Which came first—the chicken or the egg?

In the case of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Customer Experience Management (CEM) the answer is clear-CEM, or the proverbial chicken. 

CEM is based on the premise that exceeding your customers' service expectations while creating a satisfying experience with each and every interaction is crucial to developing loyal relationships. By its very name, CRM assumes that there is a relationship already in place to manage. Case closed. 

Developing customer relationships is both an art and a science. And without question, it is an ongoing process. It is my belief that CRM strategies and technology aim to build on what you know (or data you can purchase) about a customer, while CEM strategies and systems build on what the customer knows and feels about you.  

Building on the customer's positive perception of your organization and your ability to meet and exceed his/her needs has been the focus of some of the world's most successful retailers. Themes such as "the customer is always right" have led service and sales teams to establish powerful brand loyalty. But I have never heard of a motivational quote such as "we know more about you than you do" leading to a retail bonanza. 

Delivering exceptional service, taking that extra step, will open the door to cross- selling opportunities and position your organization to expand customer product relationships.   

Regardless of the investments you have already made in CRM technology or the plans that you have for developing customer relationships, go back and look closely at how your organization is handling customer interactions at each touch-point. Would you be wowed? And, don't overlook self-service channels because expanding self-service usage offers your organization the greatest opportunity for cost savings.  

As you well know from your own life experience, how you feel about a retailer is a result of how they present themselves to you and how efficiently they handle interactions whether it is face-to-face, over the phone or on the Web.