 OUR TAKE -
Am I Dreaming?
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Sunshine is the best disinfectant.
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Louis D. Brandeis
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I knew from the beginning a discussion on transparency as it relates to the customer experience would be a tough climb. I have spent quite a bit of time in this column developing the idea because I believe it to be a worthwhile journey. And, to be sure, I have attempted to be encouraging. Not everyone has seen it that way. One reader wrote:
"I've been following your transparency discussion, which is frankly turning into a rant, with some degree of disinterest because it is unachievable. The more fundamental issues at the moment like sincerity and trust are so far eroded that transparency isn't going to work anyway since everyone assumes lies as a starting point. Given that we re-establish trust, and transparency could play a contributing role, then there's a pony here. Until then it will only be used as a trick to conceal truth."
I am left scratching my head considering such a paradox. It seems most CRMAdvocate readers are already "bought in" to the idea of perfecting the customer experience. Yet experience has left many of us disillusioned about what can really be achieved.
Do I dream too much? Maybe, but I'm not giving up on the dream. In places like Iran, we are watching in real time how technology can create the feeling that transparency has a new and more important role. Time will tell what that role will be. That's my take. Do you agree? What's your take?
Gary Lemke, Publisher
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| Vignette | 12.95 | | -0.1 |
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As of 4:00 p.m. on 6/16/09 |
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 NEW IN CRM
Article: Is Organizational Trust in Short Supply?
At the core of all customer-focused organizations are two essential characteristics: trust and commitment. Through trust and commitment customer-focused organizations demonstrate that they are dependable, reliable and that they honor their word. With that said, my hat is off to Bill’s Jewelry Shop in downtown Grinnell, Iowa. In a recent article in The Grinnell Magazine I read that Elizabeth McJimsey Souder graduated from Grinnell College in 1988 without picking up her restrung pearl necklace from the Grinnell merchant. Shop owners Bill and Jeanne Hammen tried several times over the years to get in touch with Souder, but could not make contact. Over the next two decades Souder moved many times, while her forgotten pearls waited in Grinnell, stored away with some other pieces of unclaimed jewelry.(CustomerThink
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News: Force.com Free Edition Makes Cloud Computing Free for Business
Salesforce.com announced Force.com Free Edition, a new offering that provides tools to build and run their first cloud computing application including the database, unlimited real-time customization, analytics, real-time workflow and approvals, programmable cloud logic, integration, real-time mobile deployment, programmable user interface and Web site capabilities. Already, customers and partners have built more than 110,000 business applications on Force.com, from manufacturing, finance, and supply chain management to brand management, claims processing and order management.(Salesforce
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Report: The Economic Necessity of Customer Service 5 Recession-Busting Strategies To Cut Service Costs & Increase Sales
You are closely watching your metrics--Web site visitors, conversion rates, employee activity, etc. But how are you applying what you see? It is more important than ever to take specific steps to attract and retain customers. Take time to gain your customers' perspective.  | How easy, or difficult, is it for customers to do business with you? | | Where are your customers leaving your Website and how will this inform your business process decisions? | | What are the hidden costs of poor customer service? |
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In this report from Forrester Research, you will find concrete steps to improve your business--for your customers and your revenue.
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News: Italy's Enel Expands its Relationship with Amdocs
Enel, Italy's largest energy provider, has deployed contact center and agent interaction products from Amdocs CES - CRM 7.5. The customer management products will enhance the efficiency and performance of hundreds of contact center agents across the organization, and help Enel to deliver a more personalized customer experience. Enel has deployed Amdocs Smart Agent Desktop solution, an agent portal that provides a unified agent desktop to manage all customer interactions regardless of where the information resides, and supports first-call resolution. (Amdocs
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News: In-Sourcer Contact Centers of America Partners with VSI
Contact Centers of America (CCA), an Orlando, FL-based company that provides technical support and customer service contact center outsourcing services, will use and resell call- and service-management technology solutions from VSI. The two firms have agreed to partner to support CCA’s mission of providing on-shore contact center services. The companies estimate that 100 users will be operating on VSI’s technology within 90 days, with more than 1,000 expected to be operating within the next 12 months. Projected revenue for the sale will be more than $1 million. (VSI
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News: Rosetta Stone Speaks Customer Satisfaction with Text Analytics
With the increased popularity of social media, including blog postings, Twitter and Facebook status updates, and chat board responses, consumers are freely sharing opinions, beliefs, preferences and sentiments like never before. To proactively capture and analyze these consumer responses, Rosetta Stone relies on SPSS to uncover hidden trends in text responses to improve customer satisfaction, product development and marketing effectiveness.(SPSS
)
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