What CRM Experts Say

By: Art Hall, President CRM Association Atlanta Chapter

Over the last five years, leveraging self-service to drive down costs and improve customer satisfaction has garnered a lot of attention from chief executives looking to optimize call center organizations. Providing quality customer service to quickly become both a competitive and comparative differentiator in the marketplace in which core product offerings are being commoditized is more important than ever before.

By: Scott Hornstein, Principal Hornstein Associates.

Can we all agree that there is something to what we call the customer "relationship," something that has a lot to do with revenue and profitability? Let me see a show of hands.

By relationship, I think we mean a connection between the marketer and the customer. Not the gooey-kind-of-relationship stuff, but a connection that is defined by, and measured by, the creation of a pattern of preferential repurchase.

By: Art Hall, President CRM Association Atlanta Chapter

Implementing a new CRM implies, almost by definition, changing the culture of the way business is done. This constitutes a unique challenge in government entities where standard processes and ways of doing business are cemented in place. Understanding the basis for the political and practical issues surrounding cultural change in government entities, can be critical to a successful CRM implementation.

Two areas that must be conquered in the quest for successful cultural change prior to CRM are as follows:

By: Scott Hornstein, Principal Hornstein Associates.

The doctor is in. And after an examination, we find the patient can only see things that are close and immediate. Long-term goals appear to be out of reach. There appears to be substantial room forimprovement.

The paradigms upon which our practice is based:Happier customers stay longer and buy more. Anyone disagree? Let me see a show of hands.

And the flipside: The number one reason a customer chooses to sever a relationship is dissatisfaction. Again, anyone disagree?

By: Scott Hornstein, Principal Hornstein Associates.

I don’t get it, but there seems to be a line of thinking that customer care is just about the call center. You know, the trolls who sit under the bridge—the lowest-paid employees who spend the most time with customers.

Each professional troll is trained, measured, and rewarded for delivering a process of customer care. Right? Just send me the reports.

As Dion once said about Sue: People, let me put you wise…

By: Scott Hornstein, Principal Hornstein Associates.

I have this simple notion that customer care is one of the most powerful competitive differentiators in thisflat world. If we create happier customers, they will stay longer and buy more. Theses patterns of preferential repurchase, and referral, increase the profitability and longevity of our businesses. One might call this a customer relationship and it is not what I generally experience as a customer of many companies.

By: Scott Hornstein, Principal Hornstein Associates.

I believe that customer care is the defining competitive differentiator of the future, beginning right now.

Let me take a step back. The world is absolutely flat. Everything appears on a two-dimensional screen. Touch, taste, and smell do not exist. Hearing is an elective. Options are endless. So what’s the point of comparison? Coupons and promotions may drive an immediate sale, but are written in disappearing ink. They create turnstile relationships. Experience is indelible. Customer care leverages the long-term.

By: Scott Hornstein, Principal Hornstein Associates.

Opt-in or opt-out. It’s as basic as it gets. Yes or no. Polar opposites. The choice is central to marketing strategy.

The question is, do you want your customers to say yes or no? Do you want them to say, “I understand and clearly want this value.” Or should they say, “Please stop, I can’t take it anymore!” It makes all the difference n the world.

We exist in an opt-out world. If the scales of justice are balancing opt-in versus opt-out, the opt-out side is way ower. I think marketing’s thumb is in play.

By: Scott Hornstein, Principal Hornstein Associates.

These are the times that try marketers’ souls. On the other hand, this is not the time to hide or be timid. It is the time to be effective, and to redeploy the majority of what’s left of your marketing budget into direct marketing for one very good reason: The strategy is, at its core, measurable and ROI-driven.

Here are some critical factors that can lead to direct marketing success. Each one is a powerful lever, and energy spent here will be highly rewarding.

By: Scott Hornstein, Principal Hornstein Associates.

These are the times of great gnashing of teeth and rending of garments. For many, the wolf is huffing and puffing at the door. The question of the moment is, “How do we increase sales and lower our cost today?” The answer is to look to your two greatest levers: database and accountability.