Much to do about Customer Relationship Management

"State of Grace"

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:23:00 +0000

So we are all customers of the world right? or is it the other way around?

I stood on the beach in Naples, Florida and captured this moment; my "State of Grace" displaying life's enormity and verification of my personal being and the presence of a supreme being whatever we perceive it to be.

We are so small compared to this but very significant when something of this magnitude touches our soul, how can it not?

I am guilty of not taking more time out to view and appreciate what is really important, necessary, relevant and constant in life...are you?

Faith is based on things unseen but there are times when I beg to differ.

The Real Wasted Pages by AT&T

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:32:00 +0000

The Real Yellow Pages - 1600 plus pages
The Real White Pages- 975 plus pages
The Real Yellow Pages Companion- 620 pages
1 Yellow Pages Plastic Bag
Total Weight- over 5lbs (yes I did weigh it)

It has been over 2 months since my last post and while I have had the urge to write I was lacking the emotional desire. There are a lot of reasons why which I will explain later but for now I feel compelled to rant some, about the above.

While working from home on Friday I noticed a van parked by the end of the street and saw several people walking through the neighborhood dropping off some items in a plastic bag.

I did not give it much thought knowing that it was the annual Yellow Pages drop from AT&T.

As I ran errands I took notice to all of the bags on the doorsteps of the homes in my subdivision and as I drove out to the next city to meet some friends for dinner I became obsessed with taking note of all of the bags on the door steps of homes, churches, and businesses along the way.

It was then that I wondered do people still use the phone books like they use to? I cannot remember the last time I picked up one except to put some weight on a book I was gluing and needed something to hold it together. I will admit my wife will occasionally look up something and I am always thinking just google it...right? Most times she is looking for a business but I really cannot remember the last time I actually looked up a phone number for an individual or business. I have looked up a number in our subdivision's directory or the school directory but it has been MANY years since I have looked a number up in the white or yellow pages.

I just thought what a waste of paper even if it does state on the bag 100% recycleable. I wondered how many people would throw them in the trash or wait for the next recycle pickup day to get rid of them.

I totally understand that there are people and businesses out there that rely on the book for obtaining and looking for business but I am willing to bet that there are more people connected to the internet that will run a search there to look for services and numbers.

Maybe AT&T can get away from the "shot gun drive by" of the books and allow people to specifically request if they want a copy of one of the 3 books or all 3. I bet a poll would show most people would want access to it online and save a few trees as well as the time, energy and exhaust from the people that deliver the books. How about just giving out a single disk with all of the information on it, no connection to the internet needed.

Just a thought.....AT&T you have your hands in multiple pockets but are not that aware of who own the pockets. Suggestion, run a report of customers that have DSL, e-mail accounts, etc. and I bet the results will give you a closer insight on how they want their information....just maybe.

Starbucks Logo today....is me or?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:09:00 +0000

One of these things is not like the other.....

I really need to get this off my mind so I can move on today but it is really bugging me for some reason.

I picked up my cup of Starbucks this morning and knew immediately something was different but was not sure what it was.So after taking my first few sips my mind starting working thanks to the caffeine and I noticed the color on the cup and sleeve was different, a brown color. I then looked at the all familiar logo and it did not look the same, it had...how should I put it an unusual look to it and yes my warped mind may have played a part in my visualization but I did not like it at all. It made me wonder has it been that way all the time and the color is what brought out the different image? I could not get my office fast enough to go find the "green" logo I was familiar with and saw that there was a big difference can you see it?

I "get" branding but was a bit confused on why the change, I did not read anything about it. As a loyal customer I do not remember being asked my views on the logo....yeah right. Maybe an anniversary edition? I am really not sure but I am talking about it so maybe that is the point.

I sure there is some psychological explanation to this and you may be saying to me it is not a big deal...get a life right? and you are reading this???

Anyway, I feel better just getting this off my chest and for whatever my 2cents...well actually my several dollars is worth I do not like or get the new logo. It is creepy to me....

So tell me that this particular store ran out out the original cups and sleeves and had to use a "bootleg" version....who knows.

Is it me or......?

One more thing....check out this link on Logo Blog on Starbucks so it is not just me!

Thanks Phillip at Home Depot...Roswell, Ga

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:33:00 +0000

The purpose for my blog is to report my views and experiences in common day Customer Relationship Management practices or lack of, so while I sometimes report on the bad it is very important to me that I report also on the good.
I have mentioned my visits to my neighborhood Home Depot in the past that were not good experiences but yesterday I went back and was able to walk out with a positive experience. Why I was there was not that important because all I wanted was some nice work gloves and some weed killer so I knew the general area where I could possibly find those items so as I am walking to that aisle a Home Depot employee walked up to me and asked if I needed any assistance. I told him what I was looking for and he walked me to the area and assisted me with my purchase decision.
Textbook CRM right? As I walked out I wondered what was behind the service I received, was he just a great and helpful guy? Was he rewarded for his service and if so how would it be captured or measured?
If someone had approached me or handed me a survey or a link to a survey I could have recorded my feelings. I did make a point after making my purchase to walk back through the store, find the gentlemen that assisted me, get his name and thank him for his service. I think my total purchase was under $20.00 but it was worth it to me to thank him again personally.

Just as he assisted me "just because", I wanted to return the favor with a personal thank you. All things good and bad can be infectious right? We talk about the viral nature of expression today and it too should go both ways....

How I got over my “CrackBerry” addiction….

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:13:00 +0000

It has been quite some time since I have posted and I apologize to my reader(s) out there who have wondered did I give up or just had nothing of significance to say. I can assure you that people that know me will vouch that I am never void of things to say, whether it is significant or not is another story; having time to sit down to write was an issue and I am still to this day paying the price of having my wrestling coach as my typing instructor (guess what I did during class) but I digress which I do through all of my posts. Maybe I should spend more time with Dragon’s Naturally Speaking the speech recognition software which is amazingly accurate to get more posts out and only type to correct my diction….hmmm
Anyway, a lot has happened this past month and switching from a BlackBerry to the iPhone has been…. how should I say it, a life changing event. I will admit I was a heavy BlackBerry user spending a lot of time responding to everyone and anyone more text than was really needed. As I mentioned in a previous post feeling phantom vibrations on my hip when my BlackBerry was not there and here is the one I am not happy revealing; DUIBB…Driving under the influence of BlackBerry where there really should be a law against. I wonder how many accidents have occurred due to drivers reading and responding to messages. Hey, here’s a thought….maybe RIM and Dragon’s Naturally Speaking should work on a joint solution….you read it here first!
So, you are wondering what does the iPhone have to do with all of this? Well, I had always admitted that I was not going to join the craze of having a iPhone, I had an iPod and really did not see a need for an iPhone but circumstances lead me to acquire one and that started my path of recovery. I will tell you I was actually shaking when I took the iPhone out the box and went through the procedure of activating it online and mulled over initiating the final step that would retire my Curve and port my service to the iPhone. I immediately regretted it and spent the next 3 hours totally frustrated trying to adjust to the iPhone onscreen keypad, it was awful and I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to toss the iPhone across the room! I am gripping just writing about it and I knew I would not like the change. I even took the phone back the next day to the Apple Store only to be talked into going back the next day to buy it again…really…I have the receipts to prove it. Well, after spending some time with it I realized that there were times when I did need to respond to an e-mail but I did not have to write a novel when one or two sentences would do. I had to devote some time to a few of my frequent message receivers that I was not angry at them or going through some tough times because my messages were short and not my usual upbeat expressive manner, heck…keying in a smiley face was a challenge for me on the new keyboard!
So days….weeks went by and I started feeling better, not so stressed and obsessed with mobile communication, things were not that urgent and I was able to focus better on the tasks at hand instead of wearing out my thumbs. I could run on the treadmill without nearly killing myself when trying to respond, RUIBB…Running under the influence of BlackBerry, you get the idea right?
I am over my addiction, but occasionally I take out my BlackBerry Curve and hold it but the urge to activate it is not there as it was before and I am loving the iPhone more and more every day.
ALTHOUGH….I have a new challenge thinking everything is touch screen driven; I have tried to change the channel on the TV, and navigate on my laptop and other tasks I am embarrassed to admit by touching the screen…on to my next addiction?
I just want everyone to know that there is a cure out there and if you are willing to try, you too may discover that that life without a BlackBerry is okay and usage in moderation will allow for a more meaning life….how profound.

Starbucks stores closing temporarily today….convenience versus loyalty?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:11:00 +0000

I dropped by Starbucks yesterday and noticed the sign on the door stating that they would be closed today for several hours to train their baristas to make better coffee. Interesting I thought and of course my thinking cap started churning or was it my anticipated Starbucks caffeine withdrawal? Anyway, I thought it was somewhat of a risky move and wondered how many people would be affected by this, not necessarily the ones that knew about the temporary shutdown but the ones who were caffeine deprived walking in the day it was posted and did not notice the sign. Most of these people I bet would drop by tomorrow and be shocked that they were closed for that time and what if they also see employees in the store..yikes! I would have thought that Starbucks would have spent that time trying to improve on customer relations. I visited a Starbucks a few weeks ago to pick up a nice coffee cup for my mom and I asked at the time did they still give the 1 free drink coupons with a cup purchase and I was told no but I could purchase a card with at least a $5.00 credit on it which really ticked me off. I bought the cup but was grumbling over their new policy.

It looks like a great opportunity for the competition to grab some coffee bean share wouldn't you think? Companies like McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, Seattle Coffee and other small providers could benefit by picking up some new customers. I read where Biggby Coffee in Wyoming is offering free coffee to everyone during that time for everyone as well as their current customers and may actually snag a few of the Starbuck loyal addicts. I wonder how many other coffee shops will be participating in trying to grab some market share.

It also started me thinking about convenience versus loyalty, of course a vast majority of Starbucks customers are drawn to the ambience of the store while many others cruise through the drive-thru for convenience so is it mainly loyalty or convenience? I wonder during the several hours that Starbucks will be close how many people will discover other convenient options for their caffeine fix.

I bet convenience is often mistaken as loyalty as I think of many situations where I use a product because of convenience. Of course if another convenient option appears and I am not legally bound (mobile phone service) I would also choose the convenient option.

Companies should take a look at that scenario and see what really keeps their customers; legal jargon or the fact that they focus on what their customers really want and offer a fair exchange as well as customer care. I think Starbucks will find out very soon, I do not think people are leaving them dissatisfied by the brewing of the coffee…they may be training on the wrong thing!

Suggestion to Starbucks, station people in your stores to observe, question and seek suggestions as well as offer up a free drink that may create loyalty!

The day the music (BlackBerry access) died....

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:45:00 +0000

There’s a line in the song American Pie by Don Mclean, “But February made me shiver”; how ironic in reference to the BlackBerry outage yesterday as well as the internet outage in the Middle East on February 1, due to a severed line.

Actually yesterday was a good day when I think about it, first I was frustrated by the silence of my BlackBerry asking it “why are you not talking to me?, was it something I said ?” After numerous service book pings I finally read that there was an outage and instead of taking the rest of the day off, I actually I was able to get more work done. The strange buzzing noise was gone and the phantom vibrations I have been feeling in my hips were gone as well. No, really….I could be totally away from my blackberry (which is rare) and I would feel these vibrations, I kid you not.

I am not sure how I would have reacted to an internet outage but I gotta believe I could deal with it without freaking out. I am sure a lot of us would wake out of the technical communication whirlpool with blank stares behind our monitors and miniature screens and actually look up and around. We probably would actually pick up the phone and actually call our customers or prospects and actually have a “live “conversation.

When you think about it how many of us actually have a backup plan to not being able to connect through cyberspace? Would we have un-tethered access to our vital data? Would we use it as an excuse or would we take it on as an opportunity? You could call a customer at the perfect time and be Johnny or Joannie on the spot letting them know that business goes on. I wonder how many frustrated customers and advocates you could pick up by still being there?

I often speak of being a “ GenTweener” a hybrid cross of an X and Y due to my early experience in technology, unlike a lot of the generation today I know how life and business carried on without a total dependency on technology. I do appreciate the advances of technology , “Yes, I said to my son I remember having just 3 television channels and no ATM’s….what did I do when I ran out of money?, I either went home or my friends and we pooled our money.” Technology is great but what happens when “Houston, we have a problem”, rears its challenging opportunistic head. The fact that I am a GenTweener allows me the benefit of both worlds and I draw on the way things use to be as a foundation to how I conduct business.

Here is what I remember:

·-- NO phone mobility (well, when I was growing up we had a VERY long coiled line so we could walk to the front door from the kitchen) also, mom could yell
·-- The clarity of cable was aluminum foil on the indoor antenna of our television
·-- My musical playlist consisted of how many 45’s (records) you could stack on the turntable, later my dad bought a reel to reel system..awesome
·-- Looking forward to the latest encyclopedias and the extra event edition
·-- My parents introducing me to the bank VP and opening an account (they really knew us) actually all of the stores in my city had that “know thy customer” theme
·-- Walking down to the playground to hang out with my community
·-- Face to face conversations
·-- Weekly trips to the Library and reading 30-25 book a summer to receive a certificate
·-- Musicians created music not manufactured it

Okay, I will stop, you get the point, technology is great and allows far reaching communications and relationships. It enables better efficiency, access and productivity, and it is required to be successful in business today. I have benefitted tremendously by technology and understand human progress and reach but I must say it is nice to think of simpler times where tasks were accomplished by the pace of the day. Patience or some relative degree of patience was required and I am sure all generations have versions of progress. Nostalgia is a good thing and can have some relevance in our lives today when there is a blip in technology. It can also remind of how important our relationships are in our business and personal lives.

I think it would be a great exercise to have a conversation in your office contingency plans around the lost of taken for granted technology like BlackBerry usage and the internet. A live phone call or face to face conversation could be the deciding factor in attaining and keeping your most valuable assets.

I have to go now; my BlackBerry alarm just reminded me that it is time to eat.

Yes….it is also all about me….today

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:06:00 +0000

Today is my birthday and no, I will not reveal my age but I am what some would say…seasoned. Anyway, other than my family wishing me a great day the first e-mail I saw in my in box was from Borders wishing me a happy birthday with a coupon. I know that it does not take a lot to collect and act upon data given but it is still a nice gesture and one of many good experiences I share shopping there. Last week I went into the local Borders seeking a book that was recommended to me and in my haste I left the coupon they most recently sent me in the printer bin. When I stepped up to the counter to pay I mentioned it and the gentleman waiting on me said no problem and pulled out a sheet that gave me a better discount than the one I received initially. It is not just one experience that defines my loyalty or advocacy but I continuously receive them from Borders and since I am an avid reader I receive a lot. Thanks Borders for thinking about me and thanks for instilling in your employees empowerment to make decisions that affect the customer. A lot of companies say they care from the top level but the "action" part is watered down all the way to the person who has the direct contact. Many I am sure are given strict "rules of engagement" and those rules may be firmly implanted in the technology. "I'm sorry our system will not allow that", breaking the human connection that is vital to the experience. Extending an extra discount does not always impact the bottom line if that action causes me to walk out with a satisfied smile and keeps me coming back thus adding to the bottom line.

During the rare times I do walk into Barnes and Noble, I walk up to the counter with angst knowing that they are going to ask me if I am a "special" member that I have to pay for! Unbelievable! My friend Brent Leary expressed it well in his blog last year: Barnes & Ignoble - Another Tragic Case of Customer Relationship Mis-management

So, Happy Birthday to me! I am off to Borders to pick up a book about dealing with Mid-Life Crisis.

Havin’ Fun…..The Customer’s Way

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:03:00 +0000

When asked where do you think the fast-food business is going the, President of McDonald's USA, Don Thompson answered, "Frankly, it is going wherever the customer wants to take it." Usually when someone answers with a "Frankly", the rest is about not giving a damn but anyone paying attention to the fast food giant lately can see that they continue to maintain their core menu but have expanded their offerings to accommodate the needs of a larger and health conscious customer base. The expanded menu was created by listening to their customers, watching what they are eating, their trends and offering them choices. Sounds like the right formula to me and appears to be working. Mr. Thompson also points out that the individual franchisees are paying attention to regional trends and extending offerings such as southern-style chicken sandwiches as well as "real" sweet tea.

Most of the attention lately has been around McDonald's foray into the upgrading their coffee products and rolling out more premium coffees and Espresso based drinks. I have even heard rumblings that they were trying to cut into the Starbucks area of domination. They may do just that but McDonald's customers drink premium coffee too so why not have it on the menu. I will also mention that McDonalds had the drive thru window long before Starbucks and now most new Starbucks I see opening up features a drive thru window so maybe it is not always about the ambience but maybe Starbucks saw the market for fast coffee opting for speed instead of atmosphere.

Later in the interview I read where McDonalds tested other drink options alongside the ever present Coca-Cola with Pepsi, I must say that was a statement to expand the taste of their customers.

Overall, it is always nice to hear a CEO leading the customer service charge and working hard to accommodate his customer base.

Now when I have a craving for some McDonalds's fries and to quiet my kids I can order an iced vanilla coffee and some fries making everyone happy.... "i'm lovin' it"

Is Diversity in your Target Market?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:35:00 +0000

I ran across a very interesting blog exchange from 1to1 Media’s weblog: Risk in Targeting Minority Customers which was a response to an article in the November/December edition called, Will the Real Customer Please Stand Up? and subsequent article Trend spotting: A Niche Market With Broad Spending Power. It was the latter article that stirred up the proverbial hornet’s nest and it is not my place to comment on that particular exchange but it did stir up other topics I have been involved in.
What I took from the original article, Will the Real Customer Please Stand Up? was the concept of not using demographics alone to determine your target market. Segmentation practices are not that same as it was a few years ago due to the multiple sources and best practices of tracking customer behavior and data.

I will chime in on the question of are there risks in targeting minority customers?, I feel that it is too broad of a generalization to give a definitive answer mainly because minority segments has taken on new definitions and directions depending on how one defines a minority. I will say that it is not a risk when monetary value and potential exist.

What I do know about the minority segment and making the decision to target that market is based off of a couple articles that my business partner Brent Leary and I penned a few years ago addressing the lack of attention from CRM vendors to the minority business community. The two articles, “The State of CRM in the Minority Business Community” and “The New CRM: Community Relationship Management” revealed the business case for actively knowing and targeting this growing market segment. We discussed in our articles how CRM vendors could create brand loyalty by tapping a market that has been overlooked. By understanding the minority community, the channels, publications and alliances that minority businesses frequented CRM vendors could gain entrance along with trust, loyalty which in return would reap an ever growing monetary windfall. What we found in our research in the minority community that they were unaware of the solutions available to them and we also found the unawareness of this potential and market in the CRM vendors we working with. Our actions were geared around bridging that gap which has closed some but still too far apart. I remember reading that minority spending potential could exceed 2 trillion (with a T) dollars throughout 2007 and beyond; in that figure is a growing population of minority businesses that are not being effectively targeted and monetarily leveraged.

I feel a lot of that has to do with how a company approaches diversity as an organization in addition to the practicing diversity strictly through the Human Resource compliance. In addition to just doing the right thing diversity in the workplace has to resonate throughout all departments especially the marketing department in order to leverage the benefits of everyone NOT thinking alike. What I mean by that is if you have a diverse organization that you are willing to leverage in understanding a minority segment that will assist marketing in knowing when, how and where to target their marketing message.
Here is an example I reference frequently when discussing insensitivity and ignorance in a marketing message that probably turned a number of qualified buyers away. For those of you not familiar with the Office Max "Rubberband Man" Commercial a few years ago here is a clip:

I personally found that commercial offensive and I am sure I was not alone; I even bet many may have laughed initially but the stuck in the mail room mentality has never been funny to me. I know that was probably not their intent but perception can create reality. That commercial caused me to not to spend my dollars with Office Max. So, let’s say that Office Max has a diverse organization but if they had sampled the commercial to a diverse group of employees I know there would be someone who would share my feelings and speak out. The question then would be would they listen?

Pepsi had the right idea around 60 years ago when it recognized the potential of targeting the minority community as written about in the book, “The Real Pepsi Challenge”, I have always preferred Pepsi and yes I say that living in Atlanta because I have been drinking it as long as I can remember I am betting on their marketing message reaching my parents. It even taste better to me now after reading about the minority attention and targeting Pepsi undertook many years ago which I bet was a big risk at the time but I bet they will gladly say it was worth it, in a lot of ways.

Bose....The company that knows how to listen!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:30:00 +0000

Lessons Learned from Bose :

Deliver a Superior Product
Listen to customer feedback
Respond and address customer’s feedback
Exceed Customer Expectations

I purchased a set of Bose in-ear headphones a while back mainly because of my positive experiences with the Bose radio and the Tri-Port Headphones. I really like music and Bose creates a favorable environment to the listening experience. I was satisfied with my purchase even though the size replaceable ear tips did not stay on. As I was stepping on the Treadmill last week to start my cardio workout and listen to the new Seal CD System (which is a great ) I realized that I was missing the right side ear tip and I searched all around the treadmill as well as retracing my steps from the locker room but could not find it. I was not happy and rightfully could have left the gym because my workout was running around searching for it.
ANYWAY, when I got home I went on line and put in a key word search for Bose in-ear accessories to see if I could order some new ear tips.
My search pointed me to a link: Complimentary Silicone Tips and Stability Enhancement Kit for Bose ... I literally fell out of my chair and this is what I found when I clicked the link:

“Thanks to everyone who gave us feedback on Bose® in-ear headphones.
We're glad there is a high level of overall satisfaction—especially for the audio performance and comfort when compared to conventional ear buds. The comments also revealed two opportunities to better meet the needs of some customers.
Here's what you told us, and what we've done:
The silicone ear tips become detached under certain conditionsWe've designed new ear tips that should stay more firmly in place on the headphones.
The in-ear stability of the headphones during certain activities, such as exercise, could be improved We've developed a stability enhancement accessory including a clothing clip and lanyard. Both reduce the cord's "pull" during increased activity.
As a Bose in-ear headphone owner, you can order a complete set of our new ear tips and new stability enhancement accessory free of charge.
Your satisfaction is our top priority and we appreciate your support of Bose products. We hope your Bose in-ear headphones continue to provide many years of enjoyable listening.”

Wow, was all I could say, not only were they willing to replace the ear tips but they also updated me on a lanyard stability accessory to keep my headphones positioned correctly…..get this…for NO CHARGE….zilch…nada…nuttin!
Being the optimistic skeptic (yeah I know….) I thought I would not qualify because I did not register my headphones or could not remember if I did when I purchased them but I filled out the form online anyway and lo and behold I received my packages a week later and my over exuberance cause me to order an additional set of ear tips in error so I received 2 sets of ear tips and the stability lanyard. I am speechless but should I or we should expect less? I remember a quote I saw from Delta Air Lines that stated something to the effect of “We want to exceed our customer’s expectations” and I remember at the time just thinking that was a big statement (especially for an airlines) and I only expect a company to meet my expectations but Bose truly exceeded it and have formed a nice union of Customer Relationship Management and Customer Experience Management to turn me into a soapbox advocate.

Bose makes superb products for the enhancement of listening experiences, they also know how to listen and do the right thing.

CRM….Christmas Relationship Management

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:38:00 +0000

I am sure we all have experienced the "Christmas Awareness" correctness that has been prevalent the last several years, maybe longer. It hit me as I walked the dog this Christmas morning and ran into a couple of neighbors. I noticed my concern or thought process as I walked by in my effort to determine whether to say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas. I understand and respect the fact that people have diverse beliefs and the genuine kindness of well wishes for the season causes me angst when I try to decide on my greeting to them. I am sure it is a "me" problem but I struggle with trying to be culturally or religiously correct not wanting to disrespect anyone's faith. It accompanied me during shopping, at the gym and even during the planning of my 30th High School reunion last week. We all grew up saying Merry Christmas to each other and then I wondered; was Merry Christmas the right greeting? It was never really brought up and I do not think anyone really cared; we all enjoyed the Christmas Season with gift giving, caroling and other festive activities.

So, my point is my heartfelt intent of well wishes will always be there but I will go with Merry Christmas which depicts my faith or is it really Kwanzaa? Hmmm…..anyway, my greeting will be Merry Christmas and any response I receive back should be in the recipient's faith greeting or whatever they are comfortable with…how does that sound? No disrespect but a genuine good will toward all people…I said Merry Christmas to Annie, our dog and she just looked at me and wagged her tail…Merry Christmas everyone.

My Grown up Christmas List

Home Depot….YouTube snafu…..

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 04:21:00 +0000

I received a comment to my blog entry on Home Depot's YouTube $25,000.00 contest today and it pointed to this blog called HD Meltdown. Ouch…. talk about a PR nightmare the viral success they were seeking has backfired with the word on the street revealing that there was some insider interference going on with the promotion. Home Depot cannot afford this kind of negative press and looks as though they missed the collaborative bi-directional nature of customer interaction with their Web 2.0 strategy.

SMB and CRM Solutions….lessons that can be learned

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:29:00 +0000

I came across an interesting article on destinationCRM.com , the article was titled "Are CRM Systems Too Complex for the SMB?" and the first paragraph stated:

"Among managers and small-business owners implementing CRM systems, more than four out of five (82.9 percent) say that getting staff to use the software is the biggest challenge they face, according to a new survey from Really Simple Systems, a provider of hosted CRM software."

In my mind that statement has very little to do with complexity; most applications today are very intuitive and easy to use. I also think that with technology today a more appropriate word is solutions not systems; in my view that word alone sounds technical and gives the connotation of complexity.

I think the perception of complexity and lack of user adoption is the result of:

A company not going through the proper steps of having a defined efficient and repeatable sales, marketing and service process.

Lack of executive support and inclusion of users in the selection, implementation and training stages.

The survey also found that:

More than two in five (42.9 percent) respondents use less than half of their existing CRM system's functionality. – I agree but using the 80/20 rule by knowing and addressing your immediate needs that will point you in the right direction.(MWT)
More than half (50.5 percent) say that synchronizing data is a major issue. – Synchronization today is not what it was several ago, knowing what synchronization means to you and your organization can be having internet access through mobile devices or wireless connection to your data. (MWT)
More than a third (67.1 percent) say that finding time to evaluate CRM systems is a major issue. – Make the investment in time and expertise to make the right decision, do not let the vendor dictate, get a 3^rd party consultant to represent your interest and investment, this is a MAJOR decision. (MWT)

I will agree that most applications over deliver in the feature functionality arena and maybe that creates complexity in trying to do too much initially. Think about it, the majority of us use Microsoft Outlook right? But do we utilize even 50% of what it can deliver? Most of us use what we need to get most of our initial needs met and then we gradually expand the basic capabilities.

I can also assure you through my experience that this is not an issue with just SMB's but I have consulted large enterprises that experience the same problems.

CRM solutions can be over analyzed and the real reasons of having one can be lost in translation from what vendors are pushing. For example, I would think for sales and marketing users it is important that the CRM solution allows them:

To streamline and cut down the process of finding and acquiring new customers

Know which prospects to be in front of when they are ready to buy
How to keep their pipeline full
Easy to access, maneuver and report as well as the ability to integrate with applications like Outlook

I recently saw a demo of an application that focused on allowing sales reps to efficiently make calls and follow up without the multiple key strokes most CRM applications require. The application allows you to model your business process as you make calls and positions you to know who to call, why you are calling and provides the process scenario, response and action taken in half the strokes it takes for conventional CRM applications. It also integrates with your CRM system when leads uncovered and qualified are ready for the pipeline.

Another cause of complexity and lack of user adoption is trying to accomplish tasks with solutions that were not developed for that process and you have multiple clicks to get through your list. One of the reasons this solution was created because users were frustrated with the multiple screens and key strokes required to get through a call list.

I agree with Laurie McCabe, VP of SMB solutions for AMI Partners on her assessment and hope SMB personnel as well as vendors take note.

There are many CRM solutions available that are geared specifically for the SMB segment but taking the time to get your organization and people prepared before making the investment will give you immediate user adoption and a positive return on investment.

There could be a lot of people staying at a Holiday Inn Express

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:32:00 +0000

I read this morning where Google is testing a knowledge site that could rival Wikipedia…..uh oh… I think…. the site is named "knol" Google's shorthand adaptation of "unit of knowledge."

Hmmm…not sure how that will work out but I am guessing it will allow for some ad space for sale right? Google has the insight on people searching for knowledge and points them in a direction but now having a hand in providing that knowledge?

Wikipedia is nonprofit and regulated by the community; I may be off base but if Google gets in the game there has to be some ulterior motives like revenue involved. People that contribute will be able to profit from their contribution of knowledge and split it with Google. I have no beef with that but will it strengthen the online knowledge community, taint or dilute it? That remains to be seen and Google has a good track record to date but I am a bit skeptical about this endeavor but we all will see in time. Who knows, they may peg me for an expert and then I will be singing a different tune right?

I must admit that the Holiday Inn Express serves a nice breakfast buffet and the flat screen TV was nice! (Get it?) Now here's my pay pal account number############, I take all credit cards. What else would you like to know?

Scooped on the latest from Home Depot

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 02:46:00 +0000

I read yesterday about Home Depot's foray into the social media arena with a YouTube contest asking people to send in their YouTube video on home improvement projects they would like to undertake with the winner receiving a $25,000.00 Holiday Gift Card. My good friend and CRM thought leader Paul Greenberg, author of "CRM at the Speed of Light" wrote about it in his blog yesterday so he beat me to the punch.

I applaud Home Depot's attempt and leap into the Web 2.0 pool of bi-directional opportunity but I think there are more pressing issues to address through social networking than promoting their holiday gift card; don't get me wrong, I think it is clever but appears off the cuff to be all about Home Depot's promotion to boost Gift Card sales than listening and learning about their customers. Maybe I am reading into this the wrong way but this quote from the article clouded my view:

"We employ a wide variety of media and wanted to start incorporating this into our portfolio of media options," he said. "It's a good way for us to learn and see what works for us in this space and optimize it from there." Manish Shrivastava, president of Home Depot Incentives

It's a good way for us to learn and see what works for us? Not sure of the intent but that sounds a bit one sided considering the lack of customer satisfaction and advocacy that has clouded Home Depot lately. A clever campaign promoting their Holiday Gift Card fits the season but I would like to see an improving customer's experience promotion and creating a bidirectional exchange through social media and networking. Seeing video's of wishful home improvements is clever and entertaining (as well as a huge benefit to the winner) but that same social media can cause Home Depot more harm if people are putting their bad experiences at Home Depot out on youtube……don't cha think?

How about a YouTube promotion in the store, have a digital recorder near check out and ask customers to voice their opinions, possibly with their favorite orange apron helper? Capture the experience at the appropriate moment.

"Customer Service will define my tenure', Frank Blake, CEO of Home Depot

noreply@blogger.com (Michael W. Thomas) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:51:00 +0000

Now that’s different as well as refreshing and prompted me to read the home page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution several weeks ago instead of starting my Saturday morning out with the sports section. There it was on the front page, a CEO of a major corporation leading the charge and putting it out there. As I remember I cringed last year reading an article about Home Depot describing how they were incenting their employees to deliver good customer service and was a bit put off by the article blatantly sharing the fact that they had to motivate their employees to do their job with extra pay. It is not that I am against incentive programs but making a public statement about it does not make me, a sometimes consumer feel better about my experience there.
It is about the experience right? It is what we remember and share negative or positive that determines future actions. Most of the talk today around CRM focuses on CEM, Customer Experience Management and how Web 2.0 consumer generated media can react to their feelings in a negative and positive way. A single experience or multiple experiences forms favorable or unfavorable opinions that will determine whether one will frequent the store or service mainly for convenience with passive satisfaction or will the collection of positive experiences turn one into a verbally active advocate or worst just the opposite.
So, back to Home Depot and I want to share with you an earlier experience I had in Home Depot. I am not ashamed to admit that I am “handy man challenged” so when I walk into the store I really need assistance and look for it exclusively. I went to the local Home Depot store because it is conveniently located close to my house for parts to repair my daughter’s closet door again. I walk into the store aimlessly walking around until I find the closet section and approach two orange clad aprons having a discussion. I cleared my throat and also apologized for interrupting them which was clearly obvious I had done. I told them what I was looking for and one of them proceeded to give me an in store MapQuest description of where to find the parts and I am sure MapQuest has always given us the right directions right? So you see where I am going? Yep, lost in another area until I stumbled into the place I was seeking. What happened to the helpful orange apron of past days that would have led me right to the area and asked me if I needed additional assistance, I could have even been cross sold a cool tool to make my job easier right? Well, I was a bit frustrated and if my experience had been captured prior to me leaving the store they would have known how I really felt at the time.
So I am interested in how Frank Blake will pull this off but to me it is a great start. Top executive support and leadership is the first step and the article clearly expressed that vision and leadership. His explanation of how he walked the floor of Home Depot stores allowed him to see exactly what the customer’s were seeing and thus experiencing. When speaking with his store support managers he stated, “This is not about me, for our customers, Home Depot lives in our associates, and each associate is a lot more important to our customer than I am.” I had to read that several times to really understand what he was trying to say.
Frank mentioned how some customers had figured out his e-mail address and had written him about their experiences which got his attention. So his reaction to their experiences brought out this response, “Our priorities are directly related to what has frustrated our customers. Some of the big issues have been associate engagement, how the associates interact with customers, and the look and feel of our stores.” Sounds like he is speaking directly about CEM and the true test will be executing on this initiative throughout his organization.
I attended the Customer Feedback Summit this year in Las Vegas and observed a woman taking copious notes through out the sessions and had the opportunity to speak with her at a break, her name was Sue Park, VP of Customer Service THP for Home Depot and was in the process of moving to Atlanta, the home office of Home Depot to begin her duties. I also attended the Atlanta Chapter of the CRM Association summer meeting titled, CEM: Everyone already offers the “CE” part, but what about the “M?” one of the panelist was Brad Grimsley, Sr. Director of Supply Chain CRM for Home Depot. Brad came in with his orange apron and responded to the questions supporting the same theme as CEO Frank Blake described in the article so it appears that the vision he described is being passed through the ranks so time will tell how the individual stores will mimic and deliver this strategy. I will say that the passion I witnessed from Sue and Brad shows a positive direction and will have to be infectious throughout the organization, a large task but appears to be on track. I will look for that action on my next trek to Home Depot.
I had a brief experience working with a company called RWD Technologies, a human performance company and what their CRM practice focused on was extended and delivering a positive Customer Experience and how to align a company’s CRM strategy with the customer’s customer facing employees and making sure that the company’s customer really experienced that strategy. One of the important points I came away with was constantly being corrected by Gerhard Friedrich, CRM/CEM change management guru when I used the referenced “ end user “ to deliver the experience was not to think of it that way, think of the person in direct contact with the customer as the “customer facing employee” which extended strategy. I see that strategy in action with Frank Blake and will continue to monitor this initiative from afar as well as a customer but very refreshing to see a CEO take a stand and base his leadership tenure on delivering on that promise, maybe I should invest in Home Depot stock because at the end of the day isn’t that what really matters in the end?
I will say that I was in a Home Depot yesterday and the holiday season was in full swing and I actually was approached by a couple of “orange aprons’ checking to see if I needed assistance, so far so good! Stay tuned…….