Many are the SMEs that quickly relied on the implementation of CRM solutions to transform their relationship with the customer.
But this rapid adoption of the software is destined to fail if it is not accompanied by a change of mentality within the members of the organization, since CRM is not a magic tool, but one that must be implemented properly and needs a trained group, which dedicate himself exclusively to it. It must be considered that small and medium-sized companies have an average of 50 employees, which makes it impractical to allocate some of them to the exclusivity of data processing.
Normally, this responsibility falls to the marketing or sales manager, who gathers the semi-processed information from the department heads to make some determination.
Otherwise, all the useful information that can be obtained through it becomes fruitless.
The most common failures when acquiring CRM are two:
- Many times the implementation of CRM is limited to the IT department, so it becomes irrelevant both for the company and for the customer it is trying to serve better.Although CRM has been implemented correctly, only a part of the company uses it and Therefore, the client receives a segmented experience when dealing with this and its different divisions.
For the CRM implementation to bear fruit, the company must understand its ramifications and consequences, not only for the customer service area, but also for the marketing departments, sales, call centers and websites.
After all, companies exist because customers exist and, therefore, it must be taken into account that although the influence of the customer on internal processes and the way of doing business is indirect, it is a determining factor.
On the other hand, because CRM is still a recent application and the first of its kind, many companies seem to believe that buying the software is enough to make their customer service area shine.
Well, it is worth mentioning that the implementation of CRM must be progressive and that it needs a working group specialized in its management before the advantages it brings begin to shine (what good is it, for example, that the software generates statistical data if there is no someone who knows how to analyze them?), since in the same way in which every company needed time to adapt to the technological revolution and its effects on its business model, it must be understood that CRM will bring advantageous changes only if it is not expected to do magic.
While implementing CRM solutions will have long-term satisfactory consequences, realizing that it is not an exception to the rule that no type of software has immediate benefits is imminent.
Additionally, it should be taken into account that the use of CRM must be accompanied by a large share of the traditional values of customer service; listen to it and treat it as a unique value so that the benefits are real.
