Touchpoint
Any point of interaction between a customer and your company.
Category
Customer Experience
Full Definition
A touchpoint is any point of interaction between a customer and your company. Each touchpoint is an opportunity to make an impression β positive or negative β and collectively they shape the overall customer experience.
Types of Touchpoints: - Digital: Website, app, email, social media, chatbot - Human: Sales calls, support interactions, in-store staff - Physical: Store environment, product packaging, signage - Product: Using your product or service - Marketing: Advertising, content, promotions
Moments of Truth: Some touchpoints are more critical than others: - First impressions (initial contact) - Problem resolution (when things go wrong) - Purchase decisions (high stakes moments) - Renewal/repurchase (loyalty decisions)
Common Use Cases
Real-World Examples
Scenario
A coffee shop's touchpoints: storefront signage, door greeting, menu board, ordering, payment, drink handoff, seating area, restroom, exit.
Outcome
They audit each touchpoint. Signage: great. Ordering: confusing menu causes delays. They simplify the menu, reducing average order time by 30 seconds.
Scenario
An e-commerce company maps 23 touchpoints from first ad click to delivery. They find "order confirmation email" has 95% open rate but provides no tracking info.
Outcome
Adding real-time tracking links to confirmation emails reduces "Where's my order?" support tickets by 60%.
Scenario
A car dealership identifies key touchpoints: website visit, showroom greeting, test drive, negotiation, F&I office, delivery, first service visit.
Outcome
They discover the F&I office (finance) is where satisfaction tanks. Training and process changes there boost overall CSI scores 15%.
Related Terms
Customer Journey
The complete path a customer takes from first awareness through purchase and ongoing relationship.
Customer Experience (CX)
The overall perception customers have of all their interactions with a company.
Omnichannel Feedback
Collecting customer feedback across all interaction channels in a unified system.
Transactional Survey
A survey triggered by a specific customer interaction or transaction.