Illustrative sample · Not a client engagement
A useful audit connects a commercial signal to a customer need.
This fictional skincare example demonstrates our method. The numbers are assumptions for explanation; they are not client results or a performance forecast.
01 / Start with a question
Commercial question: Why do first-time buyers fail to place another order within the product’s expected repurchase window?
Customer question: Do they know how to use the product, what to expect, and when another purchase would be useful?
02 / Establish a fair baseline
- Group customers by first-order month and first product purchased.
- Compare cohorts that have had the same opportunity to reorder. Choose the window from the product’s use cycle and observed order history.
- Account for refunds, returns, discounts and changes in acquisition mix.
- Record missing cost data or unreliable events before estimating commercial value.
03 / Connect evidence and experience
Metric
Investigate the signal
Compare second-purchase behaviour, time to reorder and contribution across eligible cohorts.
Mocha
Find the unanswered question
Review messages and customer feedback for confusion about routines, product use or suitability.
Working hypothesis: Useful product education may address uncertainty that a generic discount reminder misses. Customer interviews and an experiment should test that hypothesis.
04 / Map the journey
Entry: first eligible order fulfilled
Check marketing permission, first-order status and product eligibility. Exclude cancelled or refunded orders and apply the agreed frequency rules.
Step 1: build confidence in product use
Send concise guidance when the product is likely to have arrived. Explain routine, usage and where to find help; avoid unsupported product claims.
Decision: a service issue or another order?
Pause promotional messaging for relevant unresolved issues where the data supports that rule. Exit second-purchase prompts after a new order.
Step 2: offer a useful next step
Time replenishment using product consumption and observed buying behaviour. Use cross-selling only when the recommendation has a clear customer rationale.
Evaluation: measure business and customer effects
Where feasible, compare randomly assigned eligible groups over the same window. Review contribution, repeat purchasing, complaints and unsubscribes; explain uncertainty and data limitations.
05 / Test whether the economics justify the work
Illustrative scenario: 5,000 eligible customers × an assumed 4-percentage-point improvement = 200 additional orders. At an assumed $30 contribution per order, that is $6,000 before programme fees and ongoing costs.
What the implementation brief would specify
- Audience, permission rules, exclusions and exit conditions
- Customer question and purpose of each message
- Required events, data dependencies and service-system inputs
- Copy, design, approval and QA responsibilities
- Baseline, measurement window, experiment design and reporting limitations
Your next step
Find the opportunity worth acting on.
Start with a clear view of your customers, your journeys and the commercial case for improvement.