Why Chief Customer Officers Are Unhappy with CRM

CRM has its ups and downs.

When it comes to CRM, it comes to the attention of many chief customer officers (CCO) that the lack of functionality and capability of providing customer support in social media places a damper on CRM strategies. However, newer contact centers have been created to help eliminate the barrier.

CRM Helps – But Not Always Traditionally

When establishing the best customer relationship, a business should prepare themselves adequately with a set management training for all employees. Once you continue to move forward with your management skill training for customer relationships, it will become abundantly clear that the old CRM ways are now in the past.

While emails to customers, telephone calls and mail still constitute as beneficial for companies, it seems as though there is a discrepancy. CRM strategies are helpful, but they do not target social media. In fact, CRM systems seem to manipulate customers and minimize their needs – only collecting data and information to “sell” to customers.

On this topic, Garner notes:

IT managers can work with marketing and customer experience leaders to improve customer service. It is emerging as the best opportunity to keep customers engaged with the business, products and services. However, CRM process flaws and inadequate technologies could derail customer loyalty strategies.

However, the real issue at hand is making each customer feel necessary and important to the success of your company. Since traditional CRM systems do not develop personal relationships, company chief customer officers are beginning to find a keen interest in social media. More specifically, they are interested in how they enhance the customer’s experience when CRM systems are reconfigured.

Social Media Develops a Personal Relationship

Undoubtedly, social media created a sensation worldwide. What makes it sensational is the personalization customers and users receive from it. A customer or user is in complete control when using social media websites and a chain is created through similar opinions. This helps companies create a better social media presence and, in turn, creating long-term customers.

However, a company’s chief customer officers must learn to utilize their social media page wisely. When dealing with social media, learning how to respond to customers becomes a vital aspect of social media CRM. The skill asset entails you learn how to listen to what your customer’s are saying and to respond kindly and thoughtfully.

Michael Maoz, an analyst with Gartner, comments:

From 2013 forward, support of the customer will be greatly expanding to multiple devices, modes and channels, including customer forums, social media channels (such as Twitter and Facebook) and in-line during a self-service interaction via a smartphone or tablet.

When customers are in control, it flips the roll of how CRM is handled and allows a personal relationship to be established with each customer. However, it is the duty of the chief customer officer to help translate CRM strategies efficiently through social network portals.

Staples, for example, has an excellent social media platform for engaging customers. Staples has active customer engagement across various social media outlets.

CRM is Great When Used Correctly

When you are going through a change in CRM systems as a chief customer officer, it will be necessary for you to consider social media outlets. When applying CRM strategies to social networks in a positive manner, you can relate with customers personally.