Customers interact with your brand across various touchpoints, both online and offline. Their perceptions of these interactions define how they feel about your business, whether that be for good or bad. A smooth and enjoyable experience, of course, increases customer satisfaction, but what happens when things don’t go as planned? What happens if the experience isn’t good enough to keep them hooked or bring them back? Let’s explore five common mistakes that could be harming your customer experience and what you can do to fix them.

First, Understanding the Customer Journey

The customer journey is the complete path a customer takes from first learning about your brand to making a purchase. It typically consists of several stages: awareness, consideration, purchase, and post-purchase. Throughout these stages, customers interact with your business through various touchpoints, such as social media, your website, emails, and store visits.

Mapping out this journey will help you see things from your customer’s perspective. This is how you address their needs and expectations. Here are some questions to start asking yourself if you’re looking to get into the mind of the customer:

• What specific information are customers seeking at the awareness stage?
• What specific touchpoints are currently underutilized?
• How can we address unclear product details or difficult navigation?
• How do customers feel after receiving each communication? 
• What specific barriers prevent a seamless purchase?

Mapping out these interactions will pinpoint what’s working for you and what’s not. After you’ve identified these areas, you can streamline your website and workflows to up the satisfaction factor. Now, there are three factors that affect the overall experience your customers will have.

3 Key Elements of the Customer Journey

Sequence. This refers to the order in which a customer experiences your touchpoints or specific events. The way your business arranges these highs and lows shapes how your service is perceived. Why? People tend to remember the good or bad of an experience more vividly than the mundane or middle parts. So, pleasant parts have a positive impact while a negative ending, in particular, can leave a lasting bad impression. 

Segments. This is more along the lines of frequency. The way those high and low points are spread out during customer interactions also influences how services are perceived. It’s been shown that clustering unpleasant experiences into one touchpoint while spreading positive ones across multiple can improve this perception. At Disney parks, for instance, design engineers place fun experiences along the long lines to offset the frustration of queued waits. It’s like visits from Miss Minutes in Loki, only fun.

Control. The more in control a customer feels about their purchase, the better the outcome. Customers appreciate having a sense of control over their experience. Even in less-than-ideal situations, like scheduling an appointment, giving customers autonomy can take satisfaction up a notch. For example, allowing them to choose from flexible times can turn a potentially frustrating situation into a positive experience.

These factors influence satisfaction and behavior. Now, let’s explore the five common mistakes that may be undermining your customer experience, along with actionable steps you can take to improve it.

5 Mistakes Killing Your Customer Experience

1. You’re Not Getting the Bad Experiences Over Early.

One of the worst things a business can do is make customers deal with negative experiences when they’re trying to enjoy a product or service. Making someone stand in line to pay for a ticket at an event, for example, might not set the right tone. Many companies are fixing this by allowing customers to take care of the payment, reservations, or scheduling before they arrive.

Think about how movie theaters let you select your seat and purchase tickets online in advance. You can walk in, show your digital ticket, and head straight to your seat. Or Disney’s vacation planning tools, where guests can book restaurant reservations and meal plans ahead of time, removing the hassle when they’re actually on vacation. These businesses are using sequence psychology so that less enjoyable elements of the customer journey are taken care of early on.

How to fix it: Get the “less fun” parts out of the way first so your customers can enjoy the value you’re offering. Streamlining payments, reservations, or tedious forms in the beginning will allow your customers to focus on the enjoyable parts of their journey.

2. You’re Not Giving Customers a Choice.

Control is one of the most powerful drivers of customer satisfaction. Customers want to feel empowered when interacting with your brand, whether that means selecting their own delivery times, customizing a product, or choosing a refund method. When they feel they have control, they are more likely to trust your business in the long run.

How to fix it: Always provide options at key touchpoints in the customer journey. Allow customization wherever possible, be transparent about policies, and offer flexible solutions that accommodate needs. 

3. You’re Not Answering Their Questions.

One of the fastest ways to lose a customer is by leaving their questions unanswered. Customers who feel confused or ignored off the bat are more likely to turn to your competitors. Clear and accessible information keeps new customers happy and confident in their purchases.

Many companies address this issue by offering FAQ sections on their websites. What is the price? How does it work? What are the payment options? How long has your brand been in business? These pages act as central hubs where customers can quickly find answers to common questions without having to wait for customer service. A well-organized FAQ page with troubleshooting tips empowers them to solve their own problems quickly.

How to fix it: Create an FAQ page that addresses common customer concerns and make sure that it is easy to find. Include step-by-step instruction, clear answers, and transparent messaging about your offerings.

4. You’re Not Providing Proper Support.

Customers expect timely, helpful support when things go wrong, and if they don’t get it, they won’t stick around forever. They will need help with technical assistance, product inquiries, and order tracking, so you must be prepared to support them when they run into issues.

If you haven’t already, implementing ticketing systems and live chat features might be the most automated way to get the ball rolling on support. These tools help you handle customer inquiries efficiently and in a timely manner. Ticketing systems track customer requests so that nothing falls through the cracks. Also, offering multiple support channels such as email, phone, and social media is also important to cater to your customer base, especially if you serve a wide audience.

How to fix it: Implement a support system that includes ticket tracking and live chat options. Make sure your support team is accessible through multiple channels and trained to provide prompt, effective assistance. The easier it is for customers to get help, the better their experience will be!

5. You’re Not Finishing Strong.

Even if a customer’s experience with your brand was mostly positive, a poor final interaction can sour their entire perception. How you close out a transaction or service matters just as much as the first impression. A simple but powerful way to finish strong is by incorporating personal touches, such as a thank you message that includes the customer’s name or a follow-up email that shows you care about their experience.

These small efforts show that you value your customers, and it helps solidify a long-term relationship. (Andes mints from the Olive Garden waiter, anyone?)

How to fix it: Focus on creating a memorable final impression. A follow-up survey or even a small gift make sure your customers leave with a smile. Finishing on a high note is key to building loyalty and encouraging repeat business.

The Customer Experience Is Always Changing

A great customer experience starts with understanding the customer journey. Improving this experience is an ongoing process that requires a commitment to understanding your customers’ needs first. Address some of these mistakes to see your customer interactions rise, build loyalty, and set your brand apart in a competitive market. You’ll be well on your way to creating a customer experience that exceeds expectations.

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