Wim Rampen

In Customer Experience Management there is a lot to take into account. Everything a company does as well as a lot that’s happening outside the company impacts the Customer’s evaluation of the company’s service and offering. In my experience it can be rather overwhelming for people within a company to talk to the Customer Experience experts – inside and outside the company – and as a result they could be turning their backs on us “unrealistic bunch of dreamers“. I’ve come to believe this has a lot to do with a practice of ‘over-engineering the Customer’s Experience‘.

Of course, I can’t see into all change agent’s minds, but I can certainly share with you what’s on mine. And what’s on mine is influenced by the context I’m in.

A couple of times a year I guest-lecture for several Masters in Marketing/Customer Management programs in The Netherlands. Almost every time students approach me with a question regarding their master-thesis or other assignment. 

Improving the Customer’s Experience is not easy. If your lucky it’s a “two step forward, one step back”-experience. But I know many Customer Experience professionals who get frustrated by the constant struggle to move the needle. They sense that they are seen as a nuisance standing in the way of managers and directors trying to meet their objectives.

I wrote about 5 things to remember when mapping the Customer’s Journey last week. Here’s my 5-step approach to actually mapping “the thing”. Have questions? Need help?

Here's a couple of things that, in my experience, you probably best stickto a wall in the room where you are painting the picture of your Customer's Journey. Somehow we seem to forget when busy. Let me know what you think, or add yours in the comment section below!

I’ve been involved in Customer Experience (Management) since the beginning of my career. And for as long as I can remember we (me included) have been measuring success of our efforts through metrics like Customer Satisfaction, Customer Retention, Intention to (re-)purchase, intention to recommend.

If you’re not paying for it, you’re the product. Most people know this. The basis of the business model is that your personal data is mined and shared with all kinds of companies that can use this data for their benefit. Mostly this data is used to sell advertising space or intelligence to improve advertising efficiency.

Last August I wrote that Marketing needed to develop five key-capabilities to drive the Consumer’s Decision Journey. If you haven’t read it yet, I recommend you do. Although this post can stand on itself, it may help you to see the bigger picture. A picture that looks at contextual marketing through a Service Dominant Logic lense.