by Jim Berkowitz on August 31, 2010
Here is a synopsis of an interesting article by Lauren McKay about an Accenture report that reveals that while customer service investments in the two industries may be up, consumers remain less than thrilled with their experiences. Check out the complete source article for much more:
This game of finger-pointing has become all too commonplace in the high-tech and communications markets. The time is ripe, points out Joe Hughes, managing director of the customer service and support business with Accenture, for industry participants to step up and find a solution.
In Hughes’ latest research, he investigates customer service investments within the high-tech and communications industries and how — if at all — the increased spend is leading to increased customer loyalty.
Perhaps most surprising out of his findings, Hughes reports, is the statistic that 61 percent of communications and high-tech organizations say that they have been making investments to pump up customer service capabilities, while at the same time the majority (60 percent) of customers say they believe their service and support experience has declined with their current vendors. ”
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by Jim Berkowitz on August 25, 2010
Here is a synopsis of an excellent article by Jennifer Schiff, (@JenniferLSchiff), Vendors Reveal 10 of Their Top CRM Tips. Be sure to check out the complete source article for more on each of the following 10 tips:
eCRM Guide asked Salesforce.com, NetSuite and SugarCRM for their tips on what to look for when purchasing a CRM system, as well as advice on how to make sure employees actually use the system and get the most out of it. Here are their responses.
1. Keep in mind who will be using the CRM system and plan (and buy) accordingly. “Try to define your rationale for installing a system up front before you begin discussion with vendors,” suggested Scott Holden, director of product marketing at salesforce.com
2. Make sure your CRM software integrates with other key systems.
3. How will the CRM system handle critical customer data? When evaluating a CRM system, make sure to evaluate how the system is going to manage customer information.
4. Define objectives and set baselines before rolling out your CRM system.
5. Don’t skimp on training.
6. Choose which tools and features to implement with your sales force in mind.
7. Think big, but start small.
8. Customize wisely.
9. Don’t forget about incorporating social media leads.
10. Monitor progress — and setbacks.
by Jim Berkowitz on August 24, 2010
Here are several excerpts from an excellent article by Eran Savir, a VP with Kampyle, Making Customer Feedback Worthwhile: Moving Beyond Statistics to Actionable Data Collection. For much more on this topic, check out the complete source article:
The owner of a small corner store can easily communicate with customers in an actionable fashion.
Things are not so simple for online businesses. Virtual shops have long gathered analytics data in efforts to understand what customers want. In analyzing this data, many website owners have questioned its usefulness only because of the vast amount of data presented to them.
After all, understanding WHAT users do on your site is only half the journey; learn how to turn the WHAT into actionable information is the important step. While the numbers might reveal trends, they don’t deliver the authentic, immediate and actionable feedback so easily gathered via in-person communication.
In the online world, if you don’t ask customers for their feedback in a manner that makes it simple and worthwhile for them to respond, you won’t understand their actions and you won’t be able to take the kind of bold action that can lead to increased loyalty and sales…
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by Jim Berkowitz on August 23, 2010
by Jim Berkowitz on August 20, 2010
Here’s a synopsis of an excellent article by Yacov Wrocherinsky, Founder and CEO of Infinity Info Systems and Dave Newmark, CEO of Bid4Spots, Five Strategic Success Factors for Linking Customer-Focused Tools. Be sure to check out the complete source article for much more:
It wasn’t long ago that CRM solutions were limited to departmental silos such as customer service, sales, or marketing. As technology evolved, specifically in the areas of unified communications and data analytics, strategic companies quickly realized the benefits of applying those technologies to their CRM systems to effectively reach clients in more direct and customized ways.
As we’ve learned, linking CRM and unified communications (UC) brings together the various customer touch-points into one integrated system. This can help track customer interactions, decrease the time customers spend waiting in the call center queue, and create comprehensive customer profiles. While integrating CRM and UC is ideal for cultivating an existing customer base, adding search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities and analytics goes a step further by helping companies transform prospects into clients. More important, when applied appropriately, it can provide a real time, 360-degree view of the business.
There are five critical factors to consider when bringing these technologies together. When these factors are prioritized, CRM systems can deliver higher ROI on marketing campaigns that can be more accurately tracked and verified…
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