta Employees Asked Man to Leave Flight After Using Restroom<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n United Airlines Passenger Is Dragged From an Overbooked Flight<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t share these incidents to bring judgement upon the airlines or its passengers. The reason I share this is because I think as marketers, we can learn a lot from these situations. We can learn from innovative successes and groundbreaking products, as well as communication breakdowns and errors in judgement. Each of these stories should cause us to reflect and have meaningful discussions in our businesses.<\/p>\n As we consider each of these incidents, what is one thing they have in common? They reflect a breakdown in the customer journey. You\u2019re likely saying, \u201cYes, we know all about the customer journey, there\u2019s no problem here. We understand the touchpoints, as well as how we engage customers along each step of that journey.\u201d That’s great. However, have you put your customer journey in front of your customer? Would they agree with each touchpoint? Have you considered missing touchpoints that maybe only your customer sees? The director of marketing at each of these airlines likely did not see the journey that included unhappy customers that are asked to voluntarily leave their flights each and every day.<\/p>\n So what does this mean for our marketing automation efforts? We should consider this a wake up call to how we engage our customers at each and every step and with each and every interaction. And that includes the interactions we may not always see or acknowledge.<\/p>\n Your customer and marketplace are not, and should not be, static. If the way your customers find, access or engage you continues to evolve, then so should your customer journey.<\/p>\n \u201cA customer is never on a predetermined course \u2013 they are unpredictable! By \u2018understanding the customer journey\u2019 brands run the risk of pigeon holing their customers and losing them, by trying to control the process.\u201d (source<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is significant. Don\u2019t get lulled to sleep by believing that once you\u2019ve outlined your customer journey that it is in \u201cset it and forget\u201d mode. There is a risk to not consistently evaluating each touchpoint. Even touchpoints you think don\u2019t exist.<\/li>\n One of the most valuable elements of marketing automation is the ability to segment and communicate directly to the needs of our audience. But how often are we reviewing the data and verifying that the value is meaningful?<\/p>\n \u201cIf the enterprise does not augment the product experience with accurate, timely, and relevant information (according to the user\u2019s location, channel and time of usage), users will be left dissatisfied, disoriented, and disengaged.\u201d (source<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Don\u2019t forget to periodically monitor click throughs and open rates to ensure your content is adding value to your segments at each and every stage.<\/li>\n As you reassess your customer journey, not only must you constantly be speaking with you customer facing team, but you must be speaking directly with customers at each stage of the customer journey. Why did that potential customer not place an order? Were there unmet needs? Are there touchpoints that we haven\u2019t addressed?<\/p>\n \u201cAs part of this 360-degree view of the customer, brands need to connect data from both physical and digital touchpoints in order to bridge the gap between the two.\u201d (source<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n These gaps reside in our day-to-day interactions with customers, but also in the digital handoffs that occur as we provide our products and services.<\/li>\n Whether your customers are loyal or encounter an unforeseen roadblock, it is incumbent upon you to add value. We are in a sharing economy. The challenge we face as marketers is that every potential customer should be seen as a potential advocate for our business whether they are a customer or not.<\/p>\n \u201cThe art of creating added value starts with the ability to see your business through the eyes of your customers.\u201d (source<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n So walk in their shoes, talk with them directly. Sometimes the best data is not in a report, but directly interacting with the people you serve.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n In summary, what can we learn from the challenges airlines have been experiencing over the past couple of weeks? That no matter how long you\u2019ve been doing business, and what you think you know about your customers, there is always an opportunity to learn more and improve the customer journey before, during and after they interact with your business.<\/p>\n For more information about how to create your own custom journey in Mautic, check out our video on the subject.<\/p>\n\n
Re-assess the Customer Journey:<\/h4>\n
Review the Data and Verify:<\/h4>\n
Find the Gaps:<\/h4>\n
Add Value at Every Stage:<\/h4>\n