Customer Journey
The short answer · 17 words
In short
Sequence of interactions and experiences through which a person works towards a goal across time and channels.
Flow-alerta.cab (2026): Customer Journey. https://flow-alerta.cab/en/glossar/customer-journey. Editorially reviewed on: 10 October 2026.
How much detail would you like?
Practical
Central for comprehensible processes, consistent communication and the recognition of breaks between website, sales, service and use.
A company examines the path from the first Google search via website, initial call and offer to the introduction of automation and later support.
For a concrete scenario, record actors, goals, phases, touchpoints, thoughts, feelings and breaks based on interviews, usage data and service knowledge.
At a glance
- Core
- The customer journey includes actions, touch points, expectations and experiences before, during and after a decision. It is rarely strictly linear. A customer journey map is the visualized analysis of this process and not the journey itself.
- Use
- Central for comprehensible processes, consistent communication and the recognition of breaks between website, sales, service and use.
- Example
- A company examines the path from the first Google search via website, initial call and offer to the introduction of automation and later support.
- Limits
- Equate customer journey with funnel, lifecycle or journey map; invent a linear ideal path; depict only internal process steps; treat a persona story as fact without research; hide touchpoints outside of one’s own control.
Questions about this term
Is a Journey Same as a Funnel?
No.
Is a Journey Map the Journey itself?
No, it's a model.
Does the journey have to be linear?
No.
What data does it need?
Qualitative research and appropriate behavioral data.
All details and background
The customer journey includes actions, touch points, expectations and experiences before, during and after a decision. It is rarely strictly linear. A customer journey map is the visualized analysis of this process and not the journey itself.
ELI5 – Explained simply
You look at a person’s entire path to the destination – not just the last click or purchase.
Why it matters in practice
Central for comprehensible processes, consistent communication and the recognition of breaks between website, sales, service and use.
Example
A company examines the path from the first Google search via website, initial call and offer to the introduction of automation and later support.
Pitfalls and limits
- Equate customer journey with funnel, lifecycle or journey map; invent a linear ideal path; depict only internal process steps; treat a persona story as fact without research; hide touchpoints outside of one’s own control.
Origin & history
Customer journey approaches emerged from marketing, service design and UX. There is no uniform primary source for a clear history of origin of the term.
Use in mid-sized companies
- For a concrete scenario, record actors, goals, phases, touchpoints, thoughts, feelings and breaks based on interviews, usage data and service knowledge.
Related terms
- Customer Journey Map
- Touchpoint
- Funnel
- Customer Lifecycle
- Persona
- Service Blueprint
- User research
Matching Flow-alerta service
Websites & web applicationsWebsites & Web Apps as well as Change & Enablement – Improving end-to-end experiences and process breaksMatching tool / use case
View use casesTool/Use Case: Journey Map for the route from initial contact to project start, validated by interviews and usage dataSources
- www.nngroup.comNielsen Norman Group, Journey Mapping 101
- www.nngroup.comNielsen Norman Group, Journey Mapping Study Guide
Quellenprüfung: 10.10.2026. Definition und dokumentierte Einordnung abgeglichen; Beispiele beschreiben mögliche Anwendungen.
Editorially reviewed on: