Latest / Customer Journey with Fexingo: Touchpoints, Mapping, and Multi-Channel Marketing / Why Journey Maps Miss the Out-of-Stock Notification Touchpoint
Transcript
- Luna: Lucas, I was trying to buy a pair of running shoes last week. Clicked 'add to cart,' and—'out of stock.' I signed up for the notification, but then… nothing. That seems like a huge missed touchpoint. Lucas: It's a classic blind spot. Almost every journey map I've seen shows the path from browse to purchase to post-purchase, but the 'out of stock' moment—where the customer is actively trying to give you money—is usually invisible. And that's a real problem given how common it is. Luna: Right, especially with supply chain hiccups still lingering. So how bad is it? Do brands actually follow up? Lucas: A study by CommerceHub last year found that about 60 percent of online shoppers have signed up for a back-in-stock alert. But only 10 percent said they were satisfied with how the brand handled that notification. So the majority of brands are treating it as a checkbox feature rather than a relationship moment. Luna: Ten percent satisfaction? That's brutal. So what are the common mistakes? Lucas: The biggest one is timing. A lot of retailers send the notification—if they send it at all—days or even weeks after the item is actually back. By then the customer might have bought a competitor's product or lost interest. Another mistake is the medium: they default to email, but some customers would prefer SMS or push notification. And then there's the content: a plain 'It's back!' isn't enough context. Luna: What would make it better? I think I'd want to know: 'Is it really my size? Is the price still the same? Is it in stock now—or is it going to sell out again in five minutes?' Lucas: Exactly. Brands like Everlane have done this well. When an item is back in stock, they send a notification that includes the exact inventory level—'Only 12 left in your size'—and a direct link to the product page with the size preselected. That reduces friction. Nike does something similar with their SNKRS app for limited drops, but they also add a countdown timer for the restock window, which creates urgency in a non-aggressive way. Luna: So they're treating it like a mini launch. That's smart. But what about brands that don't have that level of sophistication? A small retailer might not have real-time inventory integration. Lucas: You don't need a full tech overhaul. Even a manually triggered email can work if you do it within 24 hours and include a personal note. What matters is acknowledging the customer's intent. They weren't browsing aimlessly—they wanted that specific product. If you treat that moment as a lead rather than a lost sale, you build retention. And if today was actually useful to you, the way these stay ad-free is listener support—buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small gesture that keeps the conversation going. I actually did that last week after the episode about QR codes. So, back to the touchpoint— what about the timing of the notification? Should it be immediate or scheduled? Lucas: Immediate is best, but with a human caveat: if you know the restock is going to be very small and sell out fast, notify immediately. If you have a steady supply, you can batch them and still get good response. The key is to let the customer set the preference during sign-up. Some people want instant alerts, others prefer a weekly digest. Giving that choice is a journey mapping win. Luna: That's a good point. The sign-up itself is a touchpoint. I've seen some websites where you click 'notify me' and it just adds you to a list without any confirmation or expectation setting. That feels like a black hole. Lucas: Exactly. The sign-up should include a clear message: 'We'll email you when this comes back. It usually takes 1–2 weeks.' That sets the expectation. And then if the item doesn't come back in that timeframe, send an update: 'We're still waiting for stock, but here are similar items.' That proactive communication is a retention lever most maps miss. Luna: So the notification itself isn't the only touchpoint—it's a chain. The sign-up, the waiting period, the alert, the re-engagement. How do you even map that? It's not linear. Lucas: You map it as a parallel journey branch that starts at the product page when inventory is zero. Then you have a decision tree: did the customer sign up? Yes? Then you have the waiting phase, which could include a drip of related products. Then the alert. Then the re-purchase. If they don't sign up, you might retarget them with a different product later. Most maps just collapse that into a single 'out of stock' node and move on. Luna: What about the impact on customer lifetime value? Is there data on that? Lucas: There is. A case study from a D2C apparel brand showed that customers who received a back-in-stock notification had a 30 percent higher repeat purchase rate within six months compared to those who didn't sign up. And their average order value was 12 percent higher on the restock purchase, probably because they were already committed to the brand. Luna: That's significant. So it's not just a short-term conversion play; it's a loyalty driver. So why do so many brands neglect it? Is it just lack of awareness? Lucas: Partly. But also because journey mapping often starts with the 'ideal' customer flow—someone who browses, adds to cart, buys. Out-of-stock is seen as a failure condition, not a normal event. And so the map skips over it. But in reality, stockouts happen. If you design for the exception, you actually design for a large percentage of your customers. Luna: I've also noticed that some retailers use 'out of stock' as an opportunity to push a similar product. Like, 'This is unavailable, but try this one instead.' Is that a good practice? Lucas: It can be, but be careful. If you immediately redirect them to a substitute, you risk ignoring the reason they wanted the original product. A better approach is to offer the alternative after they've expressed interest in the restock notification. 'We'll let you know when this is back. In the meantime, here are three similar options.' That respects their intention while still helping them solve their need now. Luna: That feels more respectful. I'd want the option to say 'I really want the original, but thanks for the suggestion.' So the touchpoint is really about managing expectations and giving control. Lucas: Exactly. And that ties into multichannel marketing. The notification could come via email, SMS, push, or even WhatsApp. Matching the channel to the customer's preference is crucial. If someone signed up on mobile, they might prefer a push notification over email. That's a data point that journey maps often don't capture because they treat all 'notify me' sign-ups the same. Luna: What about social media? I've seen brands announce restocks on Instagram Stories. Is that part of the journey? Lucas: It is for the customers who follow the brand on social. But it's passive. The customer has to be scrolling at the right time. The back-in-stock notification is more direct. However, you can integrate it: if a customer signs up for an alert and also follows you on Instagram, you could send them a DM when it's back. That's the next level of personalization. Luna: That's a great idea, but also a bit scary. I'm not sure I want a DM about restocked socks. But maybe for high-consideration items. So let's zoom out: if a marketer is revisiting their journey map tomorrow, what should they add? Lucas: Add a dedicated 'out of stock' swimlane. Map every possible path from that moment: the sign-up, the wait, the alert, the re-engagement, the fallback if they don't re-engage. Then assign metrics: sign-up rate, alert open rate, click-through rate, restock purchase rate. And track the time elapsed between sign-up and restock. That data will reveal whether you're treating it as a feature or a relationship. Luna: That's actionable. I think I'll update my own journey map this week. It's such a small thing that can make a big difference in customer perception. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Sure. And remember: the next time you're out of stock, that's not a dead end—it's a new beginning of a conversation. If you found today helpful, buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo keeps these conversations ad-free. Luna: Yeah, I'm a fan. See you next time.