Transitions are the most undervalued and underexplored moments. “Most companies don’t have a great first-day experience planned for their new employees, even though that’s a really key transition,” Heath says. “When a customer calls her insurer because she’s had a kid and bought an SUV, there’s an opportunity to create a moment of connection. And what if a homeowner paid off his mortgage and a bank manager came to his home to present the deed and shake his hand, instead of charging an additional fee for the deed transfer? Nobody’s doing that.”
Nobody’s doing that.
Sad but true.
How bad is onboarding, really?
It’s usually pretty awful. (But it can be better.)
Why is it so bad?
No one really gives a shit because HR owns it and people are seen as replaceable.
Shouldn’t experiences matter?
Of course. They define life — and they mean a lot to revenue too.
Why don’t they mean more?
People would rather check boxes — “manage assets” — than actually think on how to improve this.
And why’s that?
Because work isn’t about doing productive shit. It’s about having control of something.
Will businesses ever get better at all this?
Probably not, because of how businesses are usually structured.
But isn’t customer experience a differentiator?
Sure, but in most places it’s just glorified project management with a higher salary.
Is “moment of connection” a buzzword?
Sure is. The only “moment of connection” most decision-makers have is the day they get their bonus.
But life is about experiences, right? The journey?
Sure is. But that doesn’t mean companies are run like that. They need to keep costs down and revenues up. If a “customer journey” helps with that, cool. Otherwise, YOU GONE.
