It is clearly necessary to establish a relationship with our customers. This should involve jointly agreeing what expectations and attributes are required if the relationship is to flourish and bring increased benefits to both parties. Softer benefits are also needed from companies, values such as empathy, confidence, and trust, as well as hard outcomes. We need to understand that relationship management is not just about technology - it is about knowing our customers; knowing them in the past and in the future, who they are, what they want and expect, and what they are likely to want and expect in the future.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
Customer focus should be at the heart of corporate strategy. Customers don't use the same language that marketers use. They don't perceive themselves as having "relationships" with companies. Their interpretation of "relationships" is understood through decent customer service, effective complaints-handling, the quality of the reception they get when they contact us by phone or in person. We need to ensure that we treat our customers as partners, not as targets. IT developments are no good without a clear customer strategy that comes from the heart of the organisation and reaches all the way through it. We need to invest in understanding customer preferences for interactions and experiences. This helps to identify unspoken needs and create different, sometimes unexpectedly beneficial, experiences.