The Hindu Business Line : `Communication key to customer relationship'

THE art of customer relationship management (CRM) is all about communication. That was the crux of the recently-held CRM summit, sponsored by Ballarpur Industries and research consultancy firm Futurescape Netcom.

"CRM is a critical component to succeed in the new economy where relationships and not products determine success," Mr Hari Bhartia, CII Chairman (northern region) and Managing Director, Jubilant Organosys Ltd, said.

Other speakers at the summit included Mr Bob Thompson, founder of CRMGuru.com and Ms Namrata Rana, Managing Director at Futurescape Netcom. According to Mr Thompson, the CRM market is estimated at roughly $16.8 billion and is likely to increase consistently over the next 10 years.

Ms Rana was of the opinion that for CRM to succeed, what was required was providing customers great experiences across multiple locations and all touchpoints.

"To keep the customer experience fresh and positive, companies should map out customer behaviour and run pilot projects to see how the changes that they are making are actually getting reflected at the ground level. CRM is not about technology, processes and one-to-one marketing but a change in mindset which puts the customer at the top of the organisational chart. To succeed, companies need to empower themselves and their partners to think from a customer's perspective. The art of CRM is about how we communicate with our customers, and technology enables the change," Ms Rana said.

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`Communication key to customer relationship'