Customer Journey Map

A customer journey map follows one customer persona through every stage of getting something done, here switching home broadband, and shows what they want, where they meet the company, how they feel and where it hurts. It is not UML: UML covers software structure and behaviour; journey maps, BPMN and swimlanes are the other standard notations used alongside it, and this one is drawn from the customer's side.

1. The Diagram

Customer Journey: Switching Home Broadband Discover Compare Sign up Install Use & support Goal Touchpoints Actions Emotion Pain points Opportunities Fix slow home internet Find best value for my usage Order without surprises Get online on the promised day Reliable speed, quick help Search ads, friends, review sites Pricing page, comparison site Web checkout, credit check SMS, technician, router box App, bill, chat support Runs speed test, reads reviews Checks address availability Picks plan, books install slot Waits at home, sets up Wi-Fi Pays bill, reports outage Jargon: Mbps, fibre vs cable Hidden fees after first 12 months Credit check asks for ID twice 4-hour window, technician late Chatbot loops, no human Plain-language speed guide Total 24-month price up front Reuse ID from first step Live technician tracking Fast handoff to a person neutral curious confused relieved frustrated satisfied
  1. Read the yellow stages left to right. They are named as the customer would describe them, not after internal departments.
  2. The Goal row states what the customer wants at each stage; every other row is judged against it.
  3. Touchpoints list every channel where the customer meets the company: ads, website, SMS, technician, app.
  4. Actions describe what the customer actually does, often based on interviews or session recordings.
  5. The emotion curve is the heart of the map. It dips at Compare (hidden fees) and hits bottom at Install (late technician).
  6. Pain points explain each dip; opportunities turn them into concrete improvements the team can prioritise.

2. How to Read It

Journey Map Conventions Stage a phase in the customer’s own words neutral line of the emotion curve positive moment negative moment (moment of pain) Red text pain point Green text improvement idea

There is no formal standard for journey maps, so conventions vary by team. Keep the rows fixed, keep one persona per map, and base the emotion curve on research data (interviews, surveys, support tickets) rather than guesses.

3. Variant: Service Blueprint

Variant: Service Blueprint of the Install Stage Customer Frontstage Backstage Support line of interaction line of visibility line of internal interaction Books slot online Confirms slot by SMS Dispatcher assigns tech Scheduling system Opens door to technician Technician installs line Line test from exchange Network ops database Connects devices Technician shows Wi-Fi Activates account Billing system Runs speed test Follow-up survey SMS Ticket opened if under 80% CRM

A service blueprint zooms into one stage and adds what the customer does not see. The line of visibility separates frontstage staff from backstage work; support systems sit at the bottom. It connects the journey map to the internal processes you would then model in BPMN.

4. Pros, Cons, and When to Use

Pros

Cons

When to use

When not to use

5. As Diagrams-as-Code

Mermaid has a native journey diagram: each task gets a satisfaction score from 1 to 5 and the actors involved.

journey
    title Switching home broadband
    section Discover
      Run speed test: 3: Customer
      Read reviews: 4: Customer
    section Compare
      Check availability: 3: Customer
      Find hidden fees: 1: Customer
    section Sign up
      Choose plan and slot: 4: Customer, Web shop
    section Install
      Wait for technician: 1: Customer, Technician
      Set up Wi-Fi: 3: Customer
    section Use and support
      Pay first bill: 4: Customer
      Report outage: 2: Customer, Support