Wednesday, June 20, 2012
It would be virtually impossible to exaggerate the importance of customer relations for businesses. By providing an excellent customer experience, companies can retain existing clients and, by developing a positive reputation, earn new ones.
William Vicary, writing for Business 2 Community, recently argued that social customer relationship management (CRM) can play a significant role in achieving this result.
As Vicary noted, social CRM tools can capture conversations regarding the company as they occur on social media channels. Consequently, organizations using the technology can gain valuable knowledge about their clients' desires and levels of satisfaction, information that can be used to improve companies' product and service offerings.
Social CRM can also help firms to engage directly with their customers. By doing so, an organization can demonstrate that it cares about its individual clients, engendering loyalty.
However, as Kora Sexton, also of Business 2 Community, recently highlighted, companies must remain committed to social CRM for the technology to yield dividends. They must check their social media channels regularly and respond to queries and comments quickly, or they may disappoint their customers.
