Why Today's Top Brands are Rewriting the Customer Journey
May 22, 2025
Consumers have more purchasing options than ever before. Where there used to be just a handful of choices, now there are hundreds—all competing for attention. But it's not just supply and demand dynamics driving this shift. Leading brands are doubling down on customer journey orchestration to stand out and build lasting loyalty.
Customer experience can often matter more than price: 40% of customers leave a brand entirely after just one negative customer service experience. More than ever, it's important for CX leaders to understand how the customer journey has changed, where AI has contributed to that evolution, and how to use analytics to their advantage.
How AI and technology have evolved the customer journey
Though it was never quite a straight line, the customer journey today has so many different paths available that it might as well be the famously complex East Los Angeles intersection. As new technology is invented and becomes commonplace—we're looking at you, social media and AI—it changes how consumers research, purchase, and request support throughout the customer journey.
At one point, searching for a particular product meant finding the 1000-page Sears catalogs. Jump forward a few decades, and Google was your top channel. Today, customer journey analytics show channels like TikTok and AI quickly taking the top spots. The theme of customer journey mapping today is choice.
This extends well past the initial purchasing experience, too. Customer service options beyond a phone number are increasingly important for consumers. Offering chat and SMS service options to help customers reclaim valuable time and prevent long hold times can help CX leaders increase customer satisfaction and turn one-off buyers into long-time champions.
Customer journey orchestration examples
Take IAA, for example. After increasing their service options to include chat, text, and callback options through Five9's Intelligent CX platform, they slashed hold times and call abandonment. Customers were easily able to find service in their preferred channels. Plus, agents had streamlined workflows and increased customer journey data analytics that helped them ensure great customer experiences.
Similarly, the Ivy Collection, a UK-based luxury hospitality group, implemented Five9 to reduce reservation no-shows and save reps from repetitive requests. With automated reminders of upcoming reservations, the Ivy filled more tables and reduced costly no-shows. Freeing agents from routine requests meant they could work on more revenue-generating activities, increasing conversion rates. Plus, the business was able to target a younger crowd through new service channels like WhatsApp and SMS.
Where customer journey data analytics helps
Personalization and a seamless, connected experience are the name of the game for customer journeys today. But you can't know where your customers are if you don't have a customer journey map and the customer journey data and analytics to round it out—and help your agents provide great service.
Data is your key to success throughout the customer journey, from the very beginning to well after post-purchase. While your sales and marketing teams will often track various statistics about your website and social media, funnel conversions, and more, CX leaders need to be aware of those stats and track contact center statistics.
Armed with customer journey analytics and an integrated CX platform, your agents can access real-time customer information during calls, chats, and other service interaction channels to know everything they need to quickly and comprehensively solve customer requests.
Customer journey analytics examples
US Radiology Specialists is a strong example of how customer journey data analytics can transform contact center performance. Previously, their outdated technology was misrouting calls and leaving agents without real-time insights. By partnering with Five9, they were able to optimize processes, enhance agent productivity, and gain the real-time data they needed to route calls more effectively—ultimately delivering a better customer experience.
Serefin was in a similar boat: their platform had limited scalability options and few modern capabilities, leaving them with limited insights into agent performance and customer needs. After turning on self-service to help deflect routine calls and providing agents with up-to-date customer journey data analytics, their customers are now more satisfied at every step of their journey.
Learn how others have been successful with customer journey orchestration
Every customer journey is unique—and so is the way each contact center approaches customer journey orchestration. Your strategy will depend on your operations, industry, and customer needs. The good news? You don’t have to start from scratch.
Download the 2025 Customer Success Book to discover how organizations of all sizes and industries are creating standout customer experiences.
