Synergistic CX: Season 3 - Episode 1 (part 2/3) - The Experience by Design

In Part 2 of the Synergistic CX Podcast, focused on the car wash industry, the CX Channel team and special guest Jason Bare shift the lens from ratings and reviews to the end-to-end customer journey. In an industry where convenience is expected and alternatives are always close by, the journey itself becomes the experience, and every touchpoint plays a role in shaping trust.

The episode walks through the full customer journey, from awareness and consideration to conversion, retention, and advocacy. While the journey may appear simple on the surface, mapping customer steps, touchpoints, and supporting CX research methods quickly reveals where expectations are not being met.

When the Moment of Truth journey map is revealed, the findings confirm that the car wash experience struggles to meet expectations across multiple stages. No part of the journey reaches an “excellent” performance level, with sentiment remaining largely neutral to negative throughout. Payment and follow-up emerge as the weakest and most inconsistent steps, highlighting how even small breakdowns in transactional moments can undermine trust and repeat behavior.

The conversation shifts to how car wash operators can build a more reliable experience over time. Jason emphasizes the importance of putting structured measurement in place - using online reviews, targeted Voice of the Customer feedback, and mystery shopping to maintain visibility across locations and ensure insights are translated into consistent operational improvements.

A deeper dive into the payment step reveals why it is such a critical weak point. Pricing perception, process flow, staff interaction at checkout, and payment technology all contribute to dissatisfaction, making payment one of the most sensitive moments in the journey.

To translate insight into action, the episode reviews the Marketing Mix Funnel Matrix (MFM) - a framework that connects marketing mix elements with journey stages to prioritize improvement areas. This leads naturally into the design of a starter Voice of the Customer survey, focused on the five weakest drivers: wash quality, staff interaction, location experience, payment, and service consistency.

Watch Part 2 here and stay tuned for Part 3, where Jason Bare offers a deeper perspective on CX leadership, strategy, and practical insight.