Customer Relationship Management

What is CRM? CRM tools like Salesforce are software programs designed to help businesses manage their relationships with customers. These programs store and organize all kinds of information about customers, such as:

• Contact details (name, address, phone number, email)
• Purchase history (what products or services they’ve bought)
• Communication records (emails, calls, meetings)
• Any other relevant customer information

CRM tools help companies keep track of their customers and understand their needs better.

CRM for Sales Teams CRM tools are especially useful for sales teams. Here’s how they help salespeople:

• Store leads (potential customers) in a central place
• Track sales opportunities from start to finish
• Record all interactions and follow-ups with each lead/customer
• Manage the entire sales process and stay organized

Having this information in one place helps salespeople follow up with customers effectively and increase their chances of making a sale.

Service Management

What is Service Management? Service Management is all about providing good customer support and service. It involves managing any requests or issues that customers have with a company’s products or services.

Handling Customer Requests and Issues

When a customer has a problem or question, they can submit a request or report the issue through Service Management tools. These tools help companies:

• Track all customer requests and issues in one place
• Assign requests to the right support staff
• Ensure requests are resolved within promised time frames

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

SLAs are promises that companies make to their customers about how quickly they will respond to and resolve issues. For example, an SLA might state:

• All support requests will be responded to within 24 hours
• Critical issues will be resolved within 4 business hours

Monitoring Customer Support

Service Management tools also help companies monitor their customer support performance. Companies can:

• See if they are meeting their SLA commitments
• Identify areas where support needs to improve
• Track customer satisfaction levels
• Look for ways to provide better service

In simple terms, CRM helps companies manage customer information and sales, while Service Management focuses on managing customer support requests and delivering excellent service.