Communication overkill

The satnav in my car is useful but I still find it annoying. I don’t like it telling 3 times when I have to take a turning. “Prepare to turn left”, “turn left in 100 yards” and “turn left now”. This always seems like overkill to me although it does make my wife laugh when I shout at it “I know, just tell me once!”

The same applies to interactions I have with some companies. I recently changed my gas and electricity supplier. My current supplier didn’t contact me (another story). The new supplier was keen to communicate with me though. Too keen – here is the list of e-mails I had from them:

• Thank you for your application, we will be in touch shortly
• Thank you for your application, we will send your welcome pack  shortly
• Here is your welcome pack, please check all the information
• We’re getting ready to take over your supply
• We will start to supply you from x date, please give us your meter reading
• We are now your supplier
• Your direct debit is now set up and your first bill is due on x date

So, 7 e-mails when I think just 3 would have sufficed. When we map existing customer journeys, we often see there are too many  touchpoints. Many go when we redesign the journey. Each touchpoint involves some form of effort for the customer. They also mean expense for the business and can cause queries.

It is key to give customers the information they need when and how they need it. Too much communication is as dangerous as too little communication though. Keeping things simple means having as few touchpoints as possible. It ensures a smooth journey for both customer and business. It’s a great way to improve customer satisfaction, drive up income and cut costs for a business.

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