David's IT Tips

by Debra Semans, Vice President, Polaris Marketing Research

One of the keys to delivering services that are aligned with customer expectations – and therefore supportive of the brand position – is the ability to describe key service processes objectively. It is important to describe these processes so that employees, customers and managers alike know what the service is, can see their role in its delivery, and understand all the steps and flows involved in the service process.

Services are delivered through integrated systems consisting of three basic elements. First are the steps, tasks and activities necessary to render the service; in other words, the service process. Second are the means by which the tasks are executed, typically some combination of people and goods. Finally is the evidence of the service or how the customer relates to the service delivered. All service systems can be visualized by understanding these three elements and their interrelationships. Service brands are managed by, among other activities, making sure that these elements are aligned with the brand vision and create the service experience that supports the desired brand position.

Brand Experience Mapping is a technique that addresses the challenge of understanding intangible service delivery systems. Brand Experience Mapping was first introduced to the field of services marketing about 10 years ago as “service mapping” for use in continuous quality improvement programs. The technique works equally well to evaluate the impact of the service experience on the brand. A Brand Experience Map is a picture or map that accurately portrays the service system so that different people involved in providing it can understand and deal with it objectively regardless of their individual point of view or role in the process.

A Brand Experience Map visually displays the service by simultaneously depicting the process of service delivery, the roles of customers and employees, and the visible elements of service. It provides a way to break a service down into its logical components and to depict the steps or tasks in the process, the means by which the tasks are executed and the evidence of service as the customer experiences it.

While a Brand Experience Map looks like a typical process map, the important difference is that it starts and ends with the customer – we are mapping the process from the customer’s point of view. In this way, we challenge our internal perspective to evaluate the process’s ability to deliver the desired Brand Experience. One of the key purposes of a map is educational. When the map is complete, weak links and gaps become obvious. In the process of developing a map, issues are discussed and agreements reached. In the process of building a map, people are forced to look at the service delivery process in different ways, yielding a new understanding and perspective on their role in the customer brand experience.

For more information on Brand Experience Mapping

Debra Semans is the Senior Vice President for Polaris Marketing Research, with responsibility for Account Management, Marketing and Business Development. With more than 25 years of marketing experience, Debra brings rich and varied experience to her clients.