Customer Relationship Management
Overview
Customer Relationship Management in short CRM is a very wide field and considered as bone marrow for companies and organizations. Customer retention depends on the kind of Customer Relationships companies and organizations maintain this is when; the need for Customer Relationship Management arises.
Seeing the importance of Customer Relationship Management in companies all over the world colleges and universities started offering courses in customer relationship management at distinct levels, viz, certificate, diploma, postgraduate diploma and postgraduate degree leading to the award of Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Customer Relationship Management (MBA).
MBA - CRM and Post Graduate diplomas in CRM are popular courses among graduates who wish to earn professional qualifications at post graduate level to enhance career prospects.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a technique to study about customers’ needs and wants and their behavior so as to make strong relationship with them. CRM has many technological facets, but thinking CRM purely as a technological term shall be a mistake. CRM is a process which brings information about customers, sales, effective marketing, customers’ responses and market behavior.
To sum up one can say CRM helps companies and organizations in using technology and human capital to gain helpful information about customers’ behavior and the value of customers. It is said that acquiring new customers costs five times more than retaining one.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has three parts, viz, Operational, Analytical and Collaborative. Since now most of the work in companies performed by computers the approach to CRM has changed dramatically.
With the advent of new technologies like World Wide Web and Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), more of the customer relationship is handled electronically. Companies and Organizations now look for methods to personalize online experiences with the help of technologies like help desk software, email organizers and web development apps. The process also referred as Mass Customization.
A course in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) teaches necessary skills one needs to advance in career in this field. With a post graduate degree in customer relationship management like Master of Business Administration (MBA), one may find work options in finance, research and consulting in companies around the globe. One can get lucrative work options in domains like banking, finance, accounting, insurance, legal, sales, marketing, IT, manufacturing, management consulting and public sector.
Careers
Career opportunities for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) professionals in India exist mainly in banking, internet services and e-commerce sectors. Companies operating in utility sectors and in chain operations also appoint CRM professionals. Candidates with Post Graduate Diploma or Degree are offered post like
- CRM Engineer,
- CRM Functional Consultants,
- CRM Technical Consultants,
- And CRM Architects, etc.
Who can become a CRM professional?
Candidates with a graduate degree in any stream viz, sciences, arts, commerce, engineering etc may join a post graduate course in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and earn degree or diploma. For admission entrance examination is conducted. Those who successfully complete a course in CRM are offered job in companies and organizations as CRM professionals in various capacities. CRM professionals receive lucrative pay packages accompanied with perks and performance bonuses etc. They are considered as life line for companies and well respected.
Institutes
Following institutes offers courses in Customer Relationship Management (CRM):
Symbiosis Center for Distance Learning
Post Graduate Diploma in Customer Relationship Management (PGDCRM)
XLRI Jamshedpur
Post Graduate Diploma in Customer Relationship Management
AMITY Center for CRM, NOIDA
Master of Business Administration (MBA) (CRM & Marketing)
10-day Certificate Course in CRM
3 Month Certificate Course in CRM