Bytes Systems Integration and Microsoft join forces to provide insight into CRM

Better servicing customers through gaining insight into behavioural patterns is the core of an effective customer relationship management (CRM) strategy. Microsoft and Gold Partner Bytes Systems Integration (SI) have developed a customer-focused approach that will guide clients through the adoption of CRM.

“There is a general feeling among businesses and customers alike that there is a decline in customer satisfaction” says Henning Swanepoel, Divisional Manager: Microsoft Dynamics, Software Solutions, Bytes SI.

Riaan Greeff, Dynamics Team Lead: Sales and Presales, Microsoft Dynamics, Bytes SI, adds: “While its still only an opinion, perceptions play an important role in business confidence and in business itself. The crux of the matter is that, with customer support costs increasing and customers not seeing the same turnaround time on requests that they are used to, customer satisfaction is becoming a rare and tough achievement.”

On 6 November, Microsoft and its proud gold partner Bytes SI hosted a free seminar in Johannesburg to address these exact issues. The seminar focused on the importance of customer satisfaction in the current cutthroat competitive market, and how to achieve true customer relationships that work for both businesses and their customers.

“It is easy to boost customer satisfaction if you understand how to streamline customer service, beginning with the bottom line and the point of contact with customers, the call centre,” comments Swanepoel. “If your team isn't taking advantage of inbound up-sell opportunities you are losing business.”

Bytes SI and Microsoft looked towards solutions to the problem and highlighted the importance of strategies that manage relationships with customers and how to leverage off both the customer's satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the service - turning these into opportunities. By scrutinising the latest CRM solution Microsoft has to offer, Bytes SI demonstrated the benefits of implementing CRM.

“CRM has come a long way, moving from being a purely telephony application, to one which can assist in driving business process and strategy,” says Richard Menton, Product Development Manager at Bytes Communication Systems. “While CRM has matured, the communications components that feed these systems are still a critical link in the overall value proposition it can provide a business. It is against this backdrop that companies need to look at an all encompassing convergence strategy that will unify strategic business objectives, customer needs and communication efforts.”

CRM solutions can address specific customer service challenges and provide the tools needed to successfully improve and maintain customer service by tracking and responding to customer service requests faster and decreasing staff training costs.

Bytes SI's solutions use the powerful, roles-based capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 software. A flexible and affordable software, it works directly inside of Microsoft Office Outlook and the Microsoft Office System.

“Bytes SI has witnessed a need among customers wanting to gain a better understanding of how to provide for the needs of their own customers. Bad service and disgruntled customers have become the norm in South Africa, and the ability to change that is as simple and effective as implementing a CRM system to address these perceptions in a more strategic, targeted and specific manner,” ends Greeff.

For more information contact:

Riaan Greeff
011 205 7000
Riaan.greeff@bytes.co.za