What is customer journey operations?

There’s a new “Ops” on the block, and it can help companies make buying a breeze.

Let's be honest, most times shopping online or through an omnichannel experience feels like navigating a maze. You find a cool product, but the website's a mess. You have a question, but no one's there to answer it. And forget about getting what you bought on time. 

But sometimes, you find a company where everything just… clicks.

What you don't realise is that there is most likely a team of people working hard behind the scenes to make your shopping experience almost effortless. They're using a strategy called customer journey operations or management. 

It's like having an invisible guide, smoothing the path from the moment you discover their product until the day when it lands at your doorstep.

So, how does it work? 

Think of your experience as a road trip. Every website visit, every customer service chat, every email is a stop along the way. 

Customer journey operations is about:

• Mapping your trip: Take the time to understand the entire customer journey. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes, walking through every step. A great first step is using our Customer Journey Map.
• Fixing potholes: Spot the frustrating parts – the website that loads too slowly, the confusing return policy, and the long wait times for support.
• Building a scenic route: Figure out ways to make things smoother and more enjoyable. It could be a quicker checkout for that awesome pair of shoes you have your eye on, a helpful FAQ page or even proactive text messages keeping you updated on your order.

How is customer journey operations different from customer journey mapping?

The focus of customer journey mapping is to create understanding, while the focus of customer journey management is about moving beyond that. It's about actively managing and continuously improving the entire customer experience in a holistic way, instead of being a one-time exercise. 

The outcome of customer journey mapping (which are typically one-time projects) is a visual map or diagram outlining the customer journey stages, touchpoints, emotions, and goals. The outcome of the customer journey operations is a way of working. It’s a system, and a culture centred around consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences. 

Think of it like this:

• Customer journey map: Your initial road trip plan: the highways, rest stops, scenic overlooks, and places where things might get bumpy.
• Customer journey operations: Having a support team with you on the whole journey. They fix flat tires, suggest better detours when there's traffic, and upgrade the car so it runs even smoother with time.

Key differences between the two:

The secret ingredient: It starts from the ground up

Here's the best part – the most successful customer journey operations actually start with the people on the front lines, the people who talk to customers every day. These are the employees who hear customers’ complaints, celebrate small wins, and often come up with super-smart solutions.

By listening to them, identifying patterns, and empowering them to make suggestions, companies can create a cycle of constant improvement. Think of it like a team of mechanics keeping your dream road trip car in perfect condition. 

It might feel like a daunting task to repair a whole car without knowing how everything works, such as the motor, the brake system, the air-con or the electronics. But you might know how to turn on the seat warmer on a cold day, clean the windshield or vacuum those pesky stones from underneath your feet to make one part of the journey more pleasant, one improvement at a time. 

This is also the best way to approach Customer Journey Operations. Start small, improve what you can, and then continuously build upon the grander and greater journey. 

Why invest in Customer Journey Operations?

With customer journey operations and management, you can provide a whole different experience:

• Less friction: Things run more smoothly both internally and for your customers.
• Personalised touch: You create an experience that makes your customer feel like you actually "get" them, even if it's little things like remembering their preferences.
• Sense of trust: You create mutual trust between your company and your customers, and the feeling of "buyer's remorse" gets rarer and rarer. 
• Loyalty: A smooth buying journey prevents churn and increases loyalty. 
• Customer-led growth: Transform your company into a customer-centric organisation and scale this new way of working to revenue growth. 
• Collaboration and communication: Looking at your business from the customers' viewpoint promotes more teamwork across silos. 

The bottom line

Not every company invests in customer journey operations (at least not yet!). But as a customer, you can definitely feel the difference: it lies in the absence of those little annoyances, those small moments of delight. It's knowing that even though you never see them, there's a team making your life a little easier, one purchase at a time.