Introduction to Customer Touchpoint Mapping
Every touchpoint between a business and its customers forms a critical part of the overall consumer experience, which is why such interactions span a broad spectrum – from advertising campaigns to one-on-one communications with staff. Achieving competitive advantage necessitates that each of these touchpoints presents a coherent and cohesive image, which aims for a unified customer experience strategy. In the given context, customer touchpoint mapping is a highly invaluable tool since it offers businesses a comprehensive method to evaluate as well as understand each interaction; hence, it facilitates enhancements where needed. Organizations can improve satisfaction, solidify customer loyalty, and strengthen brand perception through the mapping process.
Market Segmentation and Target Customer Identification
Flat Iron steak restaurant in London interacts with its customers through multiple touchpoints, which is why a proper understanding of market segmentation remains essential for such establishments. Although some consumers learn about the restaurant based on word of mouth, others are influenced by promotional offers or online reviews (Hu et al., 2020). For me specifically, the journey began with a recommendation from a sibling. Since I am a student, this places me in a segment of student customers who are influenced by direct and personal recommendations.
In addition, the emphasis the restaurant places on digital integration is evident (Dabas, Sharma and Manaktola, 2021). SMS reminders, email confirmations, and online bookings showcase an attempt to keep customers informed as well as digitalize the dining experience. As a result, such effective and modern strategies are well-designed for a technologically adept student and youth segment that values convenience and timely communication.
However, the most important aspect of any restaurant’s touchpoints lies in the in-person experience, which cannot be digitalized. From the ambiance to staff attentiveness, Flat Iron steak restaurant prioritizes immediate customer satisfaction – quick resolution of issues, such as the steak’s doneness – and showcases a strong commitment to service quality. I should note that there were certain missteps, such as the ice cream machine malfunction or bill splitting problem, which reveal the areas that need correction and improvement. Interestingly, post-dining touchpoints – the offer to redeem ice cream at another branch – demonstrate an effort to maintain a positive relationship even after the primary interaction. I think such an initiative is effective with a segment that appreciates gesture-driven customer service.
Touchpoint Analysis
Pre-Purchase Touchpoints
The customer experience at the Flat Iron steak restaurant in London is a good example of a journey as a sequence of touchpoints, as shown in Figure 1 below. Each one should be examined regarding its impact on my overall satisfaction and perception. Initially, my introduction to the restaurant came through a familial recommendation (frequency: once). Word-of-mouth referrals – especially from trusted sources, such as my brother – have major weight in influencing choices (Chen and Yuan, 2020). In this instance, the touchpoint remains neutral because it depends on the existing trust between the individual sharing the information and the recipient.
Further intrigue led me to see online reviews (frequency: twice), which is a common practice before trying out a new place (Zhao, Xu and Wang, 2019). The predominantly positive feedback affected my perception and elevated my expectations of the dining experience; hence, this touchpoint had a positive effect on my pre-visit anticipation.
Following this, I navigated to the restaurant’s website to make a reservation for a group (frequency: once). Today, an efficient online booking system is critical to an establishment’s commitment to offering a superior experience (Luo and Xu, 2021). In this case, it successfully enabled convenience and further increased my positive perceptions. In addition, timely communication is highly important, which is why the subsequent confirmation email and reminder SMS meant that the restaurant values me and wishes to keep me informed (frequency: twice). Such actions help in building trust and making sure that the customers feel valued.
Purchase Stage Touchpoints
On the day of the reservation, I thought that the presence of a queue would be an annoying problem; however, the quick attention and efficiency of the staff removed this potential dissatisfaction (frequency: once). In other words, this moment turned a potentially negative touchpoint into a positive one because it was fast. It is stated that ambiance plays a major role in the dining experience (Al-Kilani and Hedhli, 2021).
Upon entry, I noticed a welcoming atmosphere as well as pleasing music, which set the tone for my enjoyable evening. The staff further enhanced this feeling by offering menus and explaining the restaurant’s concept (frequency: twice). As a result, their proactive approach made me feel highly valued.
While we were waiting for our main course, we were offered complimentary popcorn (frequency: once), which I think is a thoughtful gesture. Such unexpected extras make customers happy, and they also leave a lasting positive impression, which was the case for me as well (Javed, Rashidin and Jian, 2021). When I was ordering my steak, I specified my preference for its doneness – medium rare (frequency: once). I have to say that this detail is important for me since personal preference plays a massive role in food satisfaction (Carins, Rundle-Thiele and Ong, 2020).
Negative Touchpoints
In addition, the attentive staff asked about my additional wants, which shows they are dedicated to personalized service; however, not all touchpoints were positive. The steak arrived cooked medium well, which means my request was not fulfilled properly, and such issues significantly impacted my satisfaction – it was negative (frequency: once). It is also worth noting that the restaurant staff quickly corrected the mistake, apologized, and admitted their oversight (frequency: thrice). Their quick response showcased that they truly care about customer satisfaction.
The quality of the food and its taste are the most important factors in a dining experience. My steak tasted great when it was delivered correctly, and the sides complemented it perfectly (frequency: once). The touchpoint of taste not only met but exceeded my expectations. Next, post-meal procedures should be as smooth as the dining experience (Gharpure, Kothari and Shahu, 2021). When the time came to split the bill among friends, we encountered a problem because the restaurant lacked a way to automatically divide the total of the four of us (frequency: once). Such an issue was a minor annoyance; however, it is still a negative touchpoint.
Moreover, we learned that the ice cream machine was not working, which otherwise offered complimentary ice cream (frequency: once); hence, it was another negative touchpoint. However, the proactive approach of the manager in offering a solution turned the situation around (frequency: once). The gesture of providing tokens redeemable at another branch showcases the brand’s commitment to making sure that we were pleased and did not feel left out. Redeeming the token at another branch was simple, and the quality of the ice cream added to the positive perception of the brand (frequency: once).
In reflection, minor negative incidents do not define an entire experience, which is why the overall journey at Flat Iron was enjoyable. Such positive experiences can drive customers to share their feedback online (Barari, Ross and Surachartkumtonkun, 2020). In this case, my friends and I decided to leave a good review, which was a positive touchpoint in our customer journey (frequency: once).
Reference List
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Carins, J. E., Rundle-Thiele, S. R. and Ong, D. L. T. (2020) ‘Keep them coming back: the role of variety and aesthetics in institutional food satisfaction’, Food Quality and Preference, 80. Web.
Chen, Z. and Yuan, M. (2020) ‘Psychology of word of mouth marketing’, Current Opinion in Psychology, 31, pp. 7-10. Web.
Dabas, S., Sharma, S. and Manaktola, K. (2021) ‘Adoption of digital marketing tools in independent businesses: experiences of restaurant entrepreneurs in India and United Kingdom’, Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 13(2), pp. 214-235. Web.
Gharpure, Y., Kothari, P. and Shahu, A. (2021) ‘Fine dining: service quality attributes, customer satisfaction and its impact on customer’s post-dining behavioral intentions’, Elementary Education Online, 20(4), pp. 3693-3706. Web.
Barari, M., Ross, M. and Surachartkumtonkun, S. (2020) ‘Negative and positive customer shopping experience in an online context’, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, p. 101985. Web.
Hu, H. H. et al. (2020) ‘Strong ties versus weak ties in word-of-mouth marketing’, BRQ Business Research Quarterly, 22(4), pp. 245-256. Web.
Javed, S., Rashidin, S. and Jian, W. (2021) ‘Predictors and outcome of customer satisfaction: moderating effect of social trust and corporate social responsibility’, Future Business Journal, 7(12), pp. 1-18. Web.
Luo, Y. and Xu, X. (2021) ‘Comparative study of deep learning models for analyzing online restaurant reviews in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 94, p. 102849. Web.
Zhao, Y., Xu, X. and Wang, M. (2019) ‘Predicting overall customer satisfaction: Big data evidence from hotel online textual reviews’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 76(A), pp. 111-121. Web.