Customer Relation Management:"Ten Rules For CRM Success"

Based from the ten rules for CRM success, Elliott Bay is executing rule number nine well.

Rule # 9: Build the team. “Although an effective CRM solution begins with vision from the top, it is critical to build the right team before purchasing the software and beginning the training…”(Strauss 382).

In my opinion, an effective CRM solution does not begin with the vision from the top; an effective CRM solution begins and ends with the team. One may have a vision but in order to execute that vision, one needs a team. Additionally, businesses need effective teams in place to succeed because a team is a business’s core and foundational support structure.

Elliott Bay has not only built a team, Elliott Bay has built a strong team of booksellers. For instance, Elliott Bay takes pride in having a knowledgeable staff of booksellers. The booksellers at Elliott Bay are equipped to locate and recommend the right book for each customer. In addition to having a knowledgeable staff, the employees at Elliott Bay also present and write full-scale book reviews on a bi-monthly basis throughout the year. This bi-monthly book review makes the staff of booksellers at Elliott Bay a valuable asset to the customer’s experience. For starters, an average bookseller performing their job would most likely focus on the sales costs. However, the booksellers at Elliott Bay go further than the average bookseller’s job description and have become talkers; talkers whom embed themselves into the customer’s experience and talkers whom do everything in their power to support the customer’s curiosity, enthusiasm, and love for reading.

Furthermore, based again from the ten rules for CRM success, Elliott Bay could improve their execution of rule number one.

Rule # 1: Recognize the customer’s role. “…Customer relationship management may be a misnomer because successful firms don’t “manage customers” but provide technology so that customers can manage their relationships with the company”(381).

Elliott Bay has just recently provided technology that allows for the customer to manage their relationships on a deeper level with the company such as Twitter and Facebook. However, Elliott Bay’s Twitter and Facebook accounts are linked together and share the same updates. For instance, there is no special or unique difference from being a fan on Facebook to being a follower on Twitter. Elliott Bay’s updates are also only about upcoming events. Twitter and Facebook are great outlets for spreading the message about upcoming events but they can also be useful tools for creating a two-way dialog with the customer. This two-way dialog with the customer on Twitter and Facebook is an opportunity for Elliott Bay to explore and improve upon. In addition, Elliott Bay has yet to provide the customer with mobile and video technology usage. Elliott Bay has briefly started to use QR codes on their staff recommended books but that is the only form of mobile they utilize and as for videos and podcasts, there is none. This type of technology is something Elliott Bay would like to and needs to look into.

Happy Thursday!

Connie Rae