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   OUR TAKE -  Dominated by the Influential Few

 
 
Recent Editions of CRMAdvocate


04.28.09    Just Add Credibility
04.27.09    Healthy Skepticism
04.24.09    Paid to Pitch
04.23.09    Wag the Dog Surveying
04.22.09    Happy Earth Day!
04.20.09    Intentional Surveys and Surveying

 

 
Lasting Impressions:
I was so naive as a kid I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing. - Johnny Carson
My thoughts about Social CRM and the need to just add credibility has certainly struck a chord with many listeners. Yesterday, I shared an example of credibility under fire with regard to analyst ratings of vendors suggesting more disclosure of the financial relationships between the analysts and the vendors. And I promised more examples.
 
Consider Amazon. The brand is well established and generally well respected. However, the reviews and ratings don't always hold up to the scrutiny that such a brand deserves. One reader wrote:
 
"I recently bought a book based on a handful of laudatory customer reviews on Amazon, describing the book as 'witty' and 'authoritative.' It was neither. Which leads me to think that the customers are friends of the author. I think the underlying risk with customer reviews is that they constitute a thin market. Because most customer don't bother to weigh in, a few reviews can be highly influential. We all know that customer research can be dominated by customers who have extreme feelings one way or the other, and good researchers work to minimize that bias. The risk of customer reviews being dominated by the influential few is higher because reviewers have to take the initiative to post opinions, rather than simply reply to a survey."
 
What steps could brands like Amazon take to not allow their site be dominated by the influential few? That's my take. What's your take?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher

 
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Stock Ticker
Interactive11.6    0.54
SupportSoft2.25    0.1
Selectica0.46    0.02
Unica4.52    0.14
NCR9.28    0.25
Sykes18.94    0.5
NetSuite12.63    0.3
ICT6.45    0.11
Teletech13.26    0.19
ATG2.96    0.04
SAP40.34    0.45
Pegasystems18.11    0.2
Chordiant3.18    0.03
ClickSoftware3.2    0.03
Vignette7.57    0.07
Epicor5.22    0.03
RightNow7.04    0.04
NICE25.13    0.04
APAC4.2    0
Tekelc15.1    0
Rainmaker1.01    0
Astea2.37    0
HP35.42    -0.03
Oracle19.74    -0.03
Salesforce40.58    -0.07
SPSS30.89    -0.07
eLoyalty6.5    -0.04
Convergys9.6    -0.07
Amdocs20.48    -0.24
CDC1.16    -0.02
LivePerson2.48    -0.07
Jacada2.3    -0.23
As of 4:00 p.m. on 4/28/09

 

 

 
  NEW IN CRM

 
News:    NCR Unleashes Remote Check Deposit by Using Mobile Phone
NCR is allowing consumers to deposit checks safely from wherever they can get reception on their data-enabled mobile phones, such as an iPhone or Blackberry. The company announced an agreement with Mitek Systems to integrate Mitek's ImageNet Mobile Deposit software into NCR's APTRA Passport family of remote deposit capture solutions. For businesses, this software will allow them to deposit checks by using their mobile phone's camera as a scanner, capturing an image of both sides of the check and transmitting those images to their financial institution for deposit.
(NCR )
 
News:    Metrix Enters Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Market
Metrix announced their new software-as-a-service (SaaS) product, called "Metrix OnDemand." The new Metrix offering enables companies to utilize an internet-based service to automate their field service delivery processes on a per-user, per-month basis. Metrix OnDemand is a business software application for automating customer support, dispatch, field service, spare parts, repair and reverse logistics.
(Metrix )
 
Article:    How Brands Keep Thriving in the Downturn
Even strong brands are vulnerable in a recession but by sticking to what you're good at and leaving customers in no doubt that you're the best, brands stand a better chance of survival. The CIM's Mark Stuart looks at the secrets to success from major names who are turning this plan to their advantage.
(MyCustomer )
 
Article:    5 Keys to Employee Engagement for Customer Experience
Lack of cooperation across organizations is a momentum inhibitor for customer experience management (CEM). Among best-in-class CEM practitioners, top challenges are cross-channel CEM, organization-wide focus on customer service differentiation, commonly agreed-to metrics, and a 360-degree view of customers. Nearly half of senior marketers admit that high-profile negative customer experiences have compromised their brands. And currently, 84% of customers will register a complaint or tell others of a bad experience; this tendency is rising from 74% in 2007 and 67% in 2006.
(CustomerThink )
 
News:    Convergys Reports First Quarter EPS of $0.23
Convergys reported consolidated revenue of $695 million with net income of $28 million, or $0.23 per diluted share. Customer Management revenue increased 9 percent and operating margin improved 320 basis points compared with the same period last year. The company also confirmed 2009 earnings guidance of $0.90 to $1.10 per diluted share.
(Convergys )
 
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