Recently, I discussed a past project with a colleague where we mapped the employee growth experience within an organization, identifying significant moments along the journey. We were noticing that identifying impactful moments within customer journeys has emerged as an important element within a number of subsequent service design projects as well.

These “moments that matter”are experiences that resonate with customers in a meaningful way whether the experience is intentional or not.

Moments that matter have a profound effect on customers, leaving lasting impressions that can significantly influence long-term perceptions of a service and organization. They often become a critical deciding factor — the make or break experience — that determines the future relationship with an organization.

To identify these critical moments, we must deeply understand the customer lifecycle and its phases.

Megan Erin Miller's framework in Understanding the Lifecycle of Service Experiences offers valuable guidance for designing customer experiences. When considering the death of a customer, I’ve come to realize that the point at which someone enters the lifecycle on behalf of someone who has died is a moment that matters. It marks the beginning of a new relationship between the customer's proxy and the organization while ending our original customer’s journey.

Unfortunately, it is this moment when a customer's proxy becomes involved in the journey that a service experience can fall apart. To prevent this, it is essential to design service experiences that include death as part of the customer lifecycle, integrating clear processes and approaches to assist grieving individuals. We have the opportunity to not only positively impact people but also foster a favourable and empathetic impression of our organization, forging a real connection for the future.

As someone with over a decade of experience in design projects related to death and dying, I am often asked about how to approach research and service design in this sensitive area. It's a vulnerable topic for customers, researchers, and designers alike, and taking on such research can feel risky for organizations. However, embracing this challenge and implementing thoughtful strategies can not only yield valuable insights but also contribute to meaningful and compassionate experiences. It's a task worth undertaking to create solutions that truly resonate.

I wrote this post on a warm summer Sunday evening sitting by a tree along the Taylor Creek Park trail in the east end of Toronto. It’s a beautiful 6km trail that meanders along the creek, fully active with people of all ages — strolling, cycling, friends chatting on benches, kids looking for frogs in the swampy areas while parents chat about their daily lives. It’s a wonderful piece of nature within the busy metropolitan city. One of the reasons I love this place is the small memorials at the base of numerous trees along the trail. Modest concrete cylinders with angled tops adorned with metal plaques remembering someone who has died. Some trees are mature with plaques dated decades ago, while others trees are freshly planted saplings. The messages etched upon them are brief and deeply personal; some including dates and names expressing love from family members and some bear notes that surely hold profound significance: “For my incredible B, With whom I shared my very first laugh. Love you forever, your N.” Every few weeks I’ll stop and read the plaques scattered throughout the trail. They remind me that amidst this beautiful park with the vibrancy of life in full bloom, there is also death, seamlessly intertwined with the life that surrounds it.

It reminds me not to shy away from the difficult facets of the human experience and that death is an inevitable part of life that should be integrated into the customer experience.