Outside the Ecosystem - CRMAdvocate: 11/30/2011

CRMAdvocate
Advocate for the customer experience, contact centers, and CRM

Blog (1,515) Events (10) Webcasts (22) Past Editions (3,525)

Subscribe About Contact Home

My Take: Outside the Ecosystem
Gary Lemke, Chief Customer Advocate (November 30, 2011)

Winter has arrived . . . at least where I call home. First sign of the change in seasons: a light blanket of the season's first snow has landed. Second sign: all the leaves have fallen off the trees. Check that, they have fallen from all the trees except one.

This lone stubborn tree is holding on its bright red stained leaves while the brethren has long shed the last leaf. I find it quite odd that every other tree in the area, including those of the same species, stand naked for the winter. Alas, this shy and stubborn tree refuses to go along with Mother Nature's script.

I pass by this tree each day on the way to the mailbox and chuckle to myself at the thought that this tree represents the independent nature of the lunatic fringe - those customers and their actions that defy expectations.

Human nature is a funny thing when it comes to the customer experience. Rational expectations set us up to get blindsided by uncooperative clients. Predictive analytics offer valuable insights within boundaries. If a tree can find a way to surprise us outside the norm, how much more can customers act outside our ecosystems?

Do you agree? What's your take?

Gary Lemke

Share

Call Center Event: January 23 - 26, 2012. Orlando, FL

Join CRMAdvocate (no cost)
We never share your info: privacy policy

20,000+ members . . . and growing

Lasting Impressions:
And the heart that is soonest awake to the flowers is always the first to be touch'd by the thorns. - Thomas Moore

     CRMAdvocate Blog (1,515)
     Industry Events (10)
     Webinars (22)
     Past Editions (3,525)
     Share your Take
     Join CRMAdvocate (no cost)

Bettering the Customer Experience . . .

CRM Returns $5.60 for Every Dollar Invested
CRM applications continue to deliver high return on investment (ROI), with an average benefit of $5.60 returned for every dollar spent, according to a Nucleus Research analysis. Where other software areas show smaller incremental returns after reaping the greatest benefits in initial deployments, CRM was found to deliver significant ROI throughout its lifecycle, often enhanced by further investment. Organizations effectively deploying secondary applications, such mobile, social, marketing optimization and sales analytics can see triple-digit ROI while greatly increasing employee productivity. . . . read more >>

Salesforce.com Unveils New Radian6 Social Marketing Cloud
The Radian6 Social Marketing Cloud extends the social enterprise to marketing with new features in social monitoring, insights, engagement, workflow and websites. Together these capabilities will let companies turn social conversations about their products, brand and industry into dynamic engagements that strengthen customer relationships. . . . read more >>

Visit our At-Home Workforce Library

An at-home workforce definitely has its advantages - lower costs, higher quality reps, flexibility, environmental benefits and more. If you are interested in learning more about the pros and cons of an at-home workforce as well as real-world strategies that work, visit our complimentary At-Home Workforce Library full of valuable resources including:

The Work-At-Home Agent Model for Improved Customer Loyalty whitepaper
A case study from SUPPORT.COM
Videos from Recyclebank, FamilySearch, and Frontline Call Center

Opinions Pretending to Be Data: The Benefits of Tracking Activity
Despite their benefits, there are serious problems with modern CRM systems—from the hours of data entry required to the shockingly low compliance rates. These are well known by everyone who uses or builds CRM systems. But one of CRM's shortcomings hasn't been well addressed. Although these systems act as the database for their companies, much of what resides in them isn't really data. The solution is clear, but not simple—we have to move from reporting opinions to tracking activity.    . . . read more >>

Altitude Announces New Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Connector
Altitude Software announced the release of the Altitude + MS-CRM Connector for Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, a pre-packaged solution. The integration solution between Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and Altitude uCI suite provides out-of-the-box functionality to reduce solution deployment time and enables businesses to stop wasting time on manual operations.   . . . read more >>

Xactly Launches Its iPad App on Salesforce
Xactly Express for iPad is currently available for test drive on the AppExchange Mobile or as a free download for Xactly Express customers at the Apple App Store. Xactly Express is a self-service sales compensation management software designed specifically for SMBs. With a guided workflow, Xactly Express enables users with little to no compensation administration experience to rapidly create sales commission plans, calculate commissions and export payments to payroll, all from a single, easy-to-use solution.   . . . read more >>