Pain, Pleasure and Combustion Points

Understanding the customer journey is critical to proactive conflict management.

Along this journey, customers experience "pleasure points" (moments of happiness, such as receiving a product), "pain points" (moments of dissatisfaction, such as a complex purchasing process), and "burn points" (vulnerable points that can easily escalate into conflict).

Identifying and managing these points is key to reducing conflict and increasing satisfaction.

Defining the Key Points of the Journey: Pleasure Points and Pain Points.

Pleasure points are moments when the customer's experience is positive, such as the ease of finding a product or the speed of delivery.

Pain points, on the other hand, are moments when the experience is negative, such as waiting in line or a service issue.

A clear example of a pain point in e-commerce is difficulty with returns or problems of delivery.

Flashpoints.

These are the most vulnerable points in the customer journey.

They are normal situations that, with a small change or a spark of frustration, can escalate into a massive conflict.

A classic example is a short line at a store that, during the holidays, becomes gigantic and frustrating.

Another example is a minor software glitch that turns into a major problem due to the lack of a contingency plan.

Mitigation Strategies

An organization's goal is to maximize delight points and mitigate pain and flashpoints.

To achieve this, several strategies can be implemented: Address quality defects: A product of generally good quality, but with a defective batch, can generate massive conflict.

Companies must have a plan to detect and address these defects quickly.

Remove obstacles Unnecessary: Streamlining the purchase, return, or cancellation processes eliminates customer friction and frustration.

Contingency plans: Having a plan B for interruptions or breakdowns prevents a minor situation from becoming a combustion point.

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