tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19245632664139593202024-03-13T08:39:02.579+08:00Customer Management SystemCustomer management system. Do you have lots of customer complaints? Do you have strategies for customer retention? Do you take time to plan your customer management system? Browse the site for all your customer management needs.bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-51141250973771828772010-09-29T21:23:00.000+08:002010-09-29T21:23:00.577+08:00How Important is Client Relationship Management to Your Business?<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><h1 class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">How Important is Client Relationship Management to Your Business?</h1><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_D._Lloyd" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">John D. Lloyd</a></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Client Relationship Management commonly known as CRM is not just a technology but rather a comprehensive, customer-centric approach to an organization's philosophy of dealing with its clients. CRM is a combination of policies, processes, and strategies implemented by an organization to enhance its customer interactions and provide a means to track customer information. It involves the use of technology in attracting prospective clients, while strengthening bonds with existing ones.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">CRM is a combination of a qualitative approach - (human interaction) and a quantitative approach - (software application), and plays an intricate role in marketing plan development.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">A look at the qualitative approach:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">• 80:20 rule - The top 20% of an organization's clients should have a customized CRM approach.<br />
• Relationship strategy - Determine what client opportunities you should pursue.<br />
• Client leadership - Become a trusted advisor to the client and a recognized thought leader within the client organization.<br />
• Ambassadorship - Represent the entire firm's capabilities, not just your area of expertise.<br />
• Quality Assurance - Ensure high quality work at all times! Managing: pricing, contracting, negotiating and ensuring firm profit standards are being met.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">A look at the quantitative approach - (the use of CRM software applications):</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">• Operational CRM: Operational CRM processes customer data for a variety of purposes - (eg. managing campaigns, enterprise marketing automation, sales force automation, sales management system).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">• Analytical CRM: Analytical CRM analyzes customer data for a variety of purposes - (eg. designing and executing campaigns, analyzing customer behavior and creating a management information system).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">• Sales Intelligence CRM: Sales Intelligence CRM is a direct sales tool - (eg. cross-selling / up-selling, sales performance, customer trends and customer margins).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">• Social CRM: The integration of social media platforms - (eg. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc.) into the CRM system application. *Note: OPC recommends "Social CRM" should be monitored for real-time marketplace feedback and trends.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The objectives of a CRM strategy must consider a company's mission, vision and its values. Information gained through CRM initiatives can support the development of the marketing plan strategy and ultimately increase the organization's knowledge in areas such as: (customer segmenting, customer retention and improve product/service offerings).</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">For more information go to: <a href="http://www.onpointcoachingservices.com/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://www.onpointcoachingservices.com</a></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_D._Lloyd" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_D._Lloyd</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-21367413394122494542010-09-25T21:19:00.000+08:002010-09-25T21:19:00.209+08:00The Three Legs of Customer Relationship Management Systems<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><h1 class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">The Three Legs of Customer Relationship Management Systems</h1><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Oliver_Stewart" id="togglebio" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Oliver Stewart</a> <img alt="Platinum Quality Author" class="sprite s_platinum_star" src="http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/trans.gif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/ea-main.gif?v20100623); background-origin: initial; background-position: -266px -97px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; height: 10px; width: 10px;" title="Platinum Author" /></div><div class="copyright margin-top" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><br />
</b></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">An effective customer relationship management system should be entrenched in every business and driven downward through the organization from CEO to receptionist.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Client retention and customer satisfaction are just buzzwords to many employees who do not value the customer. If the typical employee is not continually managed and trained to be customer focused, your company could be losing customers and revenue.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Having a CRM system revolves around three areas of your business:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">1. People - If your people do not buy into the fact that clients are the critical lifeblood to your business and treat them with little respect, they will not be customers very long. Training programs centered around customer care should be part of every business. Long term success is dependent upon your people and their effectiveness in resolving issues and managing irate customers.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">2. Process - Established processes and procedures in escalating customer issues to resolution is key to client satisfaction. Effective communication during and after the issue is resolved is crucial to ensuring the customer is given the opportunity to provide feedback and help the organization continually benchmark their performance.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">3. Tools - Technology can streamline your processes and give your employees a way to efficiently resolve issues and find information in a timely manner. Skimping on the tools will the other 2 areas to struggle.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Upper management needs to support the fact that customer care is not a liability but a crucial part of the business. Without their support in addressing the three legs of the <em><u>Customer relationship management system</u></em>, the company will falter in their attempt to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and retention.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://gravitygarden.com/build-customer-loyalty/customer-relationship-jobs.html" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">CRM systems</a> are more than tools, you need proper process and training of employees to be effective. Find out more at<a href="http://gravitygarden.com/build-customer-loyalty/index.html" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://gravitygarden.com/build-customer-loyalty/index.html</a>.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Oliver_Stewart" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Oliver_Stewart</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-65616744034257490882010-09-21T21:17:00.000+08:002010-09-21T21:17:00.665+08:00Simple Customer Management Techniques to Avoid Problems Through Your Point of Sale<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><h1 class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">Simple Customer Management Techniques to Avoid Problems Through Your Point of Sale</h1><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Darren_Templar" id="togglebio" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Darren Templar</a></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">What are some of the reason customers become dissatisfied and how can you use your point of sale system to avoid this?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">We all know that some customers are just trouble no matter how hard you work to please them. However these type of people represent the minority, so we will not focus any time on these types of customers. The question we need to ask though is what turns a normally happy customers in to a disgruntled customer and then when we understand this what steps can we take to avoid these. Also as this is a blog focused towards the retail and point of sale topic, how can we use our point of sale system to help minimise these issues.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">As retailers we need to be aware that a customer who has a good experience may tell 1 or 2 people, a customer who has a bad experience will tell 8 to 10. For this reason we need to all that we can to minimise bad customer experiences through utilising our point of sale database.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The first point to think through is times when we have become unhappy with the service provided by a retailer. When you think about retail sales the issues all revolve around either the quality of the product or the suitability of the product to meet the requirements of the customer.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">First of all if we first assume that the quality of the product is fine an issue can arise if your staff recommend a product to a customer which does not meet the needs of the customer. For example a customer is going camping and is looking at sleeping bags. Now it is important that the retail staff in this situation find out from the customer their budget and the climatic conditions they plan to camp in. This information is either available via brochures or as a minimum needs to be accessible in your point of sale system so that your staff can advise the customer. Now if your staff advise the customer to purchase a sleeping back rate for 5+ degrees Celsius and they go camping and it gets to -2 then the customer is likely to be very unhappy with your business. The problem is not with the product but it is with the non suitability of your product for what the customer needs. Also now because the customer has had a sleepless night, shivering in the cold they will be very unhappy and will come in seeking a refund. This situation could have been avoided if your staff received the appropriate training and also knew how to access the information in your point of sale system on the product. In some cases the product information is not available to your staff, so you as a business owner need to ensure you get this information in to your point of sale systems which should have support for an extended description.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Lets now deal with the second scenario when you have a defective product. Despite the best quality control provisions sometimes a product is faulty and so we need to make the process of a customer return as painless as possible for the customer while ensuring we have policies in place to protect the business from abusing our processors. First of all you need to have a clear policy for the return of goods that makes the process straight forward for the customer to understand. You also need to be aware that this policy cannot remove the customers basic rights under common law and the laws of your state. The next step is that you need to be able to track the customer return in your <a href="http://www.pbsapos.com.au/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">point of sale</a>system including the follow on supplier return. This ensures that the customer cannot ask for more refunds than they are due and that you ensure you get a replacement from the supplier. So many retail businesses are very disorganised in the area of the supplier return which affects their profitability. Another important function is your point of sale supports this functionality is to record notes in the original sale or at least the sales return on the reasons for the return and any other details that will help in the management of your customers. Another very helpful feature I have seen in some point of sale systems is an event log where you can record the the details of all communication in the customer management centre. The number of times having this log of communication can resolve a customer issues is amazing. A customer is complaining and you are able to go and read back to the customer all the steps that have been followed and what the customer has agreed to on a previous occasion soon reminds the customer who has forgotten what has happened in the past or is just being difficult.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Another method where your point of sale system can help avoid problems and help you provide better service is in the area of the customer profile. If you can quickly view purchase history and attribute on the customers interests this can help your staff be more aware of the customers requirements. It also is nice for the customer to get the impression that you know about them and are interested in what they are interested in. This is achieved in your point of sale by having tools to quickly view customer history and to be able to record attributes about the customer in their customer management area.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">I hope you have been encouraged to review your point of sale system and think about how you can better use is as a tool to manage your moments of truth with a customer. A moment of truth is how well your business as in your staff deal with every interaction with a customers. The better your systems and the way you use your systems such as your point of sale system the better you manage these moments of truth and the more your business will grow.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Darren regularly addresses small and medium business in the areas of how to boost sales, target market your customers, provide better customers service and the keys to effectively implement and utilise point of sale systems (POS) systems. For more details read Darren's articles or go to <a href="http://www.pbsapos.com.au/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://www.pbsapos.com.au</a></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Darren_Templar" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Templar</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-1437983301396449672010-09-17T21:16:00.000+08:002010-09-17T21:16:00.494+08:00Customer Management System - Keeping the Customer Satisfied<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><h1 class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">Keeping the Customer Satisfied</h1><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bob_Little" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Bob Little</a></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Over 40 years ago, the singing duo Simon & Garfunkel offered their audiences an insight into the mysteries of customer satisfaction in their song 'Keep the customer satisfied' - including the lyric:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">It's the same old story everywhere I go,<br />
I get slandered, libelled,<br />
I hear words I never heard in the Bible...<br />
Just trying to keep my customers satisfied, satisfied...</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">According to Simon & Garfunkel, keeping your customers satisfied can be a thankless - even impossible - task. There is no doubt that 'customer satisfaction' is highly subjective but, according to Simon Rustom of customer management specialists Customer Consulting Ltd (CCL), it can be understood as a function of both expectations and perceptions. In essence, Rustom's view is encapsulated in the formula that: Customer Satisfaction equals Perceived Delivery divided by Expectations.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Rustom believes that expectations are shaped by customers' needs, their experience with other providers and their previous experience of your service. They are also shaped by marketing strategies, including branding and advertising, as well as by other communications.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">He added that perceptions are the outcome of a customer's whole experience. This includes a complex mix of emotional and rational, conscious and unconscious aspects. This mix can be seen as a function of the delivery of the core service, the information provided in relation to this and the contact they have with people - both staff and other customers - during the experience.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">"When there is a failure or disruption of service delivery, the customer's experience will be shaped - and either positively mitigated or negatively accentuated - by the customer's interaction with staff," he continued.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">"When staff side with customers and blame their company in response to a delivery failure, the customer may end up with a positive perception of the staff but a worse perception of the company - which they will now blame entirely for the delivery failure."</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Rustom and his colleagues at CCL focus on helping organisations - such as Aviva, BUPA, South West Trains and Orange - to optimise their return on investment in customer management. As part of this, they work with contact centres and customer-orientated information and technology.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">CCL aims to demonstrate that a best practice approach to customer management delivers sustainable business growth - and ensuring that customer satisfaction levels remain high plays a large part in this.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"><em>Rustom commented: "</em>As a specialist customer and change management company<em>, we aim to deliver a combination of insight, intellect, wisdom and pragmatism - combined with a real understanding of people - to achieve commercial results that are beyond the norm.</em> Using a joint project team approach, CCL offers advice and support to help companies develop and implement customer strategies that produce results."</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">When it comes to developing an effective customer contact strategy, CCL stresses the need to look at:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· The different dimensions of customer contact: where it takes place and its roles within different situations from a customer viewpoint,<br />
· The impact of customer contact in terms of customers' experiences and how these translate into customer behaviours - such as recommendation to others and increasing consumption of the organisation's products and services - and how these affect the organisation's accounts and balance sheet, and<br />
· Customer contact measures, as provided by the US-based customer experience agency TARP, and the Total Performance Scorecard (TPS) which is allied to Learn Six Sigma concepts.<br />
The usual measures of customer satisfaction involve a survey with a set of statements using a Likert Technique or scale. The customer is asked to evaluate each statement and in term of their perception and expectation of performance of the organisation being measured.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">"We have developed some spreadsheet business models to assess how customers' experiences and subsequent behaviours affect an organisation's financial position," said Rustom. "Our key message to our clients is that there is an opportunity to take a more proactive view of the role of customer contact and link targeted improvements to the impact on the bottom line.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">"The key to achieving customer focus is to create alignment between the brand, the customers and the people in the organisation," he explained. "Ideally, an organisation's brand values are reflected in the organisational culture and the service experienced by its customers."</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">When it comes to identifying the elements needed in order to be a customer orientated organisation delivering continuous customer satisfaction improvement (CSI), Rustom believes that there are eight levels on which CSI needs to take place:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">· Corporate strategy - establishing vision and direction: a commitment to customers<br />
· Customer management and customer service strategy - thinking strategically about customers<br />
· Business rationale for investment in customers - appropriate investment in customers<br />
· Customer metrics included in a performance management system - establishing and managing customer targets and measures<br />
· Group/ Division/ Company structure for co-ordinated CSI - co-ordinating the strategy across the enterprise so that it becomes more than the sum of its parts<br />
· Customer information systems and contact processes - changing customers' perception of performance<br />
· People initiatives and programmes - aligning staff's attitudes with the brand, via culture change, skills and attitude training<br />
· Project management and implementation - making the strategy reality through effective implementation</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">"An unprecedented shift of power to the customer in recent years means that, to remain competitive, organisations need to optimise value from a range of interrelated 'customer management' disciplines: customer insight, value propositions, customer service, customer experience, relationship management, channel integration and so on," said Rustom. "Both piecemeal and technology-led approaches have not delivered value in this area.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Strategic, organisational and operational elements - involving people, process and technology - need to be aligned within a long term plan if organisations are to optimise success in keeping their customers satisfied."</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Bob Little is Senior Partner at Bob Little Press & PR (<a href="http://www.boblittlepr.com/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://www.boblittlepr.com</a>), a UK-based business-to-business public relations consultancy which tells the truth as you want it told. He specialises in helping organisations - principally from the private, public and charity sectors - to tell their story to the people who need to hear it.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Currently, Bob writes for a number of publications and websites - including CheckPoint eLearning in Germany and eLearning magazine in the USA - and has chaired international conferences (on the subject of learning technologies) in the UK as well as in Sydney, Australia.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bob_Little" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Little</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-49726932694878252612010-09-13T21:14:00.000+08:002010-09-13T21:14:00.499+08:00What is the Best Online Customer Contact Management Software?<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><h1 class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">What is the Best Online Customer Contact Management Software?</h1><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brent_Silveria" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Brent Silveria</a></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Successful small business owners understand how many facets of their business need to be managed on any given day. The balance of time, resources and workload becomes more complex the faster the business grows and the more customers the business gets. Many small business owners or managers in small businesses are curious about switching to an online customer contact management system. The most important reason to upgrade from a mixture of spread sheet files, email software and half a dozen other things to an all in one solution, is that it will not only save the business valuable time, but maximize the opportunities to close more sales.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Choosing the right on-line customer contact management software can be confusing, fortunately some offer free trial periods wherein small business users can see how easy the software is to use, if it has the features that best fit a small business user and learn how much insight they can get into their existing customers. The most important factor that small business owners find is whether the software was actually designed with an understanding of small business needs or was the software actually built for large enterprise organizations and simply marketed to small business for the software provider to earn money from this growing market.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Questions to consider when using a free trial:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Does the software let you import your customer information from the current products you use such as Microsoft Outlook or Microsoft Excel?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The software should provide for importing of .cvs and .xls files so that bringing your existing information can be done in minutes not days of data entry. If the package was not designed for small business but for large corporations you may find that it requires that extra services are charged for or that additional "plug-in" software needs to be purchased. These hidden costs will quickly make the solution un-affordable for the typical business of fewer than fifty employees.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Does the software take advantage of the latest web technologies or does it force you to constantly switch full pages of information to see what you need to see about a customer?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Web based software has come a long way in the last five years since the first online CRM software came to market. Larger corporate based solutions may add features but they can not take full advantage of the latest web programming techniques because they simply can not change software that large companies have invested so many training dollars into.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The latest software solutions can be reached online from any computer or mobile device and feel exactly like they are on a desktop or laptop computer. The advantage of this is that multiple windows can be viewed comparing information, different types of information can be switched between without waiting for screen redraws and much more. Seeing one of these solutions in action compared to a five or ten year old web-based product provides dynamic proof of limiting older technology can be.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">How much software does the company need?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Web-based customer contact management software can be scalable and based on the individual company need. In this way the financial commitment to a program is kept very affordable and within the budget of most small business users. Some solutions require no long term contract or commitment to the number of users, contacts etc. that you pay for. Watch out for hidden fees for storage or additional features that the business can live without because they are aimed at large sales force management with a heavy emphasis on executive reports and employee monitoring.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The best fit for a small business is usually software that provides customer contact tools focused on closing sales not on analyzing years of performance or providing the best impression to your board of directors. Many older customer contact management solutions focus a great deal on interrupting the sales process for sales people in order to provide the greatest amount of analysis of the sales persons activities and time. In a small business the result of this is that sales people become frustrated with the software and simply avoid the software you provide them during the actual sales process.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">There are many customer contact management software products on the market. Take advantage of free trial periods to learn about the products and see how fast the company can adapt to the user interface of the solution. Remember that the most popular solutions or longest established products may not be the best fit for small business and may in fact not take advantage of the latest technologies for speed, flexibility and shear customer management power.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Resilient Labs, Inc. revolutionizes the way businesses communicate, gather, manage, interact and present information by pushing the boundaries of the digital universe. We care deeply about the products we design and build for our customers. We strive to provide web-based software that will leverage the latest technologies to help small businesses and start ups achieve their dreams. Quality, clarity, attention to detail, and usefulness are at the root of everything we do. <a href="http://www.performancedesk.com/grow.asp" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://www.performancedesk.com/grow.asp</a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Brent Silveria is the co-founder and President of Resilient Labs, Inc. Brent believes that usability is the key behind any successful software.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Brent has a long track record of expertise in providing design and product marketing experience with large companies and start-ups specializing in growing new businesses and entering emerging markets.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Combined with a solid background in sales management and business, he has worked with companies such as Roxio, PBS, The Grammy Awards, Warner Bros. Animation, Apple Computer, and more.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Brent has spoken around the world on the subjects of home entertainment and productivity software.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brent_Silveria" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brent_Silveria</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-38714848055051849242010-09-09T21:13:00.000+08:002010-09-09T21:13:00.178+08:00Customer Management System - Enhancing Customer Loyalty With a Customer Relationship Management System<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><h1 class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">Enhancing Customer Loyalty With a Customer Relationship Management System</h1><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_Kypros" id="togglebio" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Michael Kypros</a> <img alt="Platinum Quality Author" class="sprite s_platinum_star" src="http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/trans.gif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/ea-main.gif?v20100623); background-origin: initial; background-position: -266px -97px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; height: 10px; width: 10px;" title="Platinum Author" /></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">One of the best ways to boost customer loyalty is by making them a larger part of the business exchange. By giving each customer the kind of attention that they deserve via a customer relationship management (CRM) system, an average customer can be turned into a loyal one who will keep coming back for more service. In today's marketplace, the advantages of having a CRM far outweigh the cost for setup and management.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">CRMs have become an increasingly powerful tool for organizations with big sales teams that need to exchange information about leads, clients, and communications. There is nothing more frustrating for a sales team than not being informed about who contacted which organization for a sales call, follow-up, or even an introduction. If a potential customer has to keep repeating a request to each person who takes his or her call, it can ultimately lead to that customer walking away and finding a new company to give their business to. CRMs increase the satisfaction level of both clients and sales persons by creating an efficient, up-to-date, and easily accessible medium for business exchange.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The more information your sales team has available about your current and potential customers the better. And there is no better way to do that in today's marketplace than through a CRM system. You will be able to track not only the nature of a potential client's communication, but it will also help with existing customers. A sales force that is in the know with regard to a customer's prior needs will give the customer the peace of mind to know that he or she is being taken care of. Every customer likes to think that he or she is unique and in fact they are. With<a href="http://www.karmacrm.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">CRM solution software</a>, you can communicate with them as though one person has been working with the customer since the very beginning.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Building brand loyalty is important to remaining competitive and viable in any industry, and CRM makes it easier to make that a possibility. However, there are many CRM software applications available to small businesses. It is important that you choose the right software to fit your company's needs. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the functionality of the software first before building lists or adding content. Customizing your software in the initial stages will assure that you will have less hassle down the road. You should expect your CRM software application to grow with your organization, so make sure to pick one that has staying power.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Karma CRM is web based <a href="http://www.karmacrm.com/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">small business CRM software</a> that provides you with a simple way to streamline all of your sales contacts and tasks. It aims to keep your daily sales routine simple yet provides powerful functionality at the same time. Click on the link above to sign up for a free account.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_Kypros" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Kypros</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-16584379624873649782010-09-05T21:08:00.000+08:002010-09-05T21:08:00.527+08:00Customer Management System - Getting Clients - Customer Loyalty Goes Way Beyond How Likely Are You?<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><h1 class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">Getting Clients - Customer Loyalty Goes Way Beyond How Likely Are You?</h1><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Leanne_Hoagland-Smith" id="togglebio" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Leanne Hoagland-Smith</a> <img alt="Platinum Quality Author" class="sprite s_platinum_star" src="http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/trans.gif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/ea-main.gif?v20100623); background-origin: initial; background-position: -266px -97px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; height: 10px; width: 10px;" title="Platinum Author" /></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Determining customer loyalty for many is to have current customers answer this question: How likely are you to refer a friend or family member on a scale of one to ten. (The scale is one being not likely to ten being very likely.) Source: <u>The Ultimate Question</u> by Fred Reichheld.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">This rating scale leaves out one important element that being the action of "Have you actually referred anyone?" For it is repeat business and new customers that increase sales and growth. Without finding out if an existing patron actually made a referral, the how likely is now reduced to "so what!"</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Recently Brand Keyes (the only consulting firm specializing in customer loyalty) revealed that Dunkin' Donuts is number one in loyal customers for the fourth straight year. This customer loyalty report accurately discerns what products buyers are most likely to buy during the next 12 to 18 months. In other words, this report is all about actions and not just thinking. Within the category of coffee, the criteria included:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"></div><ul><li style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Meeting needs</li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Taste Expectations</li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Quality</li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Service</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Go into any Dunkin' Donuts and you will consistently have excellent fresh brewed coffee not too strong nor too weak, but just right and it will meet your taste expectations. Regardless of where you are, you can depend on receiving the same quality, taste and service. I personally recommend several local franchises to business colleagues, friends and family.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">What business people must remember is that nothing happens until action is taken. Sure your clients may rate your business as an 8 to 10, but how do you know they actually talked to anyone. This is why the resurgence of loyalty programs have emerged from J.C. Penney to the many others.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">For example a local coffee shop, Cafe Divine in Northwest Indiana, is rewarding those customers who take action by spreading the news about this unique coffee shop. Management tracks the return of special coupons by the name of the individual who passed the coupon along. Customer loyalty is taken from a thought to a physical action leading to increase sales and traffic.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Bottom line is if you wish to increase sales then begin tracking the activities of your repeat patrons. Use incentive programs or reward programs to encourage them to come back time after time. They will quickly spread the word (this saves big bucks in marketing dollars) provided you do your part in staying competitive, providing added value and demonstrating high quality through exceptional service.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">What other areas of customer service do you need to think about? This free audit looks to how you can build <a href="http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">customer loyalty</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Subscribe to this free monthly newsletter that speaks to many <a href="http://www.processspecialist.com/power-choices.htm" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">business challenges</a>.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Leanne_Hoagland-Smith" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leanne_Hoagland-Smith</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-58401540434426141612010-09-02T21:06:00.001+08:002010-09-02T21:08:44.216+08:00How to Drive the Right Customer Management System<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><h1 class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">How to Drive the Right Customer Management System</h1><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Syed_Ali" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Syed Ali</a></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">As companies battle to win new customers and keep current ones where customer loyalty is fleeting at best, the demand for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions is at an all-time high. With all of the available solutions, companies wanting to leverage their sales and marketing strategies, strengthen their workforce, and utilize the best tools available are forced to make a CRM software choice. The problem is: Which choice is the right one?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The right CRM solution can raise an organization's visibility and place them far out in front of their competitors. The wrong choice can set them back thousands of dollars and cause them to lose the ground that they fought so hard to win.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">As strange as it may seem, a successful CRM implementation is based more on the "right company" than it is on the "right software". In fact, a successful implementation and a healthy ROI (Return on Investment) depends 80% upon the company evaluating and using the system and 20% on the software itself.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Let's use the analogy of a car and a driver to illustrate my point. Driving any car from point "A" to point "B" is more dependent upon your driving skills than anything else. However, choosing the right car for the long term will determine how happy you are driving that car and how long you keep it before trading it in for a new one.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">You would be naive to purchase a car without first considering how many miles you drive per year, what type of terrain you drive on, how much city and highway driving you do, and what accessories and features you need to make you comfortable and happy.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The same principle applies when you're in the market for CRM software. If you search the Internet using the term "CRM Software" you'll no doubt finds tens of companies each proclaiming their product to be your best choice.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Your next logical step would seem to be comparing the features of each product and then arranging to speak with the representatives for the products on your short list. That might seem to be your next logical step, but it would be a bad move and an utter waste of your time.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Long before you even begin your search, you have to determine your CRM software requirements. What interaction takes place between customers and salespeople? What is your lead tracking strategy? How to you attract new customers and retain existing ones? How to manage a long Sales Cycles or Projects? How to maintain the Sales funnel? The answers to these questions and others are what determine the features that your CRM solution must possess.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Translating Requirements into Features - Needs</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Yes, a CRM package can make a real difference in your profitability, but that won't happen unless the package you choose meets most of your needs. For some companies the required solution can be as simple as a central database that stores all customer information in one place and provides the ability to share customer notes, history and email among all users. These companies don't really need to perform an in-depth requirements study because they are only looking for a starter system.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Other companies that are looking to not only to centralize their customer data but to ramp up their sales and marketing process, lead generation, sales pipeline management and, to some extent, automate their sales work flow, have a bigger task in front of them before they start reviewing CRM solutions.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">So the first question you must answer is this: Do you need a compact car to simply go back and forth to work and drop your kids off at school, or do you need a family car with plenty of cargo space and seating capacity to handle both your current needs and accommodate future family growth?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">How to begin the evaluation process</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">First look inside your organization to see if you have any human resources who have been through the CRM selection process with a previous employer. There's nothing better than tapping the experience of someone who not only has "been there, done that", but who also has experience with your company and knows how things get done.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">It's almost always beneficial to combine a seasoned CRM consulting company who has no special ties to any particular CRM solution and who has a track record of working with companies in situation like yours. That way you can be sure that the recommended solutions be unbiased.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Taking a Skills Inventory</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Even the best CRM solution in the world will fail if the organization does not have staff with the skills to operate it. Anyone can get behind the wheel of a racecar, but it takes a skilled driver to compete in a race.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">If a company's needs extend beyond the very basic contact management, and they fail to assess their organization's collective skill level, the chances are good that they'll end up with a failed implementation.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Sure, you can scale back on the complexity with some customization and fine-tuning, but you can't loose sight of the need to end up with a system that remains functional and responsive to your needs and objectives.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Vendor training addresses the specific skills of operating the software, but your salespeople and CSR staff still need to possess a degree of basic computer skills in order to understand how to apply that.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Best practices dictate that you involve all stakeholders in the CRM solution vetting process before you sign a contract and accept delivery. Not only does this strategy ensure that all staff members are comfortable with moving to a formal CRM system, but it goes a long way towards getting them emotionally on-board by creating a sense of ownership in the project as well as educating them about the benefits of the proposed system and how it will make their job easier and potentially more profitable.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Finally, users who possess the right skills are the ones who enter the data most accurately and that is often reflected at a later stage when a company pulls meaningful reports from a CRM system.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Determining Your CRM Budget</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Now here comes the million-dollar question: How much should you spend on a CRM solution? The right answer is: As much as it takes to procure and implement the optimum solution for your company and not one penny more.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Unfortunately, no CRM solution provider can tell you if their CRM package is worth the price to you. You could buy the most expensive system there is and receive no value in return. I recall selling a system to a small company (5 users) for close to $3000 with software, training and installation etc. The first thing the client did was to execute an email marketing campaign to existing customers who placed over $7,500 worth of orders in the first week. That's a pretty good ROI from a system that cost less than 3k!</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Not too long after that, with proper training and understanding of the system's capabilities, the CEO of that company was generating reports and tracking information on new leads, follow ups and managing the sales pipeline of his company. Within a month he was able to stop leads from falling through the cracks and customer follow-up increased dramatically. In short the system paid for itself over and over again within the first month.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">On the other hand, I have witnessed companies that keep investing thousands of dollars on CRM initiatives without any clear objectives and no methodology to test the ROI. In the end, all they really have is a giant 'electronic Rolodex', which leaves them wondering why they ever got involved in CRM technology in the first place.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">So, if you're planning on implementing a CRM solution for your organization, follow the tips and suggestions in this article and you will be on the road to driving the right CRM system.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">* Copyright reserved</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">About the Author: Syed Ali, is the lead CRM consultant for a Toronto based company, CyberQuest Solutions Inc. He has extensive experience in dealing with over 300 companies looking for a CRM solution within Canada and U.S. Syed also holds postgraduate qualification in Information Technology and has solid background in Business Analysis and Systems Integrations. His company CyberQuest Solutions offers CRM solutions by <a href="http://www.cqsolutions.com/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">GoldMine, ACT! and Online CRM Software</a>. Syed can be reached at Tel: (905) 815- 1995 ext 22, email:<a href="mailto:asyed@cqsolutions.com" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">asyed@cqsolutions.com</a>, web: <a href="http://www.cqsolutions.com/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://www.cqsolutions.com</a></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Syed_Ali" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Syed_Ali</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-89276532162316596252010-08-10T21:26:00.000+08:002010-08-10T21:26:54.465+08:00Existing Customer Management<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Existing Customer Management</h1><h2 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Creating Loyalty and Selling More to Customers</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2007-12-23" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Dec 23, 2007</a> <a alt="Jack Roberts" class="inactive_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/jroberts67" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Jack Roberts</a></span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><br />
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<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Getting existing customers to purchase again requires two things. Firstly, you need to keep them. Secondly, you need to sell more to them. This means increasing the loyalty of your customers.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Loyalty Ladder</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">There isn’t a single point when you can say; ‘loyalty has now been achieved’. It is a continuous spectrum ranging from complete disinterest through to sharing your business successes and risks with you.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A good way to think of this is the ‘loyalty ladder’ (explained in <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Relationship Marketing; Creating Stakeholder Value</em> by Christopher et al, Elsevier, 2002). Customers move through the stages below, with the help of marketing activities.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Prospects</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">At this stage people may not even have heard of you so the aim is to seek new customers. Consider encouraging potential customers to try your products or services, perhaps for free or at a discount.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Customer</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The Prospect has now moved from trying your product to purchasing from you, but only once. It’s very early days in the relationship and you need to make sure they are happy with what they’ve purchased.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Consider implementing a ‘Welcome Programme’ where you provide them with details of your company’s product offerings encouraging them to try other products. Remember that they are likely to be favourably disposed to buying from you again at this stage, providing the initial purchase experience was satisfactory.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Clients</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The Welcome Programme has been sucessful and they’ve made subsequent purchases. Now you have them. Now it’s time to think about implementing a ‘loyalty programme’. Keep in touch regularly and remind them of the benefits of your company and products, always encouraging them to buy more from you. The more they buy, the more loyal they become.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Supporter</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">At this stage they like and trust you. They believe you have their interests at heart and look after their needs. They’re still vulnerable though. If a competitor comes along with a better offer or you fail to deliver they may consider using someone else. You need to maintain the loyalty activities.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Think of a Supporter as someone who would recommend you to a friend or colleague if asked for a good supplier of your product or service. They are good targets for Recommend a Friend schemes.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Advocates</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Customers at this stage are likely to promote your company without being asked first. They depend on you for a particular aspect of their lives or business and wouldn’t want to lose you. Make sure you spend time with them as it would make a noticeable impact on your bottom line if they were lost.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">They would also welcome the opportunity to help you develop your business as it makes them realise that you value, respect and appreciate them. Invite them to regular forums to discuss new initiatives and perhaps even to the office Christmas party.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">You will have very few Advocates but slightly more Supporters. The longer you’ve been in business the more you’ll have. Most of your purchasers will be at the Customer or Client stage.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Devote some time and attention to Customers and Clients, they are more likely to buy than your prospects are. You can’t neglect Prospects as you need a regular flow of new customers, but they are a harder sale. Focus your resources on where you are likely to get the greatest returns, i.e. Customers and Clients.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">For hints and tips on how to do this, read <a href="http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/building_a_loyal_customer_base" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Building a Loyal Customer Base</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2007 Jack Roberts</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-18319558256750364882010-07-13T14:04:00.000+08:002010-07-13T14:04:00.126+08:00Customer Management System - Developing a Long-term Profitable Customer Relationship<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Developing a Long-term Profitable Customer Relationship</h1><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2010-04-20" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Apr 20, 2010</a> <a alt="Richmond Anyidoho" class="contributing_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/ranyidoho" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Richmond Anyidoho</a></span></div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black;"><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A company’s success in establishing long-term customer relationships typically requires close working relationships with many different companies. The act of developing long-term profitable customer relationship will not only create wealth for the company but is also another good way of ensuring the retention of customers and thereby the survival and profitability of the company.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Michael Dell founded Dell Computer Corporation with $1000 when he was a college student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1984. Today, Dell is the worlds leading direct Computer Systems Company with annual revenues in excess of $31 billion and over 34,000 employees. The major reason is that Michael Dell revolutionized the computer industry by introducing the direct model.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The basic direct model aims to deliver a superior customer experience through direct, <i style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">comprehensive customer relationships,</i> cooperative research and development with technology partners, computer systems custom-built to customer specifications, and service and support programs tailored to customer needs.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Marketing has traditionally been viewed as the sales generating business function. This sales orientation sometimes leads firms to focus too much on generating sales in the short run, with little consideration for customer retention or profitability over the long term. Luckily, the short-term sales orientation is being replaced by more of an emphasis on <i style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">developing, maintaining, and expanding long term, profitable relationships with targeted customers.</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A relationship perspective consists of building partnerships with organisations outside the company and encouraging teamwork among different functions within the firm to <i style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">develop long-term customer relationships.</i> The days when marketers operated in isolation from other business functions are over. Success in the contemporary business environment requires that all company members work as a team toward achieving common goals.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Customer relationship is the establishment, development, maintenance, and optimization of long-term mutually valuable relationship between consumers and organisations. The relationship delivers values to customers, and profits to companies. A successful relationship between buyer and seller requires a firm commitment from both parties.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Buyers do not like being pressured into making decisions they feel are premature, and salespeople must realize that decisions made under pressure are likely to create post purchase doubts. This can jeopardize the relationship and even lead to its termination. The quest for enhancing customer relationship comes to play. This is to ensure that customer expectations are met or exceeded, so that an ongoing, mutually satisfying relationship between the buyer and seller may continue.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">It is not unusual for salespeople to become confidants of customers, offering opinions when asked on a wide range of topics, some of which are unrelated to the sales offering. Salespeople can enhance the relationship by continuing to provide timely information, alerting the customer to forthcoming product improvements, monitoring customer satisfaction and making improvements as necessary, showing the customer additional ways to use the product, and acting as a consultant to the prospect business.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The added value to customers can be reinforced through periodic business reviews, where salespeople and perhaps their management meet with customers to analyze sales and profit performance and identify areas for future emphasis. Sales managers must establish standards by which performance and effectiveness are measured, evaluate performance and effectiveness against these standards, and then take appropriate follow-up action.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Finally, to make a successful sales presentation in developing a long-term customer relationship, salespersons must achieve <i style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">source credibility </i>– that is, the customer must perceive its needs being satisfied by the combination of salesperson, the product or service, and the salespersons company. The salespersons personal characteristics such as dress, appearance, and manner may be important in achieving <i style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">source credibility.</i></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2010 Richmond Anyidoho</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://job-satisfaction.suite101.com/article.cfm/developing-a-long-term-profitable-customer-relationship#ixzz0tLpV0Rgh" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Developing a Long-term Profitable Customer Relationship</a> <a href="http://job-satisfaction.suite101.com/article.cfm/developing-a-long-term-profitable-customer-relationship#ixzz0tLpV0Rgh" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://job-satisfaction.suite101.com/article.cfm/developing-a-long-term-profitable-customer-relationship#ixzz0tLpV0Rgh</a></span></span></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-3966348896087952012010-07-13T14:02:00.000+08:002010-07-13T14:02:00.184+08:00Customer Management System - Customer Relationship Management of Web 2.0<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Customer Relationship Management of Web 2.0</h1><h2 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">CRM Application for Popular Websites with Participating Users</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2009-04-21" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Apr 21, 2009</a> <a alt="Ali Eftekhari" class="contributing_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/eftekhari" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Ali Eftekhari</a></span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Customer relationship management is very popular in the current competitive market, as companies need to keep constant customers rather than simply selling their products. The first connection of web 2.0 to customer relationship management is the great opportunity for serving the customers by online support, and so forth.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">For this purpose, customer relationship management software was designed to server the customers in a solid system. In general, companies utilize web 2.0 to service their customers. Thus, web-based companies, which are essentially based on web 2.0 has more chance (and also need) to use customer relationship management. The essence of web 2.0 is to provide a service rather than a product.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Although almost all websites are 'for profit', websites can be divided to two groups of commercial and non-commercial. The former one refers to the websites with paid membership or selling products, and the latter one is related to the free services on the internet (though the website has revenue from online advertisements, and they are indeed non-commercial just for their customers).</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">In fact, people commonly believe that customer relationship management is only for commercial services, as a company is responsible in respect with the customer who has paid. However, the existence of non-commercial websites (making revenue from Ads) depends on the visitors, and they are considered as customers.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Free Service to the Users, Revenue for the Owner</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">People also commonly believe that CRM is not applicable to free services on the internet. The argument is that since a website is kindly offering some free services, the visitors should be thankful without any expectation of support.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Surprisingly, however, the revenue of the so-called non-commercial websites can be as much as the commercial websites, where their revenue comes from inline advertising.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Roughly, a common range of online advertising revenue is CPM = $1-10, which means $1-10 net revenue from every 1000 page impressions. This is the value for one single ad, and there are few ads around the page. This is a significant value, comparable with commercial websites.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Necessity of CRM for Non-Commercial Websites</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">As quoted above, companies wish to keep a customer via CRM systems, because upon a good service, the customer will be a potential buyer again; and it is easier than convincing a new buyer. In other words, all expenses of CRM are just to reserve a future buyer for a later purchase; whereas, for a so-called non-commercial website, keeping a member means earning revenue from every single visit.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">It is evident that CRM is more important for websites offering free services. Due to the rapidly growing demand of CRM and its vast range of applications, the efficient techniques of CRM are now well developed. In general, CRM solutions are widely available to the web-based business owners.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">CRM is a Shortcut to Success</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The sentences like “it is not a kind of service we support” and similar ones have been widely heard from the support teams of websites offering free services (e.g. free softwares, scripts, etc). Such experts need to spend a little more time (as they are completely familiar with the subject) to satisfy their customers, and surely the satisfied customers are highly profitable in comparison with the time they spend.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A successful story can be found in numerous technical forums. Most of them have been formed by a patient owner who has valued the members by trying to answer their questions and to resolve their problems.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">As a result, the members remain on such a useful forum, and then contribute to the community. On the other hand, people find useful discussions (and resolved problems) via search engines, and join the community. Little by little, the forum grows and more experts come and enjoy serving others. This is the real story of most of leading forums.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">CRM vs. SEO</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">People usually do not use CRM and are not successful in the competitive environment of the internet, because, they prefer to find tricks and easiest ways. In the latter example, the forum owners are not actually ‘patient’, and just wish to have a crowded forum, as people talk and the owner makes money.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Instead of focusing on the content and service, people seek for SEO tricks to promote their websites. This does not mean that SEO is not important, but one needs to have something interesting, then promoting to the public.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2009 Ali Eftekhari</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://internet.suite101.com/article.cfm/customer_relationship_management_of_web_20#ixzz0tLp7phfo" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Customer Relationship Management of Web 2.0: CRM Application for Popular Websites with Participating Users</a> <a href="http://internet.suite101.com/article.cfm/customer_relationship_management_of_web_20#ixzz0tLp7phfo" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://internet.suite101.com/article.cfm/customer_relationship_management_of_web_20#ixzz0tLp7phfo</a></span>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-21411690455098505302010-07-13T14:00:00.000+08:002010-07-13T14:00:03.469+08:00Customer Management System - Types of Complaining Customers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Types of Complaining Customers</h1><h2 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Improve Customer Relations by Knowing Complainer Types</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2009-10-08" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Oct 8, 2009</a> <a alt="Thomas Alan Gray" class="feature_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/graywriter" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: url(http://graphics.suite101.com/icon_star.gif); background-position: 0px -4px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Thomas Alan Gray</a></span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Customer complaints are a fact of life in business, and dealing with them is an important part of maintaining customer satisfaction and corporate reputation.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">In a paper published by the University of Florida, researchers Allen F. Wysocki, Karl W. Kepner, and Michelle W. Glasser identified five types of complaining customers and outlined what they consider the most effective ways of dealing with each. This article presents their typology and expands it based on the experience of various customer service representatives.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">While some consumers may have concerns about customers being typified in this way, such classifications may aid in training service reps and help to improve customer relations in that way.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Meek Customer</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">This type of customer prefers to avoid confrontation and may not complain directly. However, they will tell friends and relatives, may comment on a blog or web forum or may post the complaint on Facebook or other social networking site.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">To deal with these quiet customers, a company must be proactive and positive. An internet presence may be required to catch these complaints; follow up must be delicate ("We noted your concern about our product on your blog. Is there any way we can help with this?").</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Aggressive Customer</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">"Opposite of the Meek Customer. Readily complains, often loudly and at length." These folks enjoy confrontation, and will often seek a large audience as a manipulative behavior. Many aggressive customers also engage in a sort of business blackmail (see The Rip-Off Customer, below)</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The best response, suggests Wysocki et al., is to:</div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Listen completely</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Repeatedly ask: "what else?"</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Agree that a problem exists (no excuses)</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Indicate what will be done to resolve the issue and when.</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Avoid being aggressive in return. In other words, be calm, practical, and professional.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The High-Roller Customer</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">This customer "Expects the absolute best and is willing to pay for it." Complaints are likely to be offered in a reasonable,even logical manner.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The High Roller is not interested in excuses but only "in results and what you are going to do to recover from the customer service breakdown. Always listen respectfully and actively and question carefully to fully determine cause." Being given a run-around will upset any customer, but the High Roller especially.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Rip-Off Customer</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Some businesses call this type "The Extortionist." The goal of the Rip-Off, Wysocki points out, "is not to get the complaint satisfied but rather to win by getting something the customer is not entitled to receive." In other words, it's a form of blackmail or extortion. "A constant and repetitive "not good enough" response to efforts to satisfy this customer is a sure indicator of a rip-off artist." Many aggressive complainers are also accomplished at the rip-off.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Customer service reps often find aggressive and rip-off customers the most difficult to deal with (and those customers know that and use the fact). Wysocki, Kepner and Glasser advise CSRs to</div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Remain unfailingly objective.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Use accurate quantified data to backup your response.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Be sure the adjustment is in keeping with what the organization would normally do under the circumstances.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Consider asking "What can I do to make things right?" after the first "not good enough."</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Documentation is important as the extortionist customer will often threaten legal action.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><b style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Chronic Complainer Customer</b>.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">This type of customer "is never satisfied; there is always something wrong." No matter how often the service department fixes it, it's never done properly, or something else has gone wrong." This customer's mission is to whine. Yet, he is your customer, and as frustrating as this customer can be, he cannot be dismissed.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Dealing with a chronic complainer requires</div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A sympathetic ear</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A sincere apology</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">An honest effort to correct the situation</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Enormous patience is a big help.</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">"Most Chronic Complainer Customers will accept and appreciate your efforts to make things right. This customer wants an apology and appreciates it when you listen," because it is a way to get positive attention. "Tends to be a good customer (in spite of his constant complaining) and will tell others about your positive response to his complaints."</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Obviously, there may be overlap between these classifications. Still the concepts may be useful in training customer service agents, where the various types can provide models for role-playing. The types can also serve as tests for a particular complaint-handling process ("How would it handle an Extortionist?").</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Source: Wysocki, Allen F.; Karl W. Kepner, and Michelle W. Glasser, <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Customer Complaints and Types of Customers</em>. EDIS document HR 005, a publication of the Department of Food and Resource Economics, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. May 2001</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Related Articles</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><a href="http://customer-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/handling_customer_complaints" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Handling Customer Complaints </a>– A set of specific steps that is part of an effective customer complaint process.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><a href="http://consumereducation.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_a_warranty" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">What is a Warranty?</a> – CSRs need to understand product warranties in order to respond appropriately to customer complaints. Customers need to understand them to get appropriate service.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2009 Thomas Alan Gray</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://customer-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/types_of_complaining_customers#ixzz0tLobiHRI" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Types of Complaining Customers: Improve Customer Relations by Knowing Complainer Types</a> <a href="http://customer-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/types_of_complaining_customers#ixzz0tLobiHRI" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://customer-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/types_of_complaining_customers#ixzz0tLobiHRI</a></span>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-753844261371506972010-07-13T13:57:00.000+08:002010-07-13T13:57:00.043+08:00Customer Management System - Improving Customer Loyalty: The Ultimate Customer Retention Plan<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Improving Customer Loyalty: The Ultimate Customer Retention Plan</span></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2010-06-09" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Jun 9, 2010</a> <a alt="Ian Johnson" class="contributing_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/bigtext" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Ian Johnson</a></span></span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">It can be argued that customer loyalty is the single most important aspect of business success. Every business knows the impacts of losing customers, and most agree that any added incentive that helps to improve their customer’s loyalty, is a huge plus. Well, there is one customer retention plan that not only keeps customers coming back for more, but actually encourages them to provide a company with real time, market and competitive information. So, what is this retention plan, and how does it work?</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Customer’s Rebate Plan</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Like every business, customers just want to save money. While everyone wants the lowest possible price, most understand that there is a give and take. However, for those companies that simply offer the lowest price up front, without any incentives whatsoever, the end result will become a customer who is here today, and gone tomorrow. The question remains, how can a business offer just enough to satisfy customers and keep them coming back for more, but not so much up front that they take the first offer and run?</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The back end rebate plan is the ultimate customer retention plan. Its basic premise is to incentivize the customer to continue to purchase by providing a discount each time they buy. However, the discount isn’t immediate, and is only paid out at the end of the plan. In this case, every time the customer purchases product, an amount goes into their plan. Once the plan is finished, the customer then receives a credit, or rebate, on their account for future orders. Here is a step by step summary of how the plan works.</div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Agree upon a total volume to be purchased for the duration of the plan.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Agree upon a per unit rebate amount every time the customer orders.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Agree upon a payout date when the plan finishes, and the customer is given the credit.</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Assume that a customer wants to purchase 100 units, but only take 10 per order. If the company immediately gives this customer the 100 unit price, there is no guarantee the customer will return. However, if the rebate accrued by the customer on each order of 10 units, equals the price of 100 once the entire volume is taken, then the customer get their best price, and the company gets the volume.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">This Customer Retention Plan Provides Essential Market Information</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Once customers have accrued enough of a rebate in their plan, they are more likely to come back when faced with a competitive bid. Otherwise, they risk losing their rebate amount. Therefore, the customer will likely discuss the price of the competitive bid, and try to secure the same pricing. This plan incentivizes the customer to return, and provides the company with real time pricing information, directly from the market.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">There are all kinds of studies that show the importance of customer retention. However, the best companies know how important their loyal customers are, and will do whatever it takes to keep them coming back. Consider this but another tool in a company’s arsenal.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2010 Ian Johnson</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/improving-customer-loyalty-the-ultimate-customer-retention-plan#ixzz0tLnuws9R" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Improving Customer Loyalty: The Ultimate Customer Retention Plan</a> <a href="http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/improving-customer-loyalty-the-ultimate-customer-retention-plan#ixzz0tLnuws9R" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/improving-customer-loyalty-the-ultimate-customer-retention-plan#ixzz0tLnuws9R</a></span></span></span></span></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-28656213323015379362010-07-13T13:45:00.000+08:002010-07-13T13:45:00.202+08:00Customer Management System - 3 Keys to Handling Customer Complaints<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3 Keys to Handling Customer Complaints</h1><h2 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">How to Deal Effectively With Difficult Customers</h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2009-08-18" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Aug 18, 2009</a> <a alt="Brian Tubbs" class="feature_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/BrianTubbs" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: url(http://graphics.suite101.com/icon_star.gif); background-position: 0px -4px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Brian Tubbs</a></span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Handling customer complaints is one of the most important skills for customer service professionals. Providing top-notch customer service is, in fact, critical to a company's success. Effectively handling customer complaints requires patience, strong listening skills, the ability to identify valid complaints (as opposed to irrational grievances) and effectively deal with even the most difficult customers.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Executives, managers, and employees involved in customer service should handle customer complaints with the following keys in mind.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Value The Customer</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">This is foundational. Any enterprise engaged in commerce must provide excellent customer service, and this requires seeing customers as people- not simply as dollar signs. The customer should not be viewed as an interruption, nuisance, problem, or "necessary evil." The customer is the whole reason the business exists in the first place.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Practically, this means that companies should place a high value on their customers, and do all they can to convey a sense of importance and appreciation to each of them. This doesn't mean that the customer is always right, but it does mean that it's a "win-win" when the customer is satisfied, and a "lose-lose" when the customer is not.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Listen to The Customer</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">When a customer has a complaint, it's sometimes employee instinct to "tell the customer how it is." While it's understandable to be defend oneself and even company procedures, especially when the customer has been rude or aggressive, it's more important to listen to the customer.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">As Stephen Covey, bestselling author of <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People</em>, puts it: "Seek first to understand, <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">then</em> to be understood."</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Even if it's not possible to adjust company policy or directly satisfy the customer's issue, actively, calmly, and sincerely <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">listening</em> to the customer's complaint conveys respect and concern. And it helps reduce tension.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Avoid Negative or Harsh Language</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">When it comes time to respond to the customer's complaint, customer service professionals should carefully choose their words.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">"Language alters our perception of reality, because <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">we see the world through words</em>," writes Dr. David J. Lieberman. "Language is the basis of thought and thought is the extension of emotion." (Lieberman, David J. <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Get Anyone to Do Anything and Never Feel Powerless Again</em>. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2000).</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">This point on language is both simple and subtle. The obvious application is that a person would wants to cool down an irate customer should use calming language. A more subtle point is that the very choice of words should be designed to elicit positive emotions in the hearer (i.e., refer to the customer's complaint as an "important and understandable concern"), and the language should be matched by soothing and open body language (i.e., no folded arms, no clenched fists, etc.).</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Clearly, patience is a must-have virtue in employing the above keys. A patient professional is able to look at the situation and the customer objectively, and not allow his or her ego or feelings to cloud judgment and ratchet up tension unnecessarily.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Effectively handling customer complaints indeed requires patience, the ability to listen actively and emphatically, and to sort through the customer's grievance to identify the valid issues that need to be addressed. Such a person will be able then to effectively handle the most difficult customers and field even the most irate complaints. And a company with such professionals on board will provide the kind of top-notch customer service to help it thrive, even in a down economy.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Related Reading</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Readers who liked this article should also check out "<a href="http://personalitymooddisorders.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_effectively_cope_with_stress" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">How to Effectively Cope With Stress</a>" and "<a href="http://personaldevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/public_speaking_tips_and_techniques" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Public Speaking Tips and Techniques</a>."</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2009 Brian Tubbs</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://customer-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/3_keys_to_handling_customer_complaints#ixzz0tLkpHwaG" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">3 Keys to Handling Customer Complaints: How to Deal Effectively With Difficult Customers</a> <a href="http://customer-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/3_keys_to_handling_customer_complaints#ixzz0tLkpHwaG" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://customer-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/3_keys_to_handling_customer_complaints#ixzz0tLkpHwaG</a></span>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-77502349793316323132010-07-13T13:42:00.000+08:002010-07-13T13:42:00.121+08:00Customer Management System - Measuring Customer Satisfaction in a Survey<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Measuring Customer Satisfaction in a Survey</h1><h2 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Best Practices in Client Feedback Questionnaire Design</h2><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The purpose of a customer feedback questionnaire is to measure the level of customer satisfaction with a product, service, or brand. Yet measuring how a company is failing to meet its clients' expectations and pinpointing areas for improvement is problematic if the client satisfaction survey design is flawed. A well-designed questionnaire can make all the difference. Falling back on customer feedback survey software or free questionnaire templates will only get a researcher partway there.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Customize the Client Feedback Template to the Company</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A free template available online might be easy and convenient, but it may not yield the desired targeted, actionable data in its raw form. If starting with a pre-made customer feedback template, treat it as a sample of the general style to use, then go from there. Customize the form to match the company's goals in soliciting customer feedback.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">General, non-targeted questions asking about customer satisfaction, such as those asked in survey templates, have limited use. The more specific and focused the questions, the greater the chance the questionnaire will result in getting complete and honest answers, and the more actionable the resultant data on customer satisfaction is likely to be.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Identify Goals to Determine the Best Survey Question Design</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Figure out what the company wants to measure from the survey. Focus not only on the questions to be answered, but also on the general aim. For instance, is this to be a preliminary questionnaire, aimed more for discovery than action? Since the respondents' answers to questions will be used to launch more extensive, targeted research, then follow these best practices:</div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Limit leading questions. The goal is to tap customers' ideas, not bias them.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Include frequent write-in sections.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Offer plenty of opt-out responses (such as "other"), with open space to elaborate.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Use simple sentence structure so the question doesn't confuse the survey respondent.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Plan to give respondents a wide window of time to complete the survey.</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Or, alternatively, is this survey aiming to be actionable, a basis for implementing change? The questionnaire should seek to extract specific, definitive answers and follow these general guidelines:</div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Limit write-in opportunities.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Use multiple choice questions.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Write tightly focused survey questions.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Design the survey to be balanced and comprehensive to assure its usefulness and accuracy.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Design survey questions relevant to the potential action.</li>
</ul><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Use Unbiased Language in the Customer Feedback Survey Questions</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A common mistake in customer satisfaction surveys is to word questions with biased language. Use neutral terms in order not to slant the responses in one direction or another.</div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Use language that does not presuppose the survey taker is of a certain race, nationality, religion, creed, age, sexual preference, or gender. (Use "Does your spouse or partner use our product?" instead of "Does your husband use our product?")</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Avoid asking leading questions. (Use "What do you like about our product?" rather than "Do you like our product?" )</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Avoid complex sentence structure. Keep words and syntax simple so the survey questions don't confuse the respondent.</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Use clear language that doesn't leave room for multiple interpretations.</li>
</ul><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ask for Positive Feedback from Clients, Too</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">In measuring customer satisfaction with a product or service, survey designers can be so focused on figuring out the problems that they neglect to ask what's working, what customers like, and what the company is doing right. Identifying the positives can inform companies of what not to change, so they don't lose existing customers while acquiring new ones</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Aim for Acceptable Survey Response Rates</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Survey data is only as good as the sample size. Use incentives to encourage survey participation. Convey to respondents that participating in the survey means they're getting their voices heard--especially good advice when soliciting employee participation in a staff satisfaction survey.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Gain trust. It's part of best practices to disclose to the survey respondents that feedback answers might be used in testimonials. Assure the confidentiality of the respondents' identities and answers. Use media that's convenient, and give respondents a choice of how to respond, if possible- whether in an online survey, by telephone, or via email.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Follow FTC Guidelines</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Federal Trade Commission <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">guidelines for the use of testimonials and endorsements</a> revised in 2009 may affect how a business uses the write-in and quantitative results of its client feedback survey in promotion efforts, such as with testimonials or claims of success. Become familiar with the guidelines designed to protect consumers from advertising fraud.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Evaluate the Customer Service Questionnaire on Several Fronts</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Client feedback is very valuable. But bad questionnaire design means bad data and possibly big mistakes ahead. Measuring customer satisfaction accurately is a matter of articulating market research goals, using good survey design principles, choosing the language of the survey questions carefully, and assuring a large enough sample of data to work with. Do all this, and increase the chances of getting honest customer feedback that can help a brand, product or service succeed.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2009 Karen Proctor</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/measuring_customer_satisfaction_in_a_survey#ixzz0tLk8IVDu" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Measuring Customer Satisfaction in a Survey: Best Practices in Client Feedback Questionnaire Design</a> <a href="http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/measuring_customer_satisfaction_in_a_survey#ixzz0tLk8IVDu" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/measuring_customer_satisfaction_in_a_survey#ixzz0tLk8IVDu</a></span>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-52206984442670691512010-07-13T11:43:00.000+08:002010-07-13T11:43:00.235+08:00Customer Management System - How to Keep Your Customer Happy<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><div class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">How to Keep Your Customer Happy</div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gabriel_Stiller" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Gabriel Stiller</a> <img alt="Platinum Quality Author" class="sprite s_platinum_star" src="http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/trans.gif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/ea-main.gif?v20100623); background-origin: initial; background-position: -266px -97px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; height: 10px; width: 10px;" title="Platinum Author" /></div><div class="copyright margin-top" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong>Article Word Count:</strong> 408 [<a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Keep-Your-Customer-Happy&type=sv&id=4498447" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">View Summary</a>] <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/comment.php?How-to-Keep-Your-Customer-Happy&id=4498447" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Comments (0)</a></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Nowadays customers are far better informed than they were before and they therefore demand products and services of a high standard. They can no longer be lured to buy things through attractive deals and smooth marketing. After buying a product, a customer should feel that their needs are being met. Remember it is far easier to keep your existing customers happy rather than getting new customers. Here are a few ways in which you can keep your customers happy.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Begin by making your approach customer-focused. Your employees should be made aware that the customer always comes first. Even your training programs should stress on this customer centric attitude. You should make your customers feel special by remembering their birthdays, their preferences and encouraging interaction with them. You can actually set up automated processes for capturing customer information and then pulling it up as and when required.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">To manage your customer relationships well you need to make sure that your customer data is up to date. Keep sending reminders to customers from time to time so that they can inform you of a change in their contact details or a change in their social conditions.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">In order to be able to handle a large amount of customer data, it is a good idea to categorize it on the basis of specific requirements, needs etc. You may even need to develop a wider array of goods and services to be able to cater to the diverse needs of customers.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Customers appreciate attention to finer details. Whenever you come across an error, try to rectify it as soon as possible no matter how trivial it may appear. A discerning customer will be sure to notice the extra attention to detail and will want to be associated with you.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Your communication with your customers should not just be restricted to buying and selling of your products and services. Move beyond the commercial transaction and ask your customers for suggestions or feedback so that your customers feel you are listening to their advice. This will help you personalize your customer service. Use tools like newsletters or catalogs to communicate with your customers on a regular basis.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">You need your customers to be happy in order to sustain your business and see it grow. This is why one of the goals of your business should be to strive for customer satisfaction. However, keep in mind that keeping your customers happy is a continuous activity.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Gabriel enjoys writing up on a variety of subjects. Other than the above topic, he also likes to set up sites on different topics. Do check out his new site which covers useful information on <a href="http://liposuctionpricesguide.com/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">liposuction prices</a>.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Gabriel_Stiller" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gabriel_Stiller</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-43292921420619700932010-07-13T11:40:00.000+08:002010-07-13T11:40:00.192+08:00Customer Management System - CRM Software Increases Performance And Profits<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><div class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">CRM Software Increases Performance And Profits</div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Veronica_A_Davis" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Veronica A Davis</a></div><div class="copyright margin-top" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><br />
</b></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">As a business owner it is vitally important to ensure that customers and potential customers are happy. You can do this in a number of ways, but one of the best ways to do so is through the use of a customer management software program. When you choose to utilize one of these programs, if properly done, you will see an increase in your profit margin. You can reduce your company's costs by increasing loyalty throughout your customer base.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Customer relationship management software will create a company wide strategy to completely understand the customer. It gathers, organizes, and provides details from all angles including sales and customer service, among others to create a clear layout of each customer. This is a crucial step in ensuring your company approaches, and interacts with the client or potential client in a manner that will be positive to them. There are several kinds of customer management software available today, and you should take the time to ensure that you choose the one that is right for your company. They are often referred to as simply CRM software.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The first thing you should realize is that you need to know exactly where your company plans on going in the future so you can make sure the CRM software will fit into your plans. Complete your business plan with goals and how you plan to reach them, and compare the software to see how they well they will fit at different stages down the road. You also need to identify exactly what you want or need from your software. Is your marketing strategy not working so well? Ensure that the CRM software you choose will have detailed assistance to help you market to potential clients more effectively.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">You can discover many variations of customer relationship management software including those that are web based and those that are installed at your company. If you are going to purchase one that will be installed at your location then you should ensure that you have sufficient equipment or computers before hand.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">These are only a few of the things you should carefully consider before purchasing your CRM software. There are varying sites on the internet that you can visit to help you compare different versions of the software, just be sure that you are reading credible information. It's very important to completely understand what you need, and what the software will do for you.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Once you have researched and settled on which <a href="http://shoestringcrm.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">CRM software</a> you are going to use, you want to make the most of it. The only way you can be confident that you are using it to its fullest potential is to take the time to completely understand all of the features and how they work. Normally, a sales person will sit and go through everything with you. Most of them will have help or guided tour features that you can go through repeatedly to get a firm grasp of how to optimize results.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">If you do your research, know the software inside and out, and help others in your company to understand how it works, then you can expect the CRM software to greatly increase the performance of your company.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Veronica Davis is a full time freelance writer specializing in web content. She has researched and written on an array of topics. You can visit her website at:<a href="http://www.vgal.info/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://www.vgal.info</a></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Veronica_A_Davis" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Veronica_A_Davis</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-1404392555845290242010-07-12T21:43:00.000+08:002010-07-12T21:43:00.050+08:00Customer Management System - Six Sigma Process - Applications in Other Industries<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><div class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">Six Sigma Process - Applications in Other Industries</div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tony_Jacowski" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Tony Jacowski</a> <img alt="Platinum Quality Author" class="sprite s_platinum_star" src="http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/trans.gif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/ea-main.gif?v20100623); background-origin: initial; background-position: -266px -97px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; height: 10px; width: 10px;" title="Platinum Author" /></div><div class="copyright margin-top" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><br />
</b></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Six Sigma Training is taught for a variety of professions and industries. The great thing about Six Sigma is that even though it was created as a process improvement method for manufacturing, it can offer so much more to the world than just that. It can be applied to nearly any industry or business, and can create process and product improvements that lower statistical variations and generate defect rates of about 3.4 parts per million. This can prove to be beneficial in many different industries, including everything from healthcare to sales and finance, and even the military. Finding your purpose for the Six Sigma Process is as easy as identifying problems and feeling the need to develop a solution.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Keep in mind, as always, that the Six Sigma Process is the path, and not the actual solution itself. Too many people get confused about the practical application of Six Sigma in various industries because they view it as the solution to their problems. In reality, Six Sigma Training is that tool that will help to arrive at an effective solution for process or product improvement. Doctors' offices can use Six Sigma Projects to cut down wait times for patients, to improve patient flow, and even just for a better way of managing paperwork and data in the back office. Financial companies can use Six Sigma to create better customer management practices and improve customer satisfaction.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Both of these uses are examples of practical applications in industries outside of manufacturing. They are, however, only two of many opportunities for Six Sigma Projects to be carried out in order to make a business or company more efficient and effective in their operations. As long as you obtain the proper education and Six Sigma Training, you will see that you can apply it to almost any situation where process or product improvement is needed, no matter what type of situation it is.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Take into account where your company stands with certain processes or products. Consider how you could improve those situations by more than just guessing at possible solutions. <a href="http://www.sixsigmaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">Six Sigma Training</a> and certification offers a factual, data-oriented plan for eliminating statistical variations and creating process and product improvement on many different levels, and in many different industries. It might seem like it's more than you need at times, but it is always going to be a worthy investment for those who want the best, most concrete ways to improve processes and/or products.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online (<a href="http://www.sixsigmaonline.org/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://www.sixsigmaonline.org</a>) offers online six sigma training and certification classes for lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tony_Jacowski" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Jacowski</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-63038521737048882182010-07-12T21:38:00.000+08:002010-07-12T21:38:00.700+08:00Customer Management System - Increased Profits is the Best Reason to Crank Up Your Company's Customer Service<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><div class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">Increased Profits is the Best Reason to Crank Up Your Company's Customer Service</div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Francis" id="togglebio" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Dennis Francis</a> <img alt="Platinum Quality Author" class="sprite s_platinum_star" src="http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/trans.gif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/ea-main.gif?v20100623); background-origin: initial; background-position: -266px -97px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; height: 10px; width: 10px;" title="Platinum Author" /></div><div class="copyright margin-top" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><br />
</b></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">I've run a few companies in my day and though I knew how to take care of my clients. I've managed to hit the wall when I have to personally manage customer service. For many years I would struggle with the daunting task of customer follow up and maintenance. That is the essence of customer service. Customer service (also known as Client Service) is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">I met a very smart person a few years ago who opened my eyes to dynamic customer service. He was a new client at the time and sought me out from a referral. I was very busy and overloaded that month. We played phone tag for a bit and finally got to talking. After a few minutes and a few apologies on my part, he asked me if I had too many clients to service at this time. I told him that at the moment I was overwhelmed. There was a hearty laugh on the other end at my confession.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">He thanked me for my honesty and left me with a quote: "A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her." I quickly asked him what he meant and he again chuckled and replied. "The late David Brinkley made that comment many years ago. I took it to heart after hearing it because whenever I have too many clients to deal with on a daily basis, I step back take a deep breath and realize my good fortune."</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">We get to work with all kinds of people in business; the objective is to render a complete transaction to a customer in which you have made a good profit and the customer is satisfied enough with the outcome that they will gladly give you more business in the future.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Good customer service in a time of economic uncertainty is even more important because you now have to stand out from your competitors and rely even more heavily on your existing clientele. Many people don't want to gamble on a new person when times are tight. They want to know that they can rely on their existing vendor.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">You can offer that kind of security for your clients that translate into more profit by reviewing your customer service procedures. Are all your employees trained in your customer service program? How do you avoid the feeling of overwhelm when working with too many people at once? Here are a few tips my prospective client sent me. I still pull them out and read them each year.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Touch bases with your customers at least once a month.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Every customer should get your monthly newsletter or email update. This is the heart of the communication system you must have to build loyalty. They must be able to respond to you in return.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Keep the dialogue honest and positive.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">When talking to a customer, use phrases that complement the person on the other end of the call. When sending "bad news" to clients, try to include some good news as well. Never lie or cover up an incident in your business. As many politicians find out too late, the cover up is always deemed worse than the transgression.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">If you are overwhelmed, consider outsourcing.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">There is nothing wrong with outsourcing your basic customer service duties. It is better to have your client reach a human being when in need of help even if that person will simply listen to the grievance. A sympathetic ear sometimes goes a long way in re-framing the situation.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">When possible, make personal contact with your customer when there is a solution to their problem. If your company came through with a solution to a customer's issues, take a moment to send a note or even better, call the customer to offer your personal reassurance.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">These practices go a long way to ensuring a lasting relationship and continued referrals. You simply need to develop the habit of paying attention. Put several systems in place that will help to avoid the occasional overload. You can have the success without the bricks. It all comes down to effective customer management.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Learn how to boost your business income from the author of "Double My Revenues In 12 Months or Less" and "Push Button Profits! A 30 Day Program For Making $120,000 A Year On Auto Pilot" Head over to the site and sign up for your free 30 day course now before it's too late!=><a href="http://doublemyrevenues.com/coaching/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://DoubleMyRevenues.com/coaching/</a></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Francis" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Francis</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-57012228045329534732010-07-12T21:35:00.000+08:002010-07-12T21:35:00.636+08:00Customer Management System - The Definition of Customer Service<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><div class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">The Definition of Customer Service</div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Walker" id="togglebio" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Brandon Walker</a> <img alt="Platinum Quality Author" class="sprite s_platinum_star" src="http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/trans.gif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://img.ezinearticles.com/spriting/ea-main.gif?v20100623); background-origin: initial; background-position: -266px -97px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; height: 10px; width: 10px;" title="Platinum Author" /></div><div class="copyright margin-top" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><br />
</b></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">It is hard to define 'customer service' because there are many different definitions of the term. Working out which definition would suit your particular workplace can therefore be very difficult. The definition of customer service is often misinterpreted by some businesses and used poorly in the workplace because it has been inadequately defined.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">In today's business environment it is not enough to believe customer service is 'just meeting the requirements of the customer'.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">In determining the definition of customer service for the purposes of this article the following key qualities were considered:</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"><b>Customer service is:</b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">1. A positive, polite, caring and friendly attitude</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">2. The knowledge and ability to provide quality service by satisfying the customers needs</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">3. The process of delivering first rate benefits and treating customers fairly and professionally</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">4. Any communication that creates a good or bad impression</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">5. How a business looks after its customer's requirements through effective and efficient before and after sales service</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"><b>Conclusions</b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">By taking into account the above points it is clear that to define customer service the following basic elements would be necessary........Efficiently satisfying a customer's needs by providing and delivering professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during and after the customer's requirements are met.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Many businesses do not consider a downturn in business until it is too late. In a competitive environment early plans need to be made so that the consumer is always considered first. This can be done through regular reviews of customer service systems and training programmes to look for ways existing processes can be improved. By understanding what customer service means and how it impacts on turnover and bottom-line, businesses will not only enhance their reputation for providing quality service but be in a position to improve stale and tired internal services that will lead to increased customer loyalty and over time profit margins.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Brandon has been involved with customer relations and interaction with customers for many years now. To find more informative articles and resources about customer service visit his site <a href="http://www.goodcustomerservice.org/define-customer-service.html" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">goodcustomerservice.org</a></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Walker" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Walker</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-2790377019053091002010-07-12T21:31:00.000+08:002010-07-12T21:31:00.560+08:00Customer Management System - Customer Data Analysis - Helping Small Retailers Make Sense of Their Data<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 19px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top" width="60%"><div class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">Customer Data Analysis - Helping Small Retailers Make Sense of Their Data</div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shankhadip_Dutta" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Shankhadip Dutta</a></div><div class="copyright margin-top" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><br />
</b></div></td><td align="center" class="article-options" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="middle" width="40%"></td></tr>
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<div class="article_body" style="border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: dotted; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-style: dotted; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-top-width: 1px; color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding-left: 0.5em; padding-right: 0.5em;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Looking across the spectrum of small and medium sized retail businesses, it is rare to find a business that does not capture customer data. Even rarer is and SME that does not want to capture customer data. The idea of course is to use that customer data to understand customer behavior, needs and wants - and use that understanding to drive more intelligent conversations and interactions with customers. These interactions could be through appropriate sales approaches, targeted and timely marketing or superior customer service. Or even indirectly, by using customer intelligence to design relevant products and services. The intention is noble. There is no doubting that.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Sadly, the reality is far from where it should be. Most small to mid sized retailers have databases with poor and incomplete data. Or misfired attempts in the past at running a few mailer campaigns with much money spent but little returns. Almost all our clients had experimented in some ways with mailer campaigns, referral or loyalty schemes. But results were typically poor to mixed in terms of response, sell-through and most important - driving sustained loyalty from the customer base.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">What's heartening is - the fire has still not gone out. Most retailers (certainly from amongst our client base), readily acknowledge that they have been flying blind, and tactics have been misguided in the past. They continue to be vociferous supporters of the power of database mining, firmly believing the driver was not trained enough, nothing wrong with the car. Thankfully.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">In fact most would today view their customer database as a source of competitive advantage designed to deliver a number of benefits including -</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">1. Get more customers (acquisition)<br />
2. Keep these customers (retention)<br />
3. Get them to spend more money<br />
4. Recruit other customers through word of mouth referrals<br />
5. Make the advertising and mailers more effective and cost-efficient over time</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">A good starting point is to baseline your efforts at the start of your journey i.e. write down what you believe you need to do to get a good customer database marketing program going. Your list should look something like this -</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">1. Identify the right customer for my mailing<br />
2. Make the offer attractive and compelling<br />
3. Make the messaging attractive<br />
4. Make the timing perfect, and ideally coincide with a customer need</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">You might break it down further to say, these would in turn require me to -</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">5. Clean up existing database names, addresses, emails, mobile etc<br />
6. Make sure from now on we are capturing clean data (...garbage in garbage out)<br />
7. Send out timely reminders to customers... etc etc<br />
b<br />
What emerges are 2 parallel tracks of activity that are ongoing by nature. A backend track that is focused on maintenance of quality customer data - completeness of names, accuracy of contact details etc. And a frontend track - that is focused on targeting the right customer, at the right time, with the right products and services, in an effective yet cost-efficient way.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">While the customer database is your single biggest asset at the backend, the customer treatment plan becomes the single biggest asset at the frontend. The treatment plan is simply a plan that shows various segments of customers, and how and when they should be targeted.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">By following established best practices in defining customer segments and creating customer treatment plans, companies gain rapid competitive advantage over their competition. Think of a neighbourhood customer with two retail businesses selling identical products. One business makes the effort to send out targeted and relevant communication, recognize the customer when he visits, setup appropriate reminders and alerts for this customer, and reward him appropriately for his business. The other does nothing. Who do you think will take leadership position in the customer's mind?</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">As businesses commoditise and differentiation decreases, the one with superior customer relationship wins. Gone are the days when customer satisfaction was the ultimate goal. Today its the price of entry. The real challenge is how to go from simple customer satisfaction to driving sustained customer loyalty. The kind that delivers multiple revenue streams with decreasing cost to serve.</div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.customerdataanalysis.com/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">Customer Data Analysis Ltd</a>, is a group of customer management strategy consultants, provides services like customer segmentation, customer loyalty program, customer relationship management, data analysis software and data mining software.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shankhadip_Dutta" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shankhadip_Dutta</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-37055456712591447102010-07-12T21:26:00.000+08:002010-07-12T21:26:00.234+08:00Customer Management System - Poor Customer Service<div class="art_title" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 15px;">Poor Customer Service</div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">By <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trudy_Robinson" id="togglebio" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">Trudy Robinson</a></div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="copyright" style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 7.5pt; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-size: 13px;"><div id="body"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">My husband is a builder/carpenter and we've just taken delivery of a new Isuzu 300 truck. Of course it is a crew cab, tilt tray, 4x4 with all the bells and whistles. Doesn't everyone need one of these?! Well, that's another discussion - which occurs regularly in our business.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">From what I am told, the brand speaks for itself and certainly the options and value weren't met by other brands. But I must tell you that I think many of the people working for this company are also aware of that. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Sales is critical in any company is it not? If you get a lead, you follow it up. A potential client may say to a salesperson "when that xyz product comes in - please call me as I want to buy one". If that xyz product is worth around $90,000 - wouldn't you think they would record that, prompt themselves and promptly ring the (already sold) client? Not in this case. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">We basically had to beg to get sold one. It was us chasing them, are they available yet etc etc. My husband researches such topics down to the 'enth degree and he had used many of the American based websites to get the detailed information. He knew more than the salespeople whose mantra was "Isuzu haven't given us the full information". </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Did they get onto their American sites and do the same research? No. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Did anyone fix the errors in their local website which misleads their customers (which we pointed out to them)? - No. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">When we finally got a quote, their systems were not set up for the configuration we wanted and the quote had many extras included that were not standard (payable and therefore chargeable). Did we make them pay for their disorganisation? Luckily for them - no we didn't. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">We basically had to tell them what was wrong with their quote. Fortunately we finally came out of the black hole and found someone who treated us well. We received an accurate comprehensive quote, the truck was ordered and work commenced on the tray etc. Then this professional person went on leave. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Prior to doing so he provided us with a total update, alternative contacts during his absence and all the information he could possibly provide. We were to be 'managed' by his Sales Manager during his absence. Heavy sigh... </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">We went back into the black hole from whence we came. We had to chase him to get updates, when is it going to be available etc etc. The scheduled delivery date came and went without any contact from him/them. When we finally tracked down the Sales Manager - oops, oh sorry, haven't been in the office for 2 weeks. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">He couldn't tell us the status of it and had to call back the next day after he'd spoken to another person. (No records in place for him to be able to view and be updated). It wasn't ready yet, but we were assured everything was ok - we were assured everything was fine and it was all just waiting to be put together (late, but still okay). Well of course I wouldn't be writing about it if that was the case. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">They went to fit the winch (which they'd had for weeks), oh - it's the wrong one. Had they checked it when it was first delivered? Obviously not. Further delays ensued while they couriered a new winch from another state. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Then it was ready, finally complete, woo hoo. Great excitement on the day. Both my husband and I had taken the day off work to go and pick it up. But we had to leave empty handed. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Did the central locking work properly? No. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Were the floor mats on the floor that were to be included? No. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Did it have any fuel in it? No.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Did the radio work? No. Were there known issues with the radios? Yes. Did they check it, No. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Later that night I realised that (in our disgust) we left some paperwork and a set of keys on the seat of the truck. I therefore sent a fax to the Sales Manager asking him to ensure that these were brought with the truck the next day when it was delivered (we weren't going to take another day off). Did they arrive with the truck? .... Of course not. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">They didn't even put water in the windscreen washer container! </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">At the end of the day there were many individuals involved and when the sales person went on leave the whole thing turned to custard. Ultimately, we got the truck and it meets all our expectations (so far). But am I nervous about future servicing and dealing with any potential issues? Absolutely! </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Their care factor seems wobbly at best. If they have Quality Assurances practices in place - there are gaping holes in them or they simply aren't being followed. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Are their records updated to show the progress of every step, every requirement, every Quality check point, online automated relationship points etc in place. Absolutely not. If they were we would not have been stuffed around as we were. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">When we telephoned the Sales Manager and tracked him down (the - oh sorry, haven't been in the office for 2 weeks), could he tell us the status of our vehicle? No, he had to wait until the next day until he could talk to someone to find out. There was obviously no shared online records to show the status of each client's project. Their online records were obviously 'empired' into the different sections of the business so he couldn't tell where logistics or the workshop were up to in preparation for delivery. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Their information is down to what an individual person knows or records. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">The whole thing was an example of how poor organisation and the lack of quality practices / record keeping contribute to poor customer relationships.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Could I fix it? In a flash. Do they realise what is inadequate so they can fix it? I don't think so. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">There seemed to be just excuses rather than real recognition of cause, then rectification. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Quality Assurance and Records Management are not just about creating some 'stuff' and leaving it there. It is the consistent and continual integration of those developed systems within the business culture. If there is a failure in those practices, it should be used as opportunity for improvement by being recorded, managed via Non Conformance and rectification steps put in place. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">We did, of course, get a free mug and bag. That makes me feel so much more like a valued client (not). </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">If your customers think the same about your customer management - how many people are they telling about it? One blog/article, many readers. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">To make matters worse we have just received the registration sticker - and the vehicle was built nearly a year before we took delivery but no one had informed us that it was a 2007 model. What a joke. </div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Anyway, the trucks just sell themselves don't they? </div></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;" valign="top"><div class="sig" id="sig" style="color: #4b4b4b; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Trudy Robinson<br />
MCom (ecommerce) Grad Cert, Dip PM, Dip Bus, AFAIM<br />
<a href="http://www.trudyrobinson.com/" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;" target="_new">http://www.trudyrobinson.com</a><br />
Records with Purpose, for Purpose</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">A 20-Year veteran of the consulting industry, Trudy is unique among the experts as the woman who has actually developed and executed solutions to the day-to-day problems for small, medium and large businesses.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Unlike other 'experts' who merely conjure up good ideas or sponsor more and more software, Trudy actually produces systems, training manuals, organisational devices and mentoring that transform good strategies into great profits. She's executed countless low-cost, proven strategies for small to medium businesses. Further, she has counselled many corporations and entrepreneurs in leveraging their business through organisational systems and mentoring.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal;">Trudy is Masters qualified and is an Associate Fellow within the Australian Institute of Management. Trudy speaks regularly to corporate business owners and has spent many years working and travelling internationally. As one of Australia's most respected authorities in the information products industry, she has developed a step by step system to take your workplace from chaos to control.</div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 1em;">Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Trudy_Robinson" style="color: #1900ff; text-decoration: underline;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trudy_Robinson</a></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div></span></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-79612607176210464622010-07-12T13:39:00.000+08:002010-07-12T13:39:00.786+08:00Customer Management System - Writing a Customer Relations Policy<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Writing a Customer Relations Policy</h1><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2010-06-16" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Jun 16, 2010</a> <a alt="Kristin Wood" class="feature_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/KristinWood" rel="nofollow" style="background-image: url(http://graphics.suite101.com/icon_star.gif); background-position: 0px -4px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Kristin Wood</a></span></div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black;"><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Creating a formal customer relations policy can benefit any company, from the largest corporations down to the one man micro-business. In order for a business to provide customer service satisfaction, each and every employee must be educated about customer complaint handling and customer retention strategy. The only thing worse than bad customer service is inconsistent customer service. A customer relations policy will help keep all staff members on the same page. Even in the smallest businesses, a well-written policy can help remind entrepreneurs of the value of a customer if he begins to feel frustrated or discouraged in his day to day interactions.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Writing Style for the Customer Relations Policy</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The goal for this document is to inform, not impress. Although the policy needs to be taken seriously, the writer should favor clarity over fancy wordings. An effective rule of thumb is to aim for a sixth grade reading level. Remember that clients and customers never need to see this policy; it is intended for staff members only. Minimize confusion or misinterpretations by using plain, direct language.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Developing a Customer Retention Strategy</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Repeat customers ensure a business's stability. No customer relations policy could be complete without a customer retention plan. No two retention strategies are alike. Each company offers different incentives to keep their customers loyal. Policy writers should review the mission statement and purpose of a company to help create this document. A customer retention plan should answer two questions: What are the customers looking for? What are the clear, practical steps this business can take to give them that?</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Some businesses might retain customers through providing quick, reliable service. Another business might focus on producing high-end quality products. Many businesses create loyal customers through a friendly demeanor and personal connection. These important factors should be in writing so all new workers can provide the same experience that regular customers have enjoyed for years.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The customer retention strategy should also discuss achieving a good first impression. This section might address maintaining a professional physical appearance, professional and unprofessional language, or <a href="http://technicalbusinesswriting.suite101.com/article.cfm/tips-for-professional-business-editing-and-proofreading" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">proofreading tips</a> for emails and faxes sent to customers.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Occasionally a business simply can't provide something the customer is looking for. These moments don't need to lose a potential loyal customer. The customer relations policy should detail how to handle this sticky situations, and how to <a href="http://business-writing.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-business-writers-deliver-bad-news-professionally" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">deliver the bad news professionally</a>.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Customer Complaint Management</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Every business needs to create a clear process for handling customer complaints. Each employee should handle unsatisfied customers or clients in the same manner. This process can be different for each company but certain aspects should never be overlooked.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">All unsatisfied customers should receive an apology. Many businesses enforce this policy even if the customer is clearly in the wrong. At the very least, the employee handling the complaint should apologize for the inconvenience. Often expressing sympathy can also soothe a ruffled customer. For example, the employee could say "I apologize, I can certainly see why this would be frustrating for you."</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">After the apology, the employee's next prerogative is to make it up to the customer. Sometimes this might include a refund, or free or discounted products and services. The complaint policy might include a specific action to appease unhappy customers and clients, or it could leave the course of action open. Employees might ask the customer himself how this wrong could be made right in his eyes.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Complaints come in many forms, so the customer relations policy might need to cover several mediums of communication. Customers might complain in person, by phone, or by email. Be sure to clearly explain how each complaint should be taken care of.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Measuring Customer Satisfaction</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">No customer relations policy is set in stone. Policy creators should establish a regular method of measuring the customer's satisfaction. One idea might be to implement seasonal or annual customer surveys. If customer satisfaction begins to lull, it is time to start rewriting the customer relations policy. Many businesses will also provide an anonymous suggestion box for both their employees and customers. The best policies come together with contributions from many different brains. Make this document a group effort that continually evolves, and above all else, keeps the customer first.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2010 Kristin Wood</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://technicalbusinesswriting.suite101.com/article.cfm/writing-a-customer-relations-policy#ixzz0tLjDst5A" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Writing a Customer Relations Policy</a> <a href="http://technicalbusinesswriting.suite101.com/article.cfm/writing-a-customer-relations-policy#ixzz0tLjDst5A" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://technicalbusinesswriting.suite101.com/article.cfm/writing-a-customer-relations-policy#ixzz0tLjDst5A</a></span></span></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-22605862566779433932010-07-12T13:36:00.000+08:002010-07-12T13:36:00.723+08:00Customer Management System - Create Customer Loyalty through Email Marketing<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Create Customer Loyalty through Email Marketing</h1><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2010-07-01" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Jul 1, 2010</a> <a alt="John Newman" class="contributing_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/johnnewman" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">John Newman</a></span></div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black;"><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Why is it that some customers will consistently buy from a specific vendor, even if a better price is available elsewhere? It might have something to do with what happens after the sale. Email marketing, when done correctly, can improve the business to customer relationship, keeping customers coming back and buying more.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Gaining and keeping customers is not just a matter of providing good products and services at good prices. That is certainly important, but today's business environment is information driven. Customers are better informed, and have more choices than ever before. Companies must add value to the entire customer experience if they are to succeed.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Building a Qualified Customer Email List</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Each customer that purchases a product through a company's website can be added to a mailing list and marketed to directly, later on. Working in this way, such a company could build its mailing list of qualified customers and target special promotions and sales to that customer base, saving valuable time and effort marketing to the company's specific audience, instead of everyone else.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">How Email Marketing Newsletters Add Value</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">When sending out emails to a customer list, companies shouldn't just send more advertising. Instead, customers should be sent even more useful information, in this case exclusive baking recipes and tips, covering whatever needs that customer might have. Advertising for related products and services would also be included.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Instead of sending out full articles, only email small introductions to the articles. Include links that take the customer back to the company's website for the full story, and further advertising. This not only adds value to the company's service, but ensures that customers return to the company's website again and again. Informational emails encourage continued patronage. The reason is simple: it goes beyond what the customer expects. Price is no longer the driving force for choosing this company over its competitors. The added value provided through an email newsletter has created customer loyalty.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Not contacting a customer after a sale is like throwing away a sale. It is a lost opportunity. If the customer likes the company's products and service, the customer relationship has improved and they will repay the company by referring their friends. Now the customer has become an evangelist for the company.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Follow Up with Customer Surveys</strong></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Follow up emails are also a part of email marketing, and customer loyalty. Many people like sharing their opinions, if asked. This also means that emails are not only for marketing purposes, but for sending out customer surveys to refine the business processes as a whole.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Email marketing surveys can also be a source of new customer leads. In the survey, ask customers if they have any friends who might benefit from the company's products and services, why, and the friend's email address. Try and get specific information about the customer's needs. If they respond, contact the customer and refer them to the spot in the company's website that holds the answers that solve the problem. Also follow up with any potential customer lead you've been given.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">What happens if a business contacts a customer, and the news isn't good? What if the product isn't working for them? Then what?</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Don't see it as bad news. It's not bad or good, it's just information. This is an opportunity to step in and help; to provide added value through service. Many times, a customer's expectation is that companies don't care. If the company jumps in and quickly solves the problem, the customer might be surprised. Helping customers work through a bad experience is a sign that the company takes each customer seriously. Sometimes, customers who have had a single bad experience, that was quickly corrected, become the most loyal customers, leading to more referrals and repeat business.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">As companies use email marketing, they create added value, giving their customers opportunities and incentives to purchase again. A single sale is not the best result. Creating a loyal customer who is willing to purchase again and again is much better.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2010 John Newman</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://e-commerce-marketing.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-to-create-customer-loyalty-on-the-internet#ixzz0tLibNzJY" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Create Customer Loyalty through Email Marketing</a> <a href="http://e-commerce-marketing.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-to-create-customer-loyalty-on-the-internet#ixzz0tLibNzJY" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://e-commerce-marketing.suite101.com/article.cfm/how-to-create-customer-loyalty-on-the-internet#ixzz0tLibNzJY</a></span></span></div>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924563266413959320.post-52102805731279320872010-07-12T13:33:00.000+08:002010-07-12T13:33:00.572+08:00Customer Management System - Setting up Customer Loyalty Programs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<h1 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Setting up Customer Loyalty Programs</h1><h2 style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A Guide to Rewards Programs, Loyalty Marketing,and Loyalty Solutions</h2><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #373737; line-height: 17px;"><a class="date" href="http://www.suite101.com/daily.cfm/2009-11-28" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #999999; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Nov 28, 2009</a> <a alt="Guy Lecky-Thompson" class="contributing_writer " href="http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/LeckyT" rel="nofollow" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Guy Lecky-Thompson</a></span></div><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;" /><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">It is common knowledge amongst sales and marketing professionals that the first sale is the hardest and most expensive. Customer loyalty programs are intended to take advantage of repeat sales as a way to offset the cost and effort of converting the visitor (be it online or bricks and mortar) into a customer.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The most common form of such a program is the customer loyalty card. Any loyalty scheme, however, will help to boost sales and income as long as it is a reward program that offers clear customer incentives that reward loyalty to the brand or retail outlet.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Designing Loyalty Rewards</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">A loyalty reward has to offer value to the customer: for low value, high volume businesses, such as sandwich shops, a typical loyalty reward is to offer a free sandwich once a number have been purchased. Each sandwich that is purchased earns the customer a stamp on a card – when the card is full it can be exchanged for a free sandwich.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Experimentation will be needed to find the sweet spot in terms of the number of units that qualify for a freebie.</em></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">At the other end of the scale, high value, high volume businesses might like to consider a discount reward scheme, or a points based system where accumulated points can be traded against in-store discounts or special offers. This last can also be combined with loyalty marketing to extend communication to loyal customers in order to generate repeat sales.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Loyalty Marketing Effort</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Once a loyalty scheme is in place, and providing that contact information (email, physical address, etc.) has been obtained, retailers can conduct loyalty marketing exercises. An example of this would be to offer the top 10% of customers by value (sales x average spend) some kind of special offer.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Or, if the marketing effort is to bring back customers who were previously loyal and who haven't visited in a while, they can also be contacted with special offers, in an attempt to woo them back.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Of course, this requires that quite some data is gathered and stored about shoppers and their habits, and to managing this requires some form of manual or automated loyalty management system.</div><h3 class="dynamic" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Implementing Loyalty Solutions</h3><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Before deciding how the loyalty solution should be implemented there are a few notes of warning:</div><ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Customer data is sacred, it should never be shared</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Customers have to be aware that by joining the scheme, they are agreeing to share some data</li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Local data protection rules must be strictly adhered to.</li>
</ul><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">The simplest form of loyalty solution is a stack of cards in a box, sorted alphabetically. Purchase values and dates can be added to the cards, and incentives offered to customers on demand. Provided that there are not too many customers on file, and that enough data is captured, this is sufficient for small retailers.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Larger retailers will want to computerize their loyalty solutions, and this can be achieved with a simple spreadsheet for medium sized customer bases, or full-blown professional packages, designed to help track all the information.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Of course, there are also multi-retailer card schemes for the largest of retailers, but these may require substantial investments or joining fees, not to mention participation in the cost of actually producing cards.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Whichever form of customer incentive scheme is implemented, it is vital to track and use the information wisely. Whether the result is searching through a box of cards, weeding out the top spenders or least frequent customers, or searching through a custom database to email special offers, managing a <a href="http://www.businessknowhow.com/marketing/loyaltyprog.htm" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">customer loyalty program</a> will pay dividends, and help to <a href="http://customer-relations.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_build_customer_relationships" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #336666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">build customer relationships</a>.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></div><div style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #aaaaaa; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 10px;">© 2009 Guy Lecky-Thompson</div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read more at Suite101: <a href="http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/setting_up_customer_loyalty_programs#ixzz0tLhks1CY" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Setting up Customer Loyalty Programs: A Guide to Rewards Programs, Loyalty Marketing,and Loyalty Solutions</a> <a href="http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/setting_up_customer_loyalty_programs#ixzz0tLhks1CY" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #003399; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/setting_up_customer_loyalty_programs#ixzz0tLhks1CY</a></span>bloggerratihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11606947534952629362noreply@blogger.com1