What is a Moment of Truth?

A moment of truth is any interaction between a customer and a business that changes the customer's perception about the business in a meaningful way. The moment of truth could make the customer a lifelong fan or it could make them turn to a competitor - it all depends on how the business performs. Examples of moments of truth could be how an insurance company handles an accident claim or when a customer tries a product for the first time. The interaction is important to the customer and how the business handles it could make or break the relationship.

Any touchpoint along the customer journey has the potential to be a moment of truth. The moment of truth could occur on the company's website, be advertising-related, or happen in a conversation with customer service. Because of this, companies have to think through every single one of those touchpoints and make sure they are designed to provide optimal customer experience. That takes a lot of discipline and interdepartmental cooperation, but businesses that put in the effort will see a payoff.

Moments of truth in the contact center

So many moments of truth happen while customers are interacting with customer service agents. The way businesses treat customers can leave a lasting impression. It's impossible for organizations to script every possible scenario an agent might encounter, so they need to make sure agents are well trained in foundational areas that impact moments of truth - empathy, how to listen, problem solving skills, to name a few. Additionally, agents must be supported on the contact center floor with good technical tools, competent supervisors, and policies that empower them to deliver relationship-building moments of truth.