A customer relationship manager works with an organization’s existing clients to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with another organization. These employees are responsible for increasing a customer’s use of the company’s products and services while also resolving any issues that may arise during the customer’s contract. On a daily basis, a customer relationship manager interacts with his or her customer base using a variety of sales and marketing skills.
In some cases, the customer relationship manager is also a member of the sales team. This person collaborates with the rest of the sales team to expand the depth and breadth of products available to customers. The relationship manager’s approach to these processes is determined the products offered his or her company. At different stages of the relationship, software and service companies may have different employees working with the customer. Generally, the manager is involved at all stages.
Customer relationship management is handled a separate customer service department in some companies. In these situations, the manager’s primary goal is to ensure that the customer has a positive experience with the company’s products and services. The customer may be assigned a customer relationship manager or receive call-in support in these types of businesses. The organizational structure could be set up so that the company can make the best use of its employees while still providing excellent product and service support to customers.
When a company sells technical products and services, the customer relations manager must have the knowledge and skills to assist the customer in using the products. Although the relationship manager does not need to know everything in order to support the customer’s detailed use of the products, he or she should be able to answer the most basic questions about product usage. In these types of organizations, rather than hiring someone from outside, the relationship manager is frequently promoted from within.
Some customer service managers may be required to travel frequently. These relationship managers must personally visit their customers to ensure that they are satisfied with the company’s goods and services. During the implementation of a specific product or service, the customer relationship manager may temporarily relocate to the customer’s location rather than the company’s offices to manage the process. Each company tries to control how its relationship managers interact with customers in order to best serve the needs of both the company and the customer.