Customer Service Information |
|
What Exactly is Customer Relationship Management?
The defintion of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that I favor is "CRM is the business strategy that aims to understand, anticipate, manage and personalize the needs of an organization's current and potential customers" From this we can learn that CRM is more than just a piece of software; CRM is a business strategy, one that puts the customer at the heart of the business. "That's nothing new" I hear you say, and you would be right. Good business people have always understood the relationship between happy customers that come back again and again and creating long term, sustainable profitability. You just have to think of the local shop owner who knew everyone of his customer's names, birthdays and particular ailments to prove that point. What is new is that there now exists the technology to enable this customer-centricity on a much larger scale. It is said that a successful CRM implementation will allow your Customer Service, Sales and Marketing people (and anyone else in your organization) to have a holistic view of each and everyone of your customers. In theory this will enable them to make quick, informed decisions, create cross selling and up selling opportunities, measure marketing effectiveness and deliver personalized Customer Care. Sound's great doesn't it! The History of CRM Following on from Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP (the business strategy that promised to automate the "back-office"), the term CRM was first coined in the mid-1990s. CRM in those days referred to the software used to help businesses manage their customer relationships. From sales force automation software (SFA) that focused on customer contact management to integrated knowledge management solutions, these were the early foundations of CRM. The last couple of years have seen the term broaden to encompass a more strategic approach and the investment of billions of dollars worldwide into CRM solutions and services has followed. First Things First Successful CRM always starts with a business strategy, which drives change in the organization and work processes, enabled by technology. The reverse rarely works. The key here is to create a truly Customer-Centric philosophy that touches every point and more importantly every person in the company. From CSR to CEO everyone must live and breathe customer focus for all of this to work. At the same time you should look at your which processes could be re-engineered to make them more effective for your customers. Until you have done this, put away your chequebook! The Right Technology It is estimated that the global market for CRM services and solutions is currently worth $148 billion. That means a lot of choice when selecting your technology - from web-based solutions aimed at small businesses with less than 10 employees to solutions suitable for multi-national enterprises with millions of customers. The Future CRM has already made a big impact in the world of Customer Service and will continue to do so. As more and more companies become customer-centric those that fail to do so will lose competitive advantage. As technology increases to develop at a startling rate the key emphasis will be how we can fully utilise it within our business. However let's not lose sight of the fact that Customer Relationship Management is about people first and and technology second. That's where the real value of CRM lies, harnessing the potential of people to create a greater customer experience, using the technology of CRM as the enabler. CRM may or may not prove to be the answer to providing excellent customer care, but the philosophy of putting customers at the heart of our business is definitely a step in the right direction. Ian Miller is Editor of The Customer Service Manager - An online resource for Customer Service Managers and professionals. On the CSM website you can read about the latest customer service trends, make use of useful management tools and sign up for a free customer service newsletter. Visit http://www.customerservicemanager.com for more details.
MORE RESOURCES: NTTA customer service, Tarrant County district clerk spar over mistaken charge The Dallas Morning News Availity Wins Two Bronze Stevie® Awards in 2024 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service Yahoo Finance Frost & Sullivan and SOCAP Forge Strategic Partnership to Elevate Customer Care and Experience Yahoo Finance New York State Alerts New Yorkers of Temporary Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Outage on Sunday, May 19, for ... Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Realtor Lammert delivers customer service from the inside out Leader Publications Integrated solutions empower productivity for SMBs Insights by Samsung Verizon sharpens GenAI tools to impro... Mobile World Live Verizon unveils human-assisted GenAI tools for customer service Telecompaper EN No, GPT-4o isn't going to kill teaching or customer service Business Insider Cognigy Named a Leader in 2024 “Conversational AI For Customer Service” Report The Bakersfield Californian What Consumers are Saying About AI and Customer Service Customer Think CommBox Launches Connect Partner Programme, Offering Market-Leading Automation and AI Capabilities to ... Business Wire Codelocks Australia: 10 years of innovative access control solutions | Security News SourceSecurity.com Opinion: If it's not dead already, customer service is certainly on life support • Asheville Watchdog Asheville Watchdog Frequently asked questions and customer service CSPI Newsroom Poll workers emphasize election confidence, customer service • Indiana Capital Chronicle Indiana Capital Chronicle Top Banks Offering 24/7 Customer Service in 2024 Business Insider Customer Service & Support Hillsborough County (.gov) For 13th Consecutive Year, Wolters Kluwer Customer Service Wins NorthFace ScoreBoard Awards Silicon Canals Senate Passes FAA Bill on Air Safety and Customer Service – The Presidential Prayer Team The Presidential Prayer Team They've got your back: Meet American's system customer service managers - American Airlines Newsroom They've got your back: Meet American's system customer service managers American Airlines Newsroom Rebuilding the IRS Improves Customer Service and Reduces the Tax Gap Center For American Progress The Marriott Maze: Navigating Customer Service Over $11, When Does It Stop Being Worth It? View from the Wing AI enhances flexibility and efficiency for customer service centers, new research reveals | Binghamton News Binghamton University Porsche claims first place for customer service among premium car owners in J.D. Power Study Porsche Newsroom How to contact Amazon UK Customer Service About Amazon.co.uk The correct airline customer service numbers to help avoid scams The Washington Post Welcome to Riverside Public Utilities City of Riverside (.gov) Lee Michaels’ Scott Berg: How to make unhappy customers happy Greater Baton Rouge Business Report Forbes Recognizes Regions Bank for Best Customer Service Regions Financial Corporation Customer Assistance Programs DC Water Genesys & ServiceNow join forces to revolutionise customer service ChannelLife Australia Contact SEA Customer Care portseattle.org Customer Service Administrator | Professional Security JTC Associates Ltd Customer Support GE Aerospace Taxpayers let down by Poor HMRC customer service www.contact-centres.com Buccaneers Continue to Excel in Season Pass Member Customer Service Experience, Voted No. 1 for Sixth ... Buccaneers.com Senate passes bill improving air safety and service for travelers, a day before FAA law expires Chicago Tribune Recent Developments That Could Impact How Companies Offer AI-Based Customer Service Chatbots | Insights Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Billing and Insurance WellSpan Health At some point, construction gave up on customer service – but it's far from a lost cause New Civil Engineer Gen Z prefers AI chatbots over phone calls, says Affirm's CEO Business Insider Air India rolls out iPad app for on board customer service Live From A Lounge Britons Spend 800 Years Waiting to Speak to HMRC Business MattersBusiness Matters AI is replacing customer service jobs across the globe The Washington Post |
RELATED ARTICLES
Client Service as a Competitive Advantage As someone who has been heavily involved facilitating strategic planning processes with organizations during the last 15+ years, I often find it somewhat amusing how people answer the questions I pose.For example, if I ask people, "What is your unique differentiation in the marketplace?" or "What does your organization really excel at?" They will almost always reply, "It has to be our client service. Breaking the Ice and Winning Over the Client! Wherever you turn these days you'll find articles covering every business strategy and tactic available to man, from how to make a great presentation to strategies for success all the way to negotiations and prospecting and getting a client to commit. But hardly anyone touches on the subject of breaking the ice with a new client and winning them over. Everyone talks in code! How often have you left a meeting with a customer or your boss telling yourself he likes my ideas. Only to find later that you didn't get the sale or your boss has told everyone that you are crazy. To Complain and Win! - My Personal Recipe Prime directive: Make sure your claim is reasonable! Otherwise, forget it.First thing: If you have a legitimate claim denied or a beef with a company (my method can be applied to insurance companies, dealerships, bad fish, or whatever), prepare yourself for the likelihood of frustrating conversations with people who either can't think for themselves or have been told by their boss not to. In the Villa of the Sick Cat -- A Lesson in Customer Care If you're a pet owner, you know the stress of having a sick pet and you know that having a great veterinarian is a wonderful thing. My cat, Zoe, came down with a nasty infection that had me racing off to the vet's office last week with an unhappy, howling kitty in tow. Marketing as a Spiritual Practice "Marketing as a spiritual practice." It sounds contradictory - how can sales and promotion possibly be considered spiritual? But the secret is, once you truly understand that marketing isn't all about struggle, jargon, tricks or gimmicks, spiritual practice is the very root of success. Under Promise & Over Perform: The Art of Managing Customer Expectations I'll always feel warmly about Conrad's restaurant, in Glendale, California.On the morning of the Northridge earthquake, Conrad's was the only restaurant in town that opened for business, and stayed open until the last customer went home. How To Build Stellar Client Relationships Your opportunity to build a stellar client relationship starts with managing the gap between your perception of how things are going and your client's.Begin the process here . Responding to Complaints It's possible that in the course of your business dealings, you may (just may) have to deal with a complaint from a customer or client .. Provide Exceptional Value - Grow Your Business The primary objective of a business is to get and keep customers. Growing a profitable business requires providing exemplary customer service and products or services of exceptional value. What Do Your Clients REALLY Think of You? *********************************************Know Thyself - Socrates*********************************************I'd like to start this article with a test ?What do you get when you cross a Northern Canadian male, a 4x4 truck and heavy rain?You guessed it! ? Mud Bogging!!!!That is how I spent my morning. My husband's new truck was too shinny, so he felt he had to get it dirty again just so he could wash it for the fourth time this week. How To Keep Your Customers Coming Back -- Understanding Customer Retention Why do some businesses offer points, stamps or every tenth coffee for free?These businesses understand that a customer retention program is a fantastic way to ensure that customers keep coming back. The most recognized customer retention programs are those loyalty programs used by retailers, but this same principal can be applied to any business that wishes to maintain a loyal customer base. Customer Service - How Good Are YOU? At 8.30 am a wealthy client (on his way to make a presentation to the local council at 9 am) walked into a store that sells photocopiers. Debt Elimination Scam May people these days have a problem with mounting debt. The average person is well below the bad credit limit and is in desperate need to fix it. What Every Employee Should Know About How to See Customers Problems from Their Creative Side Customer Service is a blessing and a curse; a blessing to the customer and a curse to you, the employee. At least so it seems. How To Use Your Current Customers Jay instructed a customer of his to offer a rare coin collection to new customers for just $19. He was actually losing a couple of dollar on every sale! But . Dealing with Disgruntled Customers No matter how hard you try, in business you simply can't please everyone. You could have a highly trained customer service squadron and an award-winning product, but still you'd have some buyers who just weren't happy. Becoming A Solution To Your Customers Problems Those of us in home based and small businesses are in effect selling our product. So becoming an effective salesperson is very important. Saying Thank You to Your Clients "Thanking your customers" - Why you should do it and how.. What Every Manager Should Know About How to Learn from the Complaints of Customers and Employees Listening to complaints, whether they're reasonable or not, is a part of every manager's job. Sometimes complaints can be overwhelming. |
home | site map |
© 2006 |