Why a Web Based Contact Management May Be Exactly What Your Business Needs

By Greg Handchild

The internet is home to many applications that can help improve business productivity. One of your choices is a web based content management system. Many companies online have this software for sale; some companies will even offer to host the database if their customers don?t have internal servers of their own.

Other applications are offered as freeware, provided that the company has a place to run the software and store the information. Regardless of which type, there are some easy things that all businesses should do to get the most out of this type of application. These are the top tips that every business should implement when using contact management software of any type:

1) Teach employees how and when to use the program.

Most of these web based applications are incredibly easy to use but that does not mean that the employees should just be given a login and told to fumble around. Proper training on any software piece is essential to it being used properly. Walking through menus, how to properly search and how to properly update the information that they input are all vital pieces that need to be trained on before expecting the employee to use the software.

Another important part of training is telling each user what information should be inputted into the application. This information will vary depending on the company in question; the decision should be made upfront to eliminate wasted time and space. Most companies want detailed information of the contact made with each client. When this detailed information is recorded, coworkers and management can refer to those notes and deal with that customer themselves; there is no need to track down the employee who first spoke with the customer.

2) Utilize the built in reporting features

It is common for reporting features to be included in contact management programs. This feature allows for easy manager audits because the manager can ensure all employees are doing their job by following up with clients as directed; other detailed reports like sales reports can be viewed too. In terms of customer service, a manager is able to get the big picture on how each employee contacts and handles customers; they may find no problems or one that needs to be addressed.

This particular feature is regularly used in inbound call centers. For instance, a call center manager can audit calls for the day or the week to see if a particular problem was causing disruptions. If they notice a problem, a solution can be worked on immediately, but without a web based content management reporting feature, someone else would have to notice first. - 30445

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