| Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a | | | | New technology is often challenged by user |
| strategy and processes used to learn more about | | | | acceptance. Fortunately, online chat has been widely |
| customers' needs and behaviors in order to develop | | | | accepted by average Internet users. It is estimated |
| stronger relationships with them. CRM applications are | | | | that tens of million of Internet users login to online chat |
| traditionally developed as client-server software. The | | | | rooms regularly. In free adult chat rooms or free teen |
| proliferation of the Internet and the Web has fueled the | | | | chat rooms , people talk about anything under the sun - |
| rapid growth of Web-based CRM or online CRM | | | | love, pets, music and games. |
| applications. Web CRM systems are widely deployed | | | | 2. One customer service representative is able to |
| for Web based call center, contact management, | | | | support multiple customers at the same time. |
| trouble ticket, personal information manager and | | | | It is common to wait 30 minutes or even more before |
| scheduling. As more and more corporations use chat | | | | a customer can talk to a support representative. With |
| software to provide quality customer support, many | | | | chat software, customers have a better chance of |
| CRM vendors have built chat functionality into new | | | | instant access to a service representative. One |
| generation of Web-based CRM systems. | | | | support team member may be able to chat with a |
| The first generation of text-based online chat | | | | few customers at the same time. |
| software was developed years before the World | | | | 3. Chat software can automatically log a support chat |
| Wide Web (WWW) gained its popularity. The new | | | | session |
| generation of Web-based chat software is much | | | | Call center software is capable of recording support |
| more user-friendly and is powered with audio and | | | | conversations. However, it requires extra cost to |
| video chat. | | | | convert audio recordings to digital information that a |
| There're many benefits to integrate chat software into | | | | computer can understand and extract valuable |
| CRM systems. | | | | information from. Chat software, on the other hand, |
| 1. Many customers have experience in using chat | | | | can be easily configured to automatically log a support |
| software | | | | chat session. |