Journal of Marketing Management

“The Relevance of Mapping the Customer Journey: Every Touchpoint Can Be a Moment of Truth”
Omar Chabán, Ph.D; Miguel A. Ruz-Mendoza, Ph.D

Abstract
Increasingly intense competition and advances in IT are significantly impacting the way we manage both company-customer interaction and business relationships. In today's reality, huge amounts of information are generated, managed and analyzed via multiple channels and touchpoints. In this article, we wish to illustrate the importance of mapping the set of critical and secondary interactions with a view to enhance customer journey management. This article takes the case of the multinational insurance company Aon as a reference. Our methodological approach is based on a secondary databases, information provided by the company itself and interviews with Aon key informants. We propose a general map of the customer journey in the B2B insurance sector. Moreover, we take one of the most critical moments in insurance interactions—claim management—as a reference, with a view to provide further, more specific, mapping. Our objective is two-pronged: on one hand, to underscore the importance of visualizing and managing such moments of truth effectively; on the other, to highlight the need to maintain a holistic vision of the company-customer relationship and the key role all touchpoints play throughout. When mapping the customer journey, we emphasize the importance of considering all value-creating interactions—not only critical interactions. Moreover, we suggest carrying out second-level mapping for all key, most-relevant activities. This article makes a series of key contributions aimed at enhancing touchpoint management, improving the customer experience and maximizing satisfaction. To increase the efficacy of customer portfolio management, we recommend holistic strategies and specific guiding actions tailored to each moment of the company-customer relationship.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jmm.v12n1a1