Wyndham Destinations Customer Journey Mapping to Identify Solutions
Using Journey Mapping to Alleviate Pain Points and Improve the Customer Experience
Challenge
The Wyndham Destinations financing program with Citizens Pay launched in June of 2023 as a marquee merchant, bringing in ~$157MM in originations since its launch, with an expected annual sales volume of $200MM.
Even with the program's success, there were significant customer issues and complaints about the lack of customer account creation after securing their Line of Credit (LOC), no paper statements (Wyndham is a paperless organization), and customer confusion around having two statements (their Citizens Pay LOC for down payment vs. Wyndham recurring payment and HOA feeds), all of which led to higher delinquency rates.
We needed a plan to address these issues and complaints, improve the customer experience, and show regulators that we were actively solving them.
JOURNEY MAP OF DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL TOUCHPOINTS FOR THE PROGRAM
Actions & Insights
I decided to map the touchpoints, both physical and digital, in the existing customer journey for Wyndham LOC customers, mapping through the identified stages of Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Onboarding, and Deepening.
One of the insights I gained from mapping out the existing customer journey was regarding the on-resort purchasing process. Since Wyndham Destinations sells vacation ownership, visitors to the resort are offered an incentive (such as free theme park tickets) to attend a sales presentation. During this presentation, when the guest chooses to become a vacation owner, the purchasing process starts with the sales rep sending the guest an SMS or email with a link to the Citizens Pay application.
The entire application process is digital, and after the guest books their line of credit with Citizens Pay, the process switches back to offline, with the sales rep completing the rest of the vacation ownership process in person.
Additionally, since Wyndham Destinations is paperless, I learned that if the customer doesn't set up their account on the Citizens Pay portal soon after booking their LOC, there's no other way for them to learn that they will have two statements (a Citizens Pay LOC statement and a Wyndham-exclusive Statement) or that there will be no paper statement unless they opt-in to one in the portal.
These insights helped me identify why there was a low rate of LOC customers setting up their accounts through the Citizens Pay portal, as there was a massive gap in touchpoints between when the guest booked their LOC and when they received their first statement.
Solution
After I had a complete picture of the existing customer journey and understood the gaps in the experience, I identified the objectives to drive improvements for the program, including:
Drive customers to set up their accounts through the Citizens Pay online portal
Encourage customers to enroll in auto-pay to prevent delinquencies
Enhance program education across the last three stages of the journey (Purchase, Onboarding, and Deepening)
For solutions, I mapped additional touchpoints in the CX to address the issues and complaints, proposing the following:
Purchase Stage Enhancements: I identified a gap in the sales rep's knowledge regarding Citizens Pay financing. Also, there was no messaging to reinforce Citizens Pay program details during the purchasing process, so I created and executed a plan on the following:
Sales Enablement: I created a training video regarding the Citizens Pay program details and application process for Wyndham Destination sales reps. I also led the creation of supporting just-in-case job aids including a program infographic and do's and don'ts document with recommended language sales reps could share with guests.
CX Enhancement: I identified a screen in the digital application process after the user has submitted their LOC booking application for messaging reinforcement. The system takes about 30 seconds to decide on approval, so I added an automated carousel that messages proper account setup, auto-pay enrollment, and where to request paper statements.
Onboarding Stage Enhancements: I identified touchpoints to support the CX and ensure successful customer onboarding. For example, I added several educational emails in addition to the solo welcome email so that I had a comprehensive automated onboarding drip that communicated how customers could set up their accounts, where to go and who to call for questions or concerns, how to enroll in autopay, and where to request paper statements. I also created a wireframe and landing page copy to enhance the Citizens Pay portal landing page to reinforce messaging and bridge the CX gaps.
Deepening Stage Enhancements: Touchpoints I recommended that have a longer time horizon for completion include adding omnichannel servicing comms campaigns using a mix of SMS, email, and retargeting with paid social to drive the adoption of autopay to reduce delinquencies. I also mapped touchpoints for marketing campaigns to deepen the relationship with Wyndham Destinations customers and promote the opportunity to upgrade their points using a Citizens Pay Line of Credit.