If you search for Franchise CRM on the web, you will find hundreds of vendors rendering CRM technology as the ultimate solution to meet all the requirements of your organization. Paid promotions for the latest and the best vendors to hit the market will also be promised. Although these vendors are truly spending millions on advertising, they have little to say on their company websites on how to successfully apply solutions to meet your business requirements. We truly felt obliged to share our experience from the past two decades designing and applying various CRM solutions across many industries and bring to you the following list of the major mistakes that people should avoid while preparing your franchise.
Mistake 1:
Not creating a committee that comprises of representatives from all the corporate departments with the responsibility for customer management. This implies responding to the request of the customers for information, implementing and inviting new customers, processing the orders, delivering the requested services and products in a timely way, billing for the services and products delivered and following up with customers after the sale. Due to the front line of customer service for your organization, the inputs of the users of the RM system you are considering are quite vital. They will make or change your decision when it is implemented. Without customers, your project might be dead as users find that the traditional way of servicing your customers is simpler or more convenient for them in their unique jobs. They eventually get ways to keep your solution updated with the most recent customer service details. Details comprise of email communication, purchase history, website feedback and after sale customer satisfaction.
Mistake 2:
Not recognizing who the ultimate decision maker is for the CRM technology for the franchise. Along with forming the steering committee, it is also vital to recognize who in the committee will take the ultimate decision for the business. A committee without the presence of any manager will not possibly develop effective strategies. It is vital to recognize which members have the right to make decision in respect to those who just have the right to provide suggestions or comments on how the selected application might be applied. It is quite common for many people to be entitled to delay a decision but one must emphasize on who is authorized to take action to meet the goals of the organization.
Mistake 3:
Not realizing the details of how the organization works, serve its customers or franchises. In almost any developed business, customer service processes have evolved with time. With the lack of documentation of people doing that, applying the CRM without realizing the details of the current operation won’t serve any purpose. To prevent this effect, the best option is to hire a certified business analyst or process mapping expert to observe regular operations of all the customer service activities and record what is actually happening in the company. The business analyst utilizes the process mapping tools like iGrafX, SmartDraw, Microsoft Vizio, to create visual and pictorial models of what is happening on real-time basis. The outcomes of the business analyst’s work should be verified with every department before further actions are taken. After the procedure maps are completed, management can then emphasize of the precise developments that RM technology is believed to deliver to the organization in the upcoming weeks and months.
Once you have the RM project strategies ready for the franchise, you can stay ensured that you have prepared your franchise for the future of technology.
