What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?

Moment of truth (MOT) in marketing is the moment when a customer/user interacts with a brand, product or service to form or change an impression about that particular brand, product or service.

First moment of truth (FMOT): When a customer is first confronted with the product, taking place either offline or online. It occurs within the first 3-7 seconds of a consumer encountering the product and it is during this time that hotelier have the capability of turning a browser into a promoter.

Marketing today is challenged by the increase in new connected mobile devices prospects have, the easy availability of low-cost valuable information they seek, and the ability to tap into a variety of resources including social communities for product & service recommendations.

As a result, your customers are in control regardless the size, brand name of your product and services. In the meantime you as the front –line driver should take control of making your customer’s moment of truth, sharing your products and services while building up a solid data base. Sharing moment of truth concerning privacy, targeting relevant audience have big impact on your business.

To this end, we must provide appropriate content marketing and social media engagement that can be consumed across an array of devices to win customers at each moment of truth.

Invest for a smart phone and be it with creative mind.

A moment of truth (MOT) is marketing lingo for any opportunity a customer (or potential customer) has to form an impression about a company, brand, product or service. Marketers strive to use moments of truth to create positive, customer-centric outcomes. The concept itself is very simple -- if every customer interaction has a positive outcome, the business will be successful.

Although moments of truth can include mass communication, a MOT's power comes from those interactions in which the communication is personalized. The value of a moment of truth was first conceptualized in the 1980s by Jan Carlzon, the CEO of Scandinavian Airlines Systems and expanded upon by A.G. Lafley when he was the CEO of Proctor & Gamble.

Customers have an expectation that each moment of truth will provide accurate information and an effortless interaction with an organization. There is significant downside risk if moments of truth do not achieve a baseline level of an individual’s expectations and customer satisfaction (CSAT) rankings are poor.

The challenge organizations face regarding moments of truth is to identify every possible customer touchpoint and optimize each one, whether it is a recurring experience, such as sending out a billing statement, or a one-time communication with a sales representative over the phone.

Different types of MOTs

The following list is an aggregate from several different sources:

Less Than Zero Moment of Truth ( - an event occurs that inspires the customer to think about making a purchase.

Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) - the customer begins researching a product.

First Moment of Truth (FMOT) - the customer is looking at a product.

Second Moment of Truth (SMOT) – the customer purchases product.

Interim Moment of Truth (IMOT) -  the period of time from when the customer purchases a product to when he receives it. Sometimes called Absolute Moment of Truth (AMOT). 

Third Moment of Truth (TMOT) – the customer provides feedback about the product.

This was last updated in March 2019

Continue Reading About moment of truth (marketing MOT)

  • 6 must-have roles on your customer experience team
  • Calling All Customer-Centric CIOs: Tips for Engaging Customers
  • You Must Win Every Moment of Trust to Win the Moment of Truth
  • Building a customer-centric culture

Dig Deeper on Customer experience management

  • What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?
    Genesys contact center cloud gets acquisition boost

    What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?

    By: Don Fluckinger

  • What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?
    Executive interview: Chris McShane, MD, Halfords Mobile Experts

    What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?

    By: Cliff Saran

  • What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?
    How Halfords is using tech to rev up its customer service

    What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?

    By: Ben Sillitoe

  • What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?
    New Salesforce Customer 360 aims to unify data sources

    What is moment of Truth concept in service industry discuss its importance in hospitality industry and What marketers should do to improve it?

    By: Don Fluckinger

What is moment of truth in hospitality industry?

A “moment of truth” is any point during a visit when a guest has an opportunity to form a positive or negative impression of your restaurant. Moments of truth may be different for every restaurant, but if you put yourself in your guests' shoes, you should be able to identify what they are for you.

What is moment of truth concept in service industry?

A moment of truth (MOT) is marketing lingo for any opportunity a customer (or potential customer) has to form an impression about a company, brand, product or service. Marketers strive to use moments of truth to create positive, customer-centric outcomes.

What is the importance of moment of truth in customer service?

In marketing and customer service, the phrase 'moment of truth' has a similar meaning. It represents occasions where a customer's interaction is so impactful that it alters their perception of the brand. Moments of truth can forever change the relationship between a brand and its customer, for better or worse.

What is a moment of truth and how can this concept be used to improve quality?

A moment of truth is simply any interaction during which a customer may form an impression of your brand or product. This impression may be either positive or negative.