A CX Life Cycle Model is structured using a number of levels. These three levels can be used to structure Customer Experience in your organisation, providing a comprehensive and complete overview in a single framework.

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 Levels of the CX Life Cycle Model

A CX Life Cycle Model is composed of three levels, encompassing all experiences customers have when in contact with an organisation.


Stages

Stages are the highest level within the framework. Stages are steps in the life of a customer in relation to an organisation, which all customers move through. They are sequential, progress in time, and all customers must be able to move through all Stages. For a complete framework that will still provide you with insights at a glance, you should ideally use between 5 and 7 Stages in the Model. The phrasing of a Stage always starts with ‘I', to encourage thinking from a customer’s perspective, e.g. ‘I become a customer’.


Phases

The second level of the CX Life Cycle Model is made up of Phases. A Phase is a logically compiled, collective name for Contact Reasons a customer has relating to a brand (organisation). To create a complete Stage, we recommend using a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 Stages per Phase. They are mostly sequential, but there are some exceptions. Phases don’t begin with ‘I', as they are a theme that encompasses and connects a group of Contact Reasons, e.g. 'Orientation’.

Contact Reasons

Contact Reasons are the lowest level of the CX Life Cycle Model. A Contact Reason is a brief explanation of the reason a customer is in contact with an organisation. Customers can be in contact for many different reasons, like organizing, receiving information, and finding answers to questions. In our experience, between 60 and 80 Contact Reasons is a sweet spot, leading to a clear & complete overview. For example, ‘I receive and pay my monthly invoice’.