February 2009

Magazine Features

Up Against the Downturn: CRM in a Recession

Feeling battered by the recession? This is how you do battle: Fight! Fight! Fight!

The Numbers Tell the Tale

Some of the scary statistics capturing the impact of this economic crisis—so far.

Make Marketing Your Megaphone!

When budgets are tight, it's your job to calm skittish customers and capture the few viable prospects. You can't be everywhere at once, so be where you're most effective.

Hold Onto Your Customers!

In a recession, making the most of the people and technology you already have—and maintaining the service they provide—should be your top priority.

Spend Your Way Out!

Counterintuitive as the notion seems, sometimes the only way out of a financial crunch involves spending more to make more. But how do you make your spending more strategic?

Front Office

Focus on What Matters Most

In a difficult economy, don't sit idly by. Do something -- but be sure it has a payoff.

Reality Check

No Credit Where Credit Is Due

The rebirth of layaway in an age of automation.

Customer Centricity

An Opportunity in Chaos

Customer retention is the best use of a bad situation.

The Tipping Point

Strategies for Tight Budgets

Constrained spending is no excuse for CRM stagnation.

Scouting Report

Contact Centers in the Web 2.0 World

Web 2.0 technologies can support your customer service processes.

Pint of View

The Depression? Great.

How we handle the bad times can reflect well on us in the long run.

Insight

Express Service

American Express wants to cut spending as it enters 2009—nearly $2 billion worth—but what happens if its customers do the same?

Breaking Customer Service Tradition

More companies are realizing that delivering a great experience may not require a contact center.

Outsprinted

Telecom giant Sprint cuts telecom contact centers.

That’s (Not) Entertainment

Playboy and other entertainment companies make cuts—but hope to keep the brand alive.

Market Focus: Automotive—Running on Empty

Will Detroit get the help it claims to need, or the fate some say it deserves?

Required Reading: Finding a New Path to Customers

Finding a new path to customers means identifying what works, what doesn't, and why.

CRM on Twitter: February 2009

The recession casts a cold shadow over the Twitterverse.

REAL ROI

Constructing a Virtual Customer Experience

Wagner Equipment Co. digs deeper into service—and saves hard cash—with Siemens.

Next Customer, Please!

Adobe increases conversions with the help of behavioral-targeted live chat.

It’s Showtime!

Cobb Theatres makes a blockbuster move to combine dining and moviegoing.

From A(erospace) to Z(oology)

Technology provider National Instruments caters to a community.

Secret of My Success

Cutting Costs, Not Cutting Corners

D-Tools tries riding out the recession with low-cost, high-quality CRM.

Re:Tooling

Re:Tooling -- Web Conferencing: Calling Your Conference to Order

No longer a brand-new technology, Web conferencing continues to expand its reach as its capabilities continue to mature.