Why do you need a CRM?

A recent study by the Aberdeen Group found that 81 percent of all companies that use visual engagement integrate with a customer relationship management (CRM) solution like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics. A technology with such a large adoption rate is nothing to sneeze at. If you want to get in the game and improve your customer service, no doubt you need a CRM as a core technology for your customer experience strategy.

What is a CRM?

A customer relationship management technology allows a company to store and manage all prospect and customer data in one central location. Even in a small business, it is impossible to remember every interaction. There is just too much to keep track of. Storing data in one central location is key for a support agent to access data quickly and easily. Easier access for an agent drives better service for the customer. Many of today’s cutting-edge CRM solutions offer additional dynamic and robust features to further improve the overall customer experience.

Listed below are some of the most recommend features.

1. A unified agent desktop with a knowledge base

Besides storing customer data, relevant information valued by customers, such as a knowledge base, is a real value-add. This is especially true when all pertinent information is displayed on a single screen for easy access by the support agent. Too many applications open at once, through which an agent has to toggle between, slows them down.  A single view of the customer equips an agent to solve a customer’s issue fast, with less effort. It can even enable more personalized interactions, building relationships and loyalty along the way.

Less time and effort for an agent equals savings for the company too. According to Omer Minkara, research director of contact center and customer experience management for the Aberdeen group:

“An average agent today spends about 15 percent of their time trying to look for information to help customers and that costs about a million dollars for a 300 seat contact center.”

2. A single online platform

A CRM built on an online platform means that everyone in your business from the customer success team to product development to engineering can have access and collaborate. Since customer service is a team effort, a 360-degree look at a customer by cross-functional teams is essential for analyzing and improving all aspects of the service.

3. Third-party applications integration

Perhaps the greatest feature differentiator is the ability to integrate third-party applications into your CRM. With just a minor investment, you can maximize the customer experience with a whole host of cool apps like visual engagement solutions such as cobrowse, screen share, chat, and video.

As Tom Martin, chief executive officer of Glance Networks, explained in a recent visual engagement webinar:

“Many companies recognize the power and value of a CRM. They really put the customer at the center and they’re looking at platforms where they can not just capture information but also take action depending on what action is required.”

Glance for Salesforce is one such game-changing integration. It offers visual engagement to otherwise flat interactions. Say an agent is speaking with a customer from a Lead or Opportunity object from within Salesforce. Depending on the needs of that customer, the agent can instantly launch a screen share or cobrowse session without ever leaving the specific object environment.

This object-level integration not only reduces agent effort but provides the agent with the ability to see exactly what the customer sees instantaneously. Now the agent can guide a customer visually through the call with ease. Barriers to communication are vanquished, thereby leading to more effective and efficient conversations.

4. Real-time data capture and analytics

Actionable insights through reports and dashboards give you the ability to fine-tune any process during the customer journey. For example, with automatic visual engagement session data, you can correlate what tools are being used and understand their effects to manage and improve your business.

Capitalize on the inherent power of your CRM

Companies that use visual engagement technology see far greater year-over-year improvements in various key performance indicators (KPIs) which in return benefit not just the customer experience, but the organization’s bottom line. For example, Aberdeen has noted that there is almost a three times greater (8.5 percent vs. 3.2 percent) increase of minimizing the customer effort score (CES) for companies who use visual engagement compared to those who don’t. Moreover, investing in visual engagement delivers year-over-year improvements of annual company revenue of 8.8 percent compared to companies that don’t invest (4.8 percent).

If you want to up your game and maximize the power and reach of your CRM, use data-driven visual engagement technology. Agents, customers, and the company’s bottom line will appreciate the investment!

About Glance Networks

Glance helps enterprise organizations create the ultimate customer experience with smart, omni-channel visual engagement solutions based around integrated cobrowse, screen share, and one-way agent video. We are one of the world’s simplest, most reliable and secure platforms that enable companies to see, show and share anything online, creating a frictionless path to great experiences in sales, support and customer service. The result is improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, increased revenue growth and operational savings. From financial services and healthcare to retail and travel and leisure, even the most advanced technology and SaaS organizations – we transform the customer experience for today’s business. Learn More »

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