Posts Tagged ‘ Customersarecool ’

Predicting the next step in Customer Management

So what happens once all the companies where customers matter have implemented their state of the art CRM platforms? All interfaced, 360 degree customer view, complete control over structured, transparent customer data.... what a beautiful position to be in. What's next? Where lies the the next challenge then? Of course, companies will still have to innovate in terms of products and remaining competitive. But the next real challenge lies in reverse customer management. It's enabling the customer to manage the relationship with its supplier. Self service is part of that - often that afterthought in projects, almost a necessary evil from a company's perspective: 'Oh yes, we have to enable the customer to do this and that himself too'... Reverse Customer Management goes further than that. In years to come, customers will want complete control over their suppliers, preferably in one interface, in their own CRM system. Whereas companies create 'customer accounts', customers will want to create 'supplier' accounts and keep control over their supplier relations. The customer will manage the relationship. Combine this with Gardner's predictions about the future power of social networks in evaluating products, services, organisations and the power balance will experience a major shift from push to pull. We are really just at the start of the customer revolution. [ READ MORE ]

Not enough customer information? Time to get paranoid.

There’s a saying that goes: ”if you’re not paranoid, you don’t have enough information”. It is derived from the premise, that even when you think you have everything under control, there is probably something you don’t know about which could and will bite you in the backside when you least expect it. Recognise this from your adventures in CRM world? Sure you do. Of course, if you lived by this rule, you would never be able to relax again. So you don’t live by this rule. Ironically though, this saying represents the exact most current challenge that all of us in CRM-land are facing. The fear of being confronted with something customer related that we don’t know about. How do you have an intelligent conversation with your customer if you don’t have the relevant information[ READ MORE ]

Are we collecting numbers…. or real people?

We all know that social media is a hot topic. I started out carefully on Linkedin a few years ago, added Facebook, Twitter… and for a while I got into this frenzy of collecting people in my network, friends and followers. Some people I meet take pride in having several thousands of followers on Twitter. Sure, [ READ MORE ]

Still not getting the basics right.

Yesterday I referred to not having been treated as I think a customer should. With service and respect. And wouldn’t you believe it. This morning I stroll into a huge retail outlet specialising in elecronics to buy a camera. They have just opened, so shop attendants are still standing around doing nothing, talking, joking with each [ READ MORE ]

Come and go with a smile. A pre-condition.

Has it happened to you too recently that you are in shop, restaurant or some other venue and you receive what I call ‘reluctant service‘? That service received from someone whose entire being clearly communicates: ‘I’d rather be at home on the couch in my pyjamas than talking to you, jackass.’ Not that there is anything [ READ MORE ]

Salesforce, Oracle Siebel, SAP CRM, Salesforce, it doesn’t matter

Countless CRM projects have completely missed their mark, and continue to do so. Organisations decide it's time to see over the way they deal with their customer and jump straight into software selection. They involve consultancy firms who claim to have built an understanding of 'CRM Industry best practise', and they start configuring right away. No CRM software can deliver benefit to the organisation or the customer if you do not first very clearly decide what you want. Do you want the smooth phone/CRM integration for managing customer interactions that Avaya/Siebel Oracle can provide you? Is integration with Outlook and other Microsoft products important for you and do you want an easy setup that Microsoft CRM Dynamics can give you? Are you after quick wins with SalesForce? What is the business case for your CRM investment? Can you afford on Premise, on Demand, customised or not? What does your business process in Marketing, Sales, Delivery and Service look like? Where does it work well, where does it not? What will you automate and what will remain manual? [ READ MORE ]

Customer Retention Tension

It's in our human nature to be drawn to the excitement of new things. Same thing applies to commerce. New customers and new orders from existing customers are the coolest of all things commercial. They rule. Most organisations when they talk CRM have fantasies of a business process architecture with supporting software and integration built to drive in more sales from new customers. The intention to make life better for existing customers is usually there as well, but always gets less focus. It's because the business case for investing in customer rentention is a fuzzy one[ READ MORE ]

CRM is not a fashion accessory, it’s elementary clothing.

CRM is not a fashion accessory, it’s elementary clothing. Don’t get caught naked on the high street shopping for a scarf is my advice to you. [ READ MORE ]

Ready for the double challenge of customersarecool? Continue reading.

This is exactly what CRM is all about. Getting your customer so satisfied that when it comes to your products and services, it’s like living on the beach. So there you have it, the double challenge. You need to find your customer very, very cool to be able to understand what makes him tick; what he desires. You need to then ensure that you satisfy this desire with such excellence that he becomes that cool customer on the beach. In the end, if you don’t find your customer cool, he most likely never will be. [ READ MORE ]

Subscribe

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner