Random House - Software Solutions

Hybrid Customer Relation Management

Customer service and support is vital in maintaining successful business relationships. Providing accurate and timely information in a professional manner is the key to any business operation. CRM (contact management) software increases the productivity of sales team while providing a reliable presentation of critical product and customer information. CRM database empowers you with the ability to create and manage virtually any number of marketing and sales campaigns.

The most important part of CRM is the uni-source of customer data. This does not mean that there has to be one physical database, but that there is one consistent view of customer, which should be accessible by all parts of the company.

Why is CRM Necessary?
Several companies are turning to customer-relationship management systems and strategies to gain a better understanding of their customer's wants and needs. This concept used in association with data warehousing, data mining, call centers and other intelligence-based applications, CRM "allows companies to gather and access information about customers' buying histories, preferences, complaints, and other information so that they can better anticipate what customers will want. The goal is to instill greater customer loyalty."

Characteristics Of Traditional System

_ Silo of information

_ Different views of customer, even in front office

_ Limited communication among departments

_ No transparency through supply chain

Benefits

Faster response to customer inquiries

Increased efficiency through automation

Deeper understanding of customers

Increased marketing and selling opportunities

Identifying the most profitable customers

Receiving customer feedback that leads to new and improved products or services

Obtaining information that can be shared with business partners

Cut costs and keep customers

A happy customer will tell 3-4 potential clients, which will create new business.

Selling efficiently creates loyalty and therefore more business.

Maximize the lifetime value of each customer.

Increase revenue growth through customer satisfaction.

Reduce costs of sales and distribution

Minimize customer support costs

Make information available to customer service representatives so
they can answer any query

Automate the call center so that representatives have direct access
to customer history and preferences and therefore can cross-sell

CRM Software Modules

CTI Server (Computer Telephony Integration)
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Voice Mail System (VMS)
Digital Call Recording (DCR)
Digital Conferencing
Automatic Call distribution (ACD)
Agents Management

Compatibility

Siemens

Panasonic

How does CTI Relate to CRM ?
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) will mean different things to different people but essentially it is recognising the value of long-term relationships and establishing loyalty with customers over a number of interactions. The centralisation of handling customer interactions using call centres takes away some of these senses . The likelihood of a CSR recognising a customer calling in when they may be calling from any part of the country is remote, so they need some assistance from technology. CTI can offer a number of business advantages to promote CRM when a business interacts with customers through a call centre.

Customer Identification
Greeting a customer is an extremely important moment for any business. The integration of key information from the telephony system with the business application can help locate key customer information automatically so that it is available on-screen at the moment the call arrives.

Customer History
By integrating telephony into the computer application, previous instances of customer contact can be automatically logged. If these can be associated with customer transactions or enquiry details then the CSR has an immediate and powerful profile of the customer.

Business Process and Information Exchange
Once a conversation is in progress there is a natural exchange of information between the customer and CSR. In many call centres the skill of the CSR determines the pace and flow of the exchange. This can be assisted by on-line applications to ensure that essential data is captured.

Analyse Customer Data
The analysis of customer data may be a simple or a complex process. A business needs to map its products and services to specific customer profiles so that it will get maximum return on its marketing and sales efforts. For instance, if you were selling children's books it would help to know the number of children in a family, their gender and age. Each book can be mapped against either boy or girl of specific ages to ensure maximum return for minimum effort.

Segmentation and Proactive Contact
CRM is encouraging businesses to be more proactive in contacting their customers. They need to contact them in a way that is sensitive to their needs. Most people will be frustrated if they receive calls to promote products and services that are not of interest or even relevant to them, for instance trying to sell double- glazing to someone who rents a flat would be a waste of each parties time.

Proactive Contact Cycle
This proactive contact cycle is a key component in a CRM strategy. It is the development of the business around an improving understanding of its customers. The customer benefits from being offered products and services that are more applicable to their needs and the business benefits from better use of resources to increase and drive revenues.

For further information please contact

info@rhsoftsolutions.com