Fixing the flaws of CRMs

There has been considerable hype on CRM solutions, the
productivity, the information, the improved customer
relationships, you name it. But everything has its
flaws, and the seemingly perfect philosophy has its
own too, both psychologically and financially.

Repetitive, menial work

Its hard work to populate a database; and it doesn’t
help if you imagine the number of hours people have to
type in the initial content of the database. It has
been said that doing this menial task can take up from
a few weeks to a good number of months, ouch.

This will slow down the whole system of the
organization, given the stress interns receive and the
panic managers have to go through because of the
urgency of the data. In order to solve this recurring
problem, a simple but marginally costly measure must
be made: hire temporary workers.

There is always a small pool in the market that is
dire need of a job. They don’t mind if it pays to
little, as long as it puts money in the pocket. Those
are the people companies must target so as the core
group of people in the company doesn’t get unnecessary
stress.

Design has a purpose You’re not blind; you’ve read the
subheading right: design does have a purpose in
company efficiency and it’s premised on basic
convenience. A well-designed data template must be in
store in company databases; there are a lot of
templates from the CRM systems but it may also
complicate things.

A good advice is to search through the net for
consumer reports and simply pick the recommended one,
preferably the one with sleek pull down menus and with
icons that truly represent what they mean. You have to
love the internet, no?

Less is more Sometimes, too much information is in the
CRM system, and it simply frustrates users to find the
information that they want. But then if there is too
less information, no progress shall be made.

What should be done to solve this problem? The answer
is good segmentation. The team must know how to
organize everything and keep information as
conversational and concise as possible.

There is no need of often-misleading jargon
reminiscent of audit reports. This is a section of the
business where the "KISS rule" applies; and for the
sake of efficiency and less headaches, be organized
and inputs should be as casual as possible.

Attention to detail Too many companies trust CRM
software too much and they wonder why their firm is
underperforming compared to competitors. The problem
in this case lies not on CRM software; it is the
complacency of managers.

Yes, consumer tastes can be effectively monitored, but
loyalty cannot be built with that. It still comes down
to each sales clerk in the business and how they talk
and look to customers.

The company’s image is practically in their hands as
they are the first people customers see. Not only
should managers pay attention to detail in their
database, they also shouldn’t forget a basic rule:
their personnel speak for the company.

Conclusion With all the hoopla surrounding the
business world about CRM solutions, it is natural that
some companies get complacent and virtually put their
companies on the information CRM applications provide.

Don’t get into that pitfall, thinking that it
"automatically" provides answers to marketing
questions. The heart of the company is always in the
people that handle it; it’s neither on the facilities
nor on the technology. Read More......

The Unintended Sincerity of SugarCRM

Nowadays, proprietary software has become "bloatware":
software that has too many features and as an added
consequence, the computer will run slower. These kinds
of inconveniences stem from the seller’s assumption
that consumers usually go to the "heavy" applications
in their software needs. Furthermore, the immense
marketing that sellers usually do is a testament that
these companies care more about their profits and
development more than yours. Ironically, it seems that
they try to improve your business model so that theirs
will too.

At the end of the day, what CRM software does
everything such applications should and also come off
as lightweight, quick and efficient?

Enter SugarCRM: not only is it a cost-effective
alternative to expensive CRMs that corporations sell,
it has also proven itself to a respectable CRM
application is inconceivably free of charge. That’s
because no one owns the software, since it is
open-source.

The advantages of open-source software

The wonderful mix of words "open source" and "CRM
software" benefits executives, both from high-scale
corporations to small-time businesses is that they can
customize it to their needs. An example of an
open-source application is the web browser, Mozilla
Firefox. As one may observe, he/she may put add-ons to
the application, trying to add a certain
characteristic to it, making it more suited to the
user: there’s the no-script add-on for
security-conscious users and adblock for those who
dislike certain advertisements that eat up RAM. This
is the type of personalization every open-source
software, including SugarCRM, that makes it
lightweight yet versatile.

Another feature is the availability of the source
code. Each user of the software has an opportunity to
fix annoying bugs and errors that may still be present
in the application. So to speak, with the reach of the
web and the success of open-source applications, it
may be safe to declare that SugarCRM has actually a
lot of "testers", contributing to the safety,
reliability and quality of the product.

Lastly is the software’s longevity. There is no single
entity on which the future of the software depends,
which is common with proprietary products/software.
Usually, a company relies on a software manufacturer
that improves upon the application. If the
manufacturer closes shop, then the future of the
program is stymied and future versions are definitely
out of sight. The thing about open-source is that no
single entity creates the software, so its development
is sure to ensue. But in the rare case that the
started the code decides to stop development, there is
always another software group fixing things up for
consumers, and it is without neither legal nor
practical limitations.

Lighter and faster than any other CRM

By the time you download the free CRM software, it is
incredibly lightweight (around 40MB) compared to other
CRMs like Microsoft Dynamics (280MB). But basically,
you are provided with a "software skeleton": you have
the absolute basics of the application and you have
options to download more in the internet, which makes
it fit to the downloading corporation’s system. Also,
obviously, when a program has lesser size, it is
faster; in the end, productivity will increase over
time. Compared to Microsoft Dynamics in
mid-performance servers and computers, SugarCRM
flutters towards its goal while MS Dynamics CRM labors
towards its goal.

Conclusion

Consumers have to deal with endless marketing pitches
and disappointing results from many corporations who
currently sell software, especially CRM applications.
But with the advent SugarCRM, the best open-source CRM
software available, customers are assured of a
lightweight and secure application because of its
open-source underpinnings. Read More......

The Role Of Customer Facing Operations With CRM

Customer relationship management is a strategy
focusing on the customer making their experience
excellent with the business.

The customer facing operations aspect of CRM is vital
because these are the individuals the customers have
direct contact with.

People can be the customer facing operations portion
and provide the experience the company desires when
they work in positions as customer service, sales, or
any position that has direct contact with.

When you have direct contact with a customer and you
are polite and courteous then you are creating a good
experience for them and it makes them want to come
back. This includes answering any questions the
customer might have and if you don’t know the answer
then finding someone who does.

When you are rude or discourteous to a customer then
you are creating a bad experience and potentially
losing a customer for life.

Computer systems and other forms of technology might
be the responsible for CRM also. This might include
data terminals in a book store you use to look up
books, public computers at a library, or the wireless
access you would like to use in your bedroom.

If the equipment you offer to a customer for use
doesn’t work then this too is creating a bad
experience which may also cause you to lose a
customer. Especially, if you offer wireless Internet
in a hotel room and it is not working.

This is because many people will stay at your hotel
because they need to be able to get work done while
they are traveling. You will lose them as a customer
if your equipment isn’t functional.

CRM is a strategy that focuses on every aspect of the
business to create an outstanding experience for your
customers.

The customer facing operations is the portion of the
business that has the most contact with the customer.
Read More......