Technological advances have changed the way we live, the way we work and our expectations. Connected CRM can help you to exceed the expectations of your customers and your workforce.
In the not so distant past, the whole family used to have to take a trip to the supermarket on a Saturday morning to get the weekly shop. Children were bored, the supermarket was heaving and the parents must have been pretty stressed.
Fortunately, things have changed – a lot. Unlike the workforce of the past, many people no longer solely work 9 to 5 in an office during the week. Thanks to the development of digital and cloud technology, a large number of workers have flexible hours and many work for some of their week from home. A report by the UK’s Trades Union Congress found that 4.2 million Britons regularly worked from home, up from 3.4 million in 2005. People have the ability visit a supermarket when they want to and are not restricted to a Saturday morning trip.
Not only have working practices changed, but shopping practices have too. Many busy, time-poor people now choose to shop over the internet. Groceries can be selected online and delivered to the home, or a click and collect system means they can be picked up from a store when it is convenient.
66% of people expect a response to their queries on the same day
43% believe they should receive a response within the hour
This convenience that online shopping offers needs to be mirrored in customer service. Research in the US found that 66% of people surveyed about customer service expected a response to their queries on the same day, 43% believed they should receive a response within the hour.
A changing workforce and changing customer experience and expectation are two challenges that many businesses, not just those in the retail sector, face today. But just as advances in technology have led to these changes, technology solutions such as customer relationship management can be what helps your organisation to overcome any obstacles and even to take advantage.
Connected CRM – managing customer interactions
Cloud-based CRM can make the connections that will help you to meet customer expectations. It will give you access to all the information about a customer and their order, the order status and their previous experience and interactions with your company. The customer will be able to connect with your organisation at any time in the sales cycle and receive real-time and relevant insights.
Connected CRM and the workforce
CRM will also help you to connect with a disconnected workforce. Cloud-based CRM can correlate and merge data from different IT systems and new Internet of Things sources. You can connect your operations, finance, service, sales, marketing and human resources sections, so that everyone can be aware of what is happening and have access to information, wherever they are.
Ignoring the demands of the modern customer, both internal and external, is something that organisations can no longer afford to do. Connected technologies such as CRM can and should therefore become the beating heart of your organisation.
