There are now 24 business hours in a day

Technology keeps your company’s doors open to customers around-the-clock.

How many times have you picked up the phone to call an organization only to realize that it’s after business hours? And how many times have you called an organization only to be routed from one automated voice to another? Then, when you actually reach a live person, they are unable to help you because they don’t have access to your account information.

This is a very real challenge for organizations today — they must be able to provide around-the-clock access, real people when your customers need them and up-to-date, shared customer information.

HR professionals in service-oriented organizations have become accustomed to the hassles associated with around-the-clock staffing and shift work. But today’s customers are demanding even more. When customers call, not only do they expect to reach the firm, they expect that the customer-service representative will have all of the required information — about the customer and products — at her fingertips.

For organizations that are trying to meet and exceed customer expectations in this way, the buzz phrase is “customer-relationship management” or CRM. Fortunately, there are new software applications that help organizations with their CRM.

According to the Gartner Group, the worldwide CRM services industry is expected to increase nearly ten-fold in the next three years. By 2001, companies will receive more than 25 per cent of their customer inquiries through the Web and the Internet.

Customers and business processes are more sophisticated today and demands are higher on quality and excellence when delivering customer service. Building relationships with customers and aligning business processes to be more customer focused is crucial to success. To do this, organizations need to understand their customers, anticipate their customers’ needs, and learn to nurture positive customer relationships. CRM technology can help organizations build that base of loyal customers.

CRM technology is designed to help organizations gather, report on and provide customer information so that every interaction with a customer is delivered and logged with up-to-the-minute data. Empowering customer care staff with on-screen information about who is on the phone and their history with the organization goes a long way to ensuring that the business can genuinely deliver on its promise of customer service excellence.

CRM technology is about partnering people with technology. The service business has evolved to the point where it is impossible to succeed without the aid of technology. When companies introduce CRM tools like high-powered phones and centralized customer databases into their businesses, they enable front-line service people to access the accurate, updated information that is essential for them to effectively manage their customer relationships.

Further, CRM technology can also enable organizations to provide customers with the flexibility of accessing product and service information any way they want — via phone and a real person, or via the Internet and self-service technology 24 hours a day. Choosing the right CRM technology to serve your customer relationship needs is a complicated task. To help simplify your decision, look for a partner that understands the technology, that can provide end-to-end solutions and has the expertise to develop a system that is customer-focused, based on your business and strategic needs.

CRM technology can enable your organization to provide personalized customer service through an advanced technology solution and to be in touch with your customers and their needs, every hour of every day, at their convenience.

Jim Jarvis is the president of Ceridian Canada Ltd., a Canadian payroll and human resource management systems solutions provider. Their Web site is located at www.ceridian.ca.

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