Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Gorilla and King Portfolio Candidates -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sunny who wrote (24654)	5/13/2000 10:09:00 AM
From: Mike Buckley	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 54805

Sunny, Hotels are beginning to use CRM to be proactive about making their repeat customers happy. Marriott is a Siebel user. The idea is that when you prefer USA Today to a local paper, or that you want your shoes shined on the first day of your visit, or that you prefer a room with one bed instead of two, the CRM software advises hotel staff how to accomodate you when you call to make a reservation or show up at the hotel. Ideally, a hotel staffer using CRM efficiently will be able to say when you make a reservation, "Sunny, I see that you've preferred one bed instead of two in the past and that you might want your shoes shined as soon as you arrive. Can we take care of that for you again?" --Mike Buckley

To: Sunny who wrote (24654)	5/13/2000 11:37:00 AM
From: Bruce Brown	Respond to of 54805

RE: European Service... Sunny wrote: Bruce, Will CRM positively improve the service and attitudes in the restaurants, shops and hotels? The interaction between the service establishments and the public has always been a source of irritation for me when traveling in Europe and the UK. Let's just say this. Right now - anything would help! Obviously, it is going to be a top down from management approach. It is this management that is coming face to face with the competitive environment which will be forced - and I mean that in a disruptive, discontinuous way - to become more customer oriented. I presume the last place we will see it will be in a face to face setting such as ordering food or buying a pair of shoes. You know in America that a good shoe salesman can easily be handling the load of presenting shoes and helping more than one customer at a time. In Europe - forget about it. One at a time. If you don't want to wait - go shop elsewhere. Obviously, eventually management has got to trickle down serving the customer to that level sooner rather than later. However, let's not lose focus of where a company like Siebel is targeting first. He (they) are targeting the corporations and big business. I find that most small Mom & Pop shops in Europe bend over backwards with customer service. Butchers, bakers, car repair, etc... . They've had to do that to compete and that is all logical. However, big business and corporations have not had to do that so much before the European Union opened up the competition. So in terms of restaurants, shops and hotels - I'm not sure the focus on any short term CRM miracles will appear unless we are talking about the big chain/franchise organizations. However, in all sectors of industry, big business and the relationships with their customers - the change has to get under way and will continue for quite some time due to competitive strategies. It helps that many multi-national businesses over here have US ties. In effect, they are the companies that are placing this customer relationship squeeze on the old European companies. The timing is good and Siebel is on top of it. BB