A Moment of Truth is the opportunity to make an impression on a customer. A Moment of Truth is an interaction that can leave a lasting positive, or negative, impression on a customer.
The concept of Moments of Truth was introduced back in 1980s by Jan Carlzon, the then CEO of Scandinavian Airlines: “Anytime a customer comes into contact with any aspect of a business, however remote, is an opportunity to form an impression.”
A lot has changed since then but the concept remains. The difference is that today, the typical customer goes through multiple touchpoints and many moments of truth. Think about the number of interactions through smartphones, social media, digital marketing ads, search engines, public reviews, email campaigns, chatbots and podcasts. At the same time, our attention span has shortened, our patience waiting to get the information we want is low, and instant gratification has become the norm.
All this may sound exhausting. The goal of this article is to show you how to identify your Moments of Truth and how to put your touchpoints on the map.
Customer journey and Moments of Truth
A customer journey is the sum of all the experiences that a traveller has throughout their interactions with you. Not all of these interactions are moments of truth. Moments of Truth are the touchpoints when travellers either fall in love with your product or turn away.
Travellers today experience their travels through video, photos, social media, and online reviews, in addition to their actual real-life travel experience. For you, the key is to identify the relevant Moments of Truth for your business.
What are the moments of truth for your travel business? Try to come up with at least one for each part of the customer journey.
Moments of Truth and digital touchpoints
Moment of Truth is the opportunity to make an impression on a customer. Touchpoints are the static, human and interactive interactions that actually create these impressions. Today many travel-related touchpoints are digital.
Google calls the act of pulling out our phones and searching for videos, photos, or articles about a dream (i.e. holiday/trip) a “micro-moment.” It is the moment when a traveller is actively seeking, planning, and dreaming about travels or travel-related activities. Your marketing should rely on optimising these micro-moments. The “micro” refers to the short bursts of time we spend browsing our phone, leaving marketers with sometimes only seconds to make an impression.
With the digital transformation, the number of touchpoints has increased dramatically. Travellers want knowledge and information relevant to their specific needs. They want it in one place and available on-demand. And in a way that provides a great user experience.
The challenge for you is to meet these requirements: dynamic and personalised information, advanced design, integration with social media, as well as smooth switching between different devices. Instead of focusing on just a part of the journey or a specific touchpoint, it’s worth looking at the complete experience of being your customer. In other words, take a walk in your customer’s shoes.
Identifying Moments of Truth is a useful exercise that helps you to focus your efforts for maximum impact. Focus your energy on touchpoints that your customers are emotionally invested in. Online and offline.
Consider spending a moment identifying the digital touchpoints your customers have with you? Which ones are also Moments of Truth? Prioritise these.
Authored By
Sirje Nikulainen
Sirje is an adventurer who loves exploring Nordic wilderness, new business opportunities and emerging technologies. She regularly collaborates with Atelier Digital, a boutique digital marketing agency in Helsinki.
