ABSTRACT
Customer relationship management (CRM) is everywhere. Let’s take, for example, a family traveling to Florida over spring break. They fly on an airline from which their frequent flyer points provide free seats. They rent a car from a car rental company that gives them an upgrade based on their previous rentals. They stay in a hotel that awards them one free night for every three they pay for, based on the points accrued on their frequent-stay guest card. The amusement park they visit on the first day admits them one hour before general opening and allows them to stay an hour after general closing as a reward for the four-day ticket they purchased. In addition, they receive a 20 percent discount on all food, beverages, and souvenirs purchased during their four-day visit. As they are walking around that evening looking for a place in town to have dinner, a nearby restaurant texts them a promotional message, so they decide to eat there. And when they arrive home, the same establishments provide them with an array of thank-you messages and super-promotional offers they can use on their next visit-as long as it occurs during off-season. All of these are examples of programmatic benefits provided by CRM systems.
