CRM - May 2008 - (Page 19)

Insight ON THE SCENE: AIIM 2008 destinationCRM How UGC Can Benefit CRM Fostering online communities and embracing user-generated content can provide great value for CRM f there was one central notion em- virtual “smoking lounges”—prime spots phasized at this year’s AIIM confer- for consumer venting, praising, quesence in Boston, it was that of tioning, and informing. Integrating cusintegration. Presentations echoed tomer service into the user-generated the key idea of collaboration among arena can prove valuable for both parties. An August 2007 survey from online applications and processes. The future of CRM, attendees were repeatedly told, research publisher Bazaarvoice showed rests on putting to use Web 2.0 tech- 97 percent of consumer respondents niques and entering into the conversa- found ratings and reviews online either tion with user-generated content (UGC). “extremely helpful” or “very helpful.” At In a compelling presentation, Bryant Amazon.com, for example, gathering Shea from the Molecular interactive consumer ratings contributed to the agency extolled the importance of site’s enormous success.“If you look back “Building Online Communities.” The to Amazon with their ratings and resession provided case studies for suc- views, people believe in them and people cessful integration of UGC—and also like them,” Shea said. “They are the bigseveral horror stories. The lesson was gest mainstream vendor that gave a voice that today’s consumer has too much to customers.” Now the bar is set for other companies: Consumers power to be ignored. The expect to be engaged in a conMolecular group lists five rea- Integrating versation. UGC makes CRM a sons CRM vendors should sit customer truly two-way street. up and pay attention to UGC: According to Shea, UGC has to gain insight into the cus- service into the two other implications for tomer; to reach the customer user-generated CRM. One, it can help customer in a new way; to extend brand arena can prove service providers work more loyalty; to increase sales and efficiently. With Web-based redecrease costs; and to pro- valuable for sources, an increasing number mote brand awareness. (See both parties. of people are educating them“Power to the People,” December 2007, page 28, for more on UGC.) selves online first before reaching out to UGC’s benefits may be clear, but what contact centers. This cuts down on phone can it really do for CRM? Computer giant time for agents—customers are more Dell hit the UGC integration jackpot efficient with relaying their problems. On the flip side, Shea suggests that, with its message board–style site IdeaStorm. To engage the customer and pro- because consumers are more educated mote customer service, Dell asked site than ever before, they now have higher visitors to submit ideas for new products. expectations from the agents on the Within a short period of time, Dell re- other end of the line. He draws a comceived overwhelming input from users parison with people going out to buy a requesting pre-installed Linux on their new car. “They are saying, ‘I want this, PCs. Over the span of a few days and with this, and that for this amount of money.’ relatively no money spent, Dell gained In essence, that is the same as call cennew insight on what customers really ters: Customers are saying, ‘I did the want. No need for surveys or test groups. basic research, I expect you to be one Shea referred to message boards as step above that.’” —Lauren McKay www.destinationCRM.com Dashboard • Essential Strategies to Improve Customer Experience LAS VEGAS—The contact center is becoming an increasingly important facet in the arsenal of any company aiming to deliver not only highquality service to demanding customers, but a profit center for its own operations. Gauging the challenges and opportunities hidden within the contact center were the main points of emphasis at a presentation held at SAP CRM 2008. The simple notion at the core of the session may not, at first, seem like a contact center– specific theme: The classic ways of advertising for business are slowly dying. But the ramifications of that reality change the rules of the game. I • Oracle Finally Says “See Ya” to “Siebel” for On Demand CRM Oracle’s newest edition of its on-demand CRM application—On Demand Release 15—reflects the latest trends: innovations in how users access their CRM solutions— via hosted models, Web browsers, and semi-connected application functionality—and CRM that embeds the latest in social networking. “Oracle is making the concept of Enterprise 2.0 tangible by tying social networking and collaboration directly into [its] CRM offering,” explains Mary Wardley, vice president of CRM applications for research firm IDC. Release 15, it’s worth noting, also marks Oracle’s removal of the “Siebel” brand from its on-demand offerings, limiting the use of that name to the Siebel 8.x on-premise product line. • The Future of ECM Is Simplicity BOSTON—The notion of simplicity was bandied about quite often during the 2008 conference hosted by AIIM–The Enterprise Content Management Association— especially during the event’s keynote, which stressed one factor above all others: The implementation of simplicity is key to user adoption. (For the complete stories and more news, visit www.destinationCRM.com.) CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | MAY 2008 19 http://www.destinationCRM.com http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - May 2008

CRM - May 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Is CRM Too Hard for Microsoft Vendors Go Virtual For Feedback Sense-sational Marketing How UGC Can Benefit CRM DestinationCRM Dashboard Price Check, Aisle 5 Required Reading The Moving Target The Excellence Myth Seven Steps to SOA Success And They're Off! Are You Ready to Party? Skin in the Game The Right Numbers Secret of My Success Re: Tooling Connect Pint of View

CRM - May 2008

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