Navigating the Total Experience (TX) Journey with Strategy, Humor & a Dash of Common Sense

What if you had a trusted guide to help you navigate the entire customer journey, covering every interaction and connection, and delivering measurable results for your business? 

HER-ON Atlas is more than just a map; it’s a toolkit designed to help you take action and achieve results that truly make a difference.

HER-ON started as a nod to the heron, a bird that represents grace, resilience, and adaptability, qualities brands need to thrive in today’s world. But it’s so much more than that:

• HER stands for bold leaders who challenge the status quo and approach growth with purpose.

• ON is a call to action, progress, and tangible results.

Together, HER-ON is about guiding brands through challenges with practical strategies that build stronger customer relationships, sustainable growth, and measurable success.

🙋 Diane, Is That You?

If you read that first part and thought, “Diane, that doesn’t really sound like you,” you’re partially right. The ideas and words are mine, but I freely admit I’ve had the help of a LLM to refine them. And honestly, I’ll keep using it because it’s not an “either/or” situation, it’s about collaboration.

Like any good relationship, it has its ups and downs. Some days I think it completely understands me, and other days I feel like I’m repeating, “No, no, no - don’t you remember?” But hey, learning and growing together is part of the fun, right?

And that, my friends, is what prompted me to start HER-ON Atlas. After 25 years in digital experience and ecommerce, I’ve seen some things. Cue ominous music. It's taught me what works and, just as importantly, what doesn’t. I don’t tend to say, “At XYZ Corporation, we did this,” but instead, “Wow, I’ve seen this movie before, and I know how it ends. Let’s rewrite the script and change the ending.”

🙋 So…Why a Newsletter?

You can’t rewrite the ending of a movie without a new script. Despite my thinking I could write a pretty great script (ask me someday about my pitch for a movie featuring the Chicago Bean), I realized scripts aren’t my thing. But you know what is? Roadmaps.

I’ve built successful roadmaps, and I’ve also taken my fair share of wrong turns. Just ask LinkedIn about my premature newsletter launch earlier this week. (Improving LinkedIn’s newsletter creation process might have to be a future topic.)

Roadmaps are my bread and butter, they provide clarity, direction, and a tangible path forward. That’s exactly what I wanted to bring to this community. But before I could map out the journey, I had to ask myself the most important question: How can I equip my community with the tools to succeed?

At first, I thought about discussing CX and the route to loyalty, but I hit pause. CX is such a widely discussed topic these days, and let’s be honest: if you asked 10 people what CX means, you’d probably get 14 different answers. Some people have A LOT of opinions.

I took a step back and asked the question we’re always trying to answer: What do customers really want from a relationship with a brand? The answer turned out to be refreshingly simple: They want you to make their lives better and easier.

🌐 Welcome to My TED Talk: Be the Honda Civic

Here’s where my love for analogies kicks in. I often say, “Be the Honda Civic,” but it’s not really about the car, it’s about the relationship. Customers don’t need brands to constantly surprise and delight them; they need reliability, ease, and a company that understands their needs.

Whenever someone pitched me an idea that felt over the top, I’d respond, “I don’t need a Porsche to run my errands; I just need something dependable that gets me where I need to go.” Some might call that settling, but here’s the truth - the real loyalty driver isn’t the flashy moment, it’s the consistency, trust, and simplicity that make customers want to stick around.

Even luxury buyers - yes, even Porsche customers - expect a seamless experience. A high-end purchase might turn heads, but the lasting loyalty comes from a brand that delivers ease, convenience, and an intuitive experience.

Gartner/CEB said it best: Loyalty is tied to the level of effort. Make life better and easier for your customers, and they’ll stick around. Simple as that.

💡 My 'Duh' Moment: The Total Experience (TX)

Once I figured out what I wanted to share, I had to frame it in a way that was logical and approachable. I wanted it to feel like it could be a podcast, whether it ever becomes one or not (unless you want it to, of course!).

We’re all under pressure to deliver results and tired of hearing how AI is like Zoltar Speaks in Big. And yes, that reference gives away my Gen X roots, but you know what? Being Gen X means being resourceful. I want to help you harness AI tools, but also recognize that even the smartest AI won’t work if you’re solving the wrong problems.

I struggled a bit with how to tie everything together. I wanted to explore areas of CX but also connect it to concepts like EX. Then, a good friend brought up the concept of Total Experience (TX), and it was my 'duh' moment.

TX, as defined by HCLTech, connects Employee Experience (EX), User Experience (UX), and Customer Experience (CX) into one seamless journey. TX can lead to stronger customer relationships and profitable outcomes, but it’s a lot to tackle without intentional strategies, structured execution, and some good old-fashioned common sense.

And that’s where I realized I could add value. I wanted to build on these foundational ideas to provide the roadmaps and tools you need to turn TX into measurable growth. But before you map out the journey, or draft the perfect script, you have to nail the ending first. And in the customer journey, that means focusing on the Afterbuy Experience (AX).

🙋 What's the Afterbuy Experience (AX)?

The Afterbuy Experience (AX) is my term for the longest yet often-overlooked stage of the customer journey, starting after the initial purchase. It’s made up of two critical phases:

1. Post-purchase phase: Onboarding, support, and resolving issues take center stage.

2. Ownership phase: Trust, loyalty, and repeat revenue are nurtured over time.

AX defines how customers feel about your brand, not just during the transaction but throughout their relationship with you. This is where customer satisfaction can evolve into long-term loyalty…or falter into frustration. In other words, this is the “make my life better and easier” stage.

📌 What AX Means to Me (aka Not Just Another Acronym!)

It’s one thing for me to introduce a new acronym. It’s another to share what AX means to me and why it’s meaningful. The best way to teach is to share, so let’s get personal.

These examples come from real experiences I’ve been part of, developed collaboratively across teams, drawing on diverse insights rather than being confined to a single CX function. Every solution was tied to organizational priorities and KPIs. Whether we called them OKRs, BHAGs, OGSM, or the framework du jour, the important part was that they were connected to revenue goals, cost-saving activities, and measurable impact.

  ☕ Onboarding

Imagine buying a premium espresso maker, excited to craft café-quality drinks at home, only to open a box full of styrofoam, confusing instructions, and mounting frustration.

Here’s how collaboration improved onboarding:

• Marketing and CRM teams created email series with tutorials and tips.

• Product managers developed easy-to-follow video guides.

• Digital teams enabled live virtual classes to teach barista skills.

This approach turned onboarding into a positive experience, building trust and loyalty.

  🚼 Support

Picture a new parent struggling to install a car seat, feeling overwhelmed and anxious about whether it’s properly secured.

Here’s how teams made support seamless:

• Customer care and IT teams provided live installation guidance.

• CRM teams followed up with tips for transitioning the seat as the child grew.

• Product managers ensured the design was intuitive and easy to install.

This effort transformed fear into trust, keeping the brand top of mind for future purchases.

  🔄 Returns and Upgrades

A customer discovers that last year’s grill model lacks the trendy griddle top featured in the new release.

Here’s how teams turned frustration into satisfaction:

• Industrial designers and category teams created accessories to upgrade older models.

• Marketing teams offered loyalty discounts on upgrades.

• IT systems streamlined the registration process for future updates.

  
  

These solutions don’t have to be costly or complicated, nor are they limited to specific industries. Whether you’re in B2C or B2B, CPG or durable goods, SaaS or manufacturing, the key is having thoughtful strategies tailored to your customer base. Even small, intentional efforts can drive loyalty and repeat business.

These are the experiences and insights I’ll be sharing as we explore the Afterbuy Experience (AX) together. Because the truth is, you can’t afford not to focus on AX.

⚠️ Why AX Matters

You already know acquiring new customers is expensive. From paid ads and influencers to email campaigns and lead generation, you’re spending (sometimes heavily) to make that first sale. But without a strong Afterbuy Experience, those investments can be wasted.

Consider This:

• A brand spends $100 to acquire a customer who makes a $150 purchase.

• Poor AX, like bad onboarding or clunky returns, means the customer won’t come back.

• The brand loses future revenue and essentially throws away that $100 acquisition cost.

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Optimizing AX recovers investment faster, drives repeat purchases, and builds loyalty that leads to organic referrals. AX doesn’t just retain customers; it turns them into advocates who fuel growth.

But understanding the importance of AX is just the first step. To unlock its full potential, you need a structured framework to guide you through challenges, identify opportunities, and take actionable steps toward long-term success.

🗺️ Why an Atlas?

I debated this one. Why call it an Atlas instead of a GPS?

Here’s the thing: while a GPS might tell you where to go, an Atlas helps you understand the entire landscape and navigate challenges along the way. And while I thought about referencing the Thomas Guide (if you’re Gen X or older and spent time in California, you know!), I realized an Atlas was the better analogy to explain my newsletter.

HER-ON Atlas is your resource for tools and insights that take your customer’s experience further.

🚗 What’s Inside Every Roadmap

✅ Actionable objectives because plans that just sit in a template don’t help anyone

✅ Strategies and tactics that drive retention, loyalty, and growth

✅ Practical tools you can actually use, not just admire in a slide deck

✅ Benchmarks so you can measure progress instead of just hoping it’s working

These frameworks aren’t just theoretical, they’re built to deliver real results you can track, refine, and scale. No overcomplicated nonsense, just smart, practical strategies… with a dash of humor, because why not? Think more Schoolhouse Rock! than Afterschool Special - because someone has to keep the history alive. Otherwise, how would we ever remember that a bill is just a lonely piece of paper, waiting to become a law?

🛣️ Join the Journey

Thank you for joining me at the start of the HER-ON Atlas journey. Today, we explored the Afterbuy Experience (AX), an often-overlooked but critical factor in creating loyal customers and long-term growth. But this is just the beginning.

Every Wednesday, I’ll share insights and strategies to help you tackle new challenges in the customer journey. Our first stop in the AX Roadmap arrives next week: Nice is Fine, but Kindness Drives Results.

But HER-ON Atlas isn’t just about AX, an Atlas is filled with many roadmaps, and this is only our first trip. Together, we’ll navigate other stages of the Total Experience (TX), each with actionable strategies to build stronger connections and measurable success.

So, jump into the Honda Civic, or whatever ride suits your journey, and let’s bring this roadmap to life.

📢🤝Roadmaps aren’t built alone. Have experiences or challenges to share? Let’s collaborate! I’d love to feature guest contributors and incorporate real-world insights into future editions. Reach out!