Learn how a knowledge application will increase the value of every customer interaction.

Fact: According to leading analysts, customer service has a greater impact on customer loyalty than sales and marketing

Fact: Today’s call center agents handle an increasingly diverse range of issues that affect nearly every aspect of a customer’s experience with a business

Fact: A recent study found that 9 times out of 10 call center representatives rarely, if ever, suggest appropriate new products and services

Ensure your call center agents have quick immediate access to the right sales and servicing information.

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Oracle to buy Siebel in deal worth $5.8 billion
Software maker Oracle said Monday it will acquire rival Siebel Systems in a deal worth around $5.8 billion, the second major acquisition for the company this year. Oracle executives said Monday the mega-deal is intended as a "major beachhead" against arch-rival SAP, which is the world's largest business-applications seller. Siebel specializes in customer relationship management (CRM) software. Oracle said the Siebel acquisition will add 4,000 customers and 3.4 million CRM users. Oracle will offer $10.66 for each share of Siebel stock, a nearly 17 percent premium over the company's $9.13 closing price Friday. The deal, subject to approval by Siebel shareholders and by regulators, is expected to close next year.
Source: CNET

3Com Delivers IP Contact Center Solution
3Com Corporation has announced that it is expanding its Convergence Applications Suite with the introduction of the new 3Com Internet Protocol (IP) Contact Center module. The 3Com IP Contact Center module is a feature-rich contact center application that routes customer contacts — phone, email, web and fax — to customer service agents located anywhere on the enterprise network. 3Com will license the 3Com IP Contact Center product from Nuasis Corporation. The 3Com IP Contact Center module is an IP-based application geared for medium and large enterprise customers. It is designed to improve customer service, increase agent productivity and lower contact center operating costs.

Surado Releases Surado CRM 5.0
Surado Solutions, a provider of CRM solutions for small to medium sized enterprises, has announced the release of Surado CRM 5.0. Surado CRM 5.0 includes many improvements, from an updated and more simplified user interface to the addition of powerful new functionality such as Interactive Workflow and integration with Microsoft Project Management—all value-adds to Surado CRM’s already rich feature set included in the core suite. Interactive Workflow functionality will help streamline and simplify processes, reduce training time, improve customer service and increase business flexibility.

UniPress Announces Next-Generation FootPrints Service Desk
UniPress Software Inc., a mid-market provider of web-based service desk automation software, has unveiled FootPrints 7.0, the next-generation version of its service desk product line and services. FootPrints offers a 100% web-based platform to automate help desk and customer support operations, as well as other business-critical processes. FootPrints 7.0 includes numerous enhancements, a new change management module, integration with sales automation components of leading CRM tools, and additional support with leading IT asset inventory solutions. All versions of FootPrints software — FootPrints, FootPrints for eService, the FootPrints Hosting Service, and FootPrints for Exchange — are now available in version 7.0.

CinemaNow Taps ForeSee Results
ForeSee Results has been engaged by CinemaNow, a provider of broadband video-on-demand services, to measure and manage online customer satisfaction. CinemaNow offers more than 4,000 movies, concerts, television shows and other downloadable content to members via its website. Using the proven, scientific methodology of the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) will help CinemaNow better understand who is coming to the site and what is driving satisfaction with their online experience. CinemaNow will also gain valuable insight into how current satisfaction ties to desired future behaviors, such as the likelihood of visitors to return to the site and recommend it to others.

Vertical Introduces MultiSite Reporter 2.0 for Retail
Vertical Communications (ASFT.OB), a provider of phone systems and voice applications that help businesses boost revenue, increase productivity and provide superior customer service, has announced MultiSite Reporter 2.0 (MSR), a business intelligence application that provides visibility into calling data to help retailers safeguard the customer experience and improve service and operations. MSR enables enterprises to measure the effectiveness of their call-handling infrastructure and the quality of customers' calling experience — across the network and for individual locations, departments and agents.

Analytical CRM Gaining Gravitas
A new report by independent market analyst Datamonitor reveals that analytical customer relationship management (aCRM) technology, considered the logical evolution of the CRM lifecycle, is being adopted by enterprises on a broader global scale. The report, “Analytical CRM,” forecasts global enterprise investment in aCRM will grow from an estimated $2.3b today to over $3b in 2009 spelling good news for those technology vendors that operate in this space. By employing aCRM (a subset of the wider business intelligence [BI] market), businesses stand to gain a fuller understanding of the customer in order to serve them better, thus increasing customer longevity and generating more profit.

aCRM is the active collection, concentration and analysis of data gathered about the customer and his interactions with the business. It represents the next logical step in this development path through utilization of customer data held within the enterprise. This analysis is then used to generate value, both for the enterprise and the enterprise’s customers. It encompasses cultural change at every level as part of the wider CRM project: the creation of a customer focused business.

Datamonitor considers there to be six key user groups in aCRM output:

• Power users: Usually the smallest group and by far the most advanced. They require the full flexibility BI tools can supply, and often provide other areas of the business with information from their own analysis.

• Senior Executives: Interest in aCRM is often limited to dashboards detailing performance against key performance indicators (KPIs). The breadth of this information, however, can be significant, with executives across different parts of the business having different priorities. While appearing simple, often the technology behind the dashboard is complex.

• Marketing organizations: One of the larger groups and potentially one of the most advanced. They are in a position to become advanced users of aCRM, a process only just getting under way in most adopting businesses.

• Sales organizations: A potentially significant user group. Their needs are often found in the output of other area’s analysis. For example, the use of leads generated through marketing campaigns, timely information delivery, especially during closing periods when targets are either hit, or missed.

• Customer-facing organizations: Predominately the call center, but also retail environments. These users are dependent on timely and accurate delivery of information relating to the customers they are dealing with.

• Customers: Offering customers intelligence about the way they use products purchased from that company can be a competitive differentiator. Simple, pre-defined queries and easy to understand delivery is key.

More...

Most Sales Compensation Management Systems Are Homegrown
A series of online, "blind" surveys conducted by Centive found that 91 percent of organizations polled believe that sales compensation systems should be a strategic tool used to affect behavior and drive sales performance. However, 84 percent rely on "homegrown" systems to automate this key function and 67 percent believe those systems did little to drive sales performance due to lack of real-time performance analysis and perceived accuracy issues. Fifty-six percent believed their existing solutions do not allow for accurate and on-time commission payments.

Survey respondents identified the top "pain points" in their sales compensation management systems as:

• Lack of visibility into real-time sales rep performance metrics.
• Time it takes to roll-out new plans or modify existing plans.
• Lack of automation/too many manual processes.
• Lost sales focus/too much time dealing with sales reps complaining about commission payment errors.
• Accuracy in commission payments (26%).
• Sarbanes-Oxley compliance issues/manual process, no audit tracking, etc. (5%).

More...

Enterprise CRM Buyers Dissatisfied
The CRM market is rife with dissatisfied customers who are betting millions of dollars on products and services that do not fully satisfy their needs. Approximately $13 billion will be spent on CRM initiatives worldwide in 2005, according to Forrester Research.

Enterprise buyers must think carefully about the vendor partner they choose and understand the long-term commitment of these decisions. Over the next year, companies will spend an estimated $3.2 billion on CRM license costs alone. In addition, they will incur costs involving hardware purchases, software integration, maintenance, and the administrative expenses for managing new IT assets, says Forrester.

The study finds that buyers are dissatisfied with CRM investments on multiple levels and are demanding easier integration, faster return on investments, and better support from vendors. A survey of 94 business and IT executives found that:

• Only 29 percent of executives surveyed are satisfied with how easily CRM applications integrate with existing data applications and sources.

• Just 34 percent are happy with how easy it is to work with CRM software vendors after they have purchased applications and services.

• Less than 50 percent of buyers are fully satisfied that the business benefits achieved meet their expectations.

More...

The Quest for Shiny New Customers
There often is conflict between businesses wanting to attract new customers vs. serving the customers they already have. It is typical for companies to measure projected growth by the number of new customers needed to generate a certain amount of gross revenue. Companies can relatively easily figure the cost to acquire new customers as well as determine the expected revenue per customer. And therein lies the conflict. It can appear easier to generate new revenue in the short term by acquiring new customers, while it can take more effort and resource to satisfy existing customers.
Full Article...

A New Kind of Middleman
In many ways, Terry Noone’s world is a small one, revolving around a few square blocks on Chicago’s North Side. The 54-year-old entrepreneur is founder and CEO of Capacitor Industries, which imports low-cost electronic components from China and sells them to motor makers and other manufacturers in the U.S. and, increasingly, abroad. But Noone’s outlook couldn’t be more global. His basic business model—buy cheap overseas, sell at a profit here—was revolutionary in 1990 when he founded his company. But these days, middlemen like him are a dime a dozen. So his business model has had to evolve. Increasingly, he has learned, every business is a service business.
Full Article...

Marketing to Your Service Partners
One customer to consider when marketing your help desk is your peers (service partners) frequently referred to as second and third level support. The single-point-of-contact support model places the help desk at the hub of the entire support organization—the most important position because it relates to keeping company employees productive. The single-point-of-contact describes the relationship of the help desk to its customers and to the other groups and departments who contribute to the service delivery. These "service partners" should not be overlooked as you proceed with your marketing efforts.
Full Article...

Knowing Customers More Crucial Than Ever
There's a huge opportunity developing for advertising and marketing agencies to go beyond the point of sale. In the past, this was where the work of advertisers stopped. Direct marketing companies could communicate with established customers, but it was expensive. With interactive technologies, this has changed.
Full Article...

A Systematic Approach to Enhancing Reputation
Effective reputation management is important for any company, but it is especially valuable for professional services firms, since these companies do not provide tangible output that customers can hold, admire, and share. In fact, building and maintaining a solid reputation through marketing activities such as thought leadership, public relations, reference management, and educational seminars should be the cornerstone of professional services marketing—not more tactical lead-generation programs or simple sales support. Marketers who understand how to systematically build reputation into the center of a company's business approach will realize increased revenue, higher margins, and reduced costs.
Full Article...

Harvard Business Review on Customer Relationship Management
Published by Harvard Business School Press

This collection of cutting-edge articles will help organizations understand how to build customer loyalty through unique relationship-building strategies such as partnerships, branding, and superlative customer service.

For more information, or to order your copy...

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2005 Trends and Directions in Web-Based Support White Paper
While there’s a wealth of rich, increasingly comprehensive technologies available enabling businesses to drive toward true service and support optimization, the decision to deploy and across what channels should depend on a strategy based on clearly defined goals. Learn more. Read the full white paper!

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