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| Should Your Company Abandon Phone Support? |
Don't bother calling Square. The rapidly growing mobile credit-card processing company has joined an increasing number of Silicon Valley–area tech firms, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and crowdsourced question-and-answer site Quora, in eliminating the phone as a customer support channel. But is abandoning the telephone for low-cost online channels the right move for your organization?
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[Full Article]
Apr-14-2013 |
| 3 Critical Steps to Avoid Social Media Meltdowns |
Someday, somewhere, somehow, every retailer will deliver a bad customer experience. Products disappoint, a customer service representative has a bad day, ordering snafus occur; it happens. But in today’s socially-connected world, one customer’s small disappointment can turn into a negative firestorm overnight. But waiting until a meltdown occurs is a mistake. Instead, listening and responding to customers when they first become frustrated prevents social media crises before they occur. With the robust voice-of-customer platforms available today, it’s easy to gather, analyze and respond to customer feedback – yet few retailers make VOC a cornerstone of their social programs.
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[Full Article]
Apr-14-2013 |
| CRM in the Age of the Customer |
We've entered a new era that Forrester calls the age of the customer. While companies have always, to a greater or lesser extent, called themselves "customer-centric," this is different. It is not about customer-centric thinking or taking the attitude that the customer is always right. Instead, the new power of customers means that a focus on the customer now matters more than any other strategic imperative. Competitive differentiation achieved through brand, manufacturing, distribution and IT are all now only table stakes. The only source of competitive advantage is the one that can survive technology-fueled disruption—an obsession with understanding, delighting, connecting with and serving customers. Effectively managing your company's relationships with those who buy and use your company's products and services has never been more important.
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[Full Article]
Apr-14-2013 |
| 5 Things That Kill CRM ROI Dead |
CRM is light years ahead of where it was a decade ago, but if it's no longer a money pit, that doesn't mean it's necessarily delivering the most bang for the buck either. Businesses can get better ROI from their CRM if they avoid some common mistakes: creating a siloed CRM system; letting sales and marketing squabble; ignoring reports; blasting messages on social media; and turning a deaf ear to customers.
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[Full Article]
Apr-14-2013 |
| The Dollars Are in the Details - and the Details Should Be in CRM |
It's OK for sales professionals to Always Be Closing, but they also want to Always Be Observing -- that is, constantly noticing things about prospects that can help personalize the relationship. Social media and social CRM are key resources for digging up details that can help clinch not just the first sale but the ones that come after.
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[Full Article]
Mar-10-2013 |
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