ABSTRACT
CRM is often so broad that it lacks definition. If you can’t define it, how can you assess it? No one knows what it is, but we know we have to have it.
—“CRM Starting to Live Up to Its Promise,” Wall Street & Technology (January 4, 2004). www.wallstreetandtech.com/articles/17200053
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.
