Experiencing your customers’ journey when buying from and engaging with your business IS a very useful operations activity to do. Ideally, this experiential activity would be something you’d do with your team as you plan, and plot, and review your customers’ journey.

Start the auditing process from the first point of enquiry; your telephone answering system, voice mail/message, email enquiries/auto responder. Reviewing these areas of communication alone will show you how organized your communication message is, or not, how on or off message it is, and then you know what you can change asap.

Does your company think it prides itself on speedy communications? Many companies have a 4 hour rule i.e: that the customer is contacted one way or another within 4 hours (within a working day of course). What protocols do you have in place for managing new relationships, customers’ expectations and the reputation of your business?

EBA Millionaire Mentor, Peter Thomson, often says, “another day older, another day colder.” So nowadays we should respond even quicker to enquiries to our businesses. Seen through your customers’ eyes, a slow response to an enquiry about your products or services might imply you don’t want their business. Who can afford to give this impression?

Who are the people that are the first points of contact in your business? Are they fully equipped to manage this important client relationship management, FROM THE OUTSET?

With your team then, schedule time in the diary to plan and plot your customers journey from first contact, all the way through, up to referrals and then, repeat business and through the cycle again. Also make sure you experience this journey for yourself. Avoid delegating it and not experiencing it all first-hand. You will find it very beneficial and schedule to do this twice a year and as/when customer facing staff changes.