Over the years, the way a business interacts with its customers has transformed to a great extent. People have become more aware about the services being offered and accordingly, the quality expectations have also mounted. With the expansion of information technology media, it has become imperative for businesses to mend the ways in which they attract and retain their customers. With the changing ways of business, the customer has become quite powerful and is the driver of the company’s policies as a company usually forms policies which are convenient for the customer.
The orthodox methods of running and controlling a business have been replaced with the modern and scientific methods which are more transient in nature. One such technological transformation has been seen in the way businesses retain and maintain relationships with their customers. The reason behind this is the involvement of human factors into it. A human brain is often unpredictable in terms of its nature. It acts differently in different situations and a business has to maintain a healthy relationship with its customers in order to know what attracts and persuades them. In today’s business, change is the only constant and there are various trends that have changed and transformed Customer Relationship Management practices.
Here is a list of the top four Customer Relationship Management trends of 2017:
- Cloud CRM:
The trend of cloud computing is on the rise and CRM is no exception. Cloud-based CRM software is a cost-efficient alternative for the collection, interpretation and usage of customer database. Unlike manually operated software, a cloud based CRM software does not need high maintenance cost or regular updating. Cloud based CRM is one of the most user friendly trends involved in CRM transformation and it is expected to grow at a fast pace in the years to come.
- Social Media CRM:
Around 2008, leading companies started the use of Twitter and Facebook to establish communication with their customers. Since then, Social Media Marketing has continued to be a trend among business entities and has received considerable attention from them. In an era when social networking websites attract a major portion of the population, businesses don’t want to miss a chance to engage with the customers in dialogues over social media and maintain an informal touch to their relationships.
- Centralization
As the CRM process largely revolves around the database of customers, the latest trends in information technology and business make the process of centralization of database collection and interpretations easier. A centralized analysis of data helps businesses in engaging with potential customers more effectively. Customer Relationship Management’s role is not just limited to the sales but is also useful for maintaining relationships and expanding the customer base further.
- Elasticity
Flexible CRM platforms are gaining popularity at a rapid pace among business enterprises. With the introduction of Sugar CRM in the year 2004, elastic CRM platforms came into existence. The concept of elastic CRM helps in customizing the CRM software to meet specific objectives. It also allows the integration of multiple software and multi-channel publications within the business.
The marketing and technological dimensions of CRM are expected to grow in the upcoming years. More and more companies in the field of tourism would like to gain benefit from CRM by increasing their presence across various social platforms. The business entities which are looking forward to harness the power of customer relationship management are expected to form the strategies which are more in line with the customer’s viewpoint. The influence of customer’s opinion is likely to not just retain its power but also become more powerful in future.
We believe with efficient use of CRM tools, Travel Business can grow business multifold and primarily can reap the following benefits
- Repeat business from same customers.
- New Referral business.
- Recognize the potential of customer.
- Judge customers’ spending behavior and profile customers.
By knowing customer well, travel agency can create happy travelers and customers and can also serve them better? Are you ready?
Happy to hear your views on the same, drop message on info@mytravdesk.com