Study Shows Low Level of CRM Satisfaction

Customer relationship management software providers should take a page from their own manuals: According to a new study, CRM users and evaluators are not very satisfied with CRM software, giving an average Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) of 63.13, quite low compared to other industry CSI studies.

The study, “Multi-function CRM Software: How Good is It?” was motivated by the high failure rates of CRM implementations, reported by analyst firms and the media as reaching up to 70 percent, coupled with the lack of objective third-party information about CRM solutions on the market.

Aside from the software reviews, the survey also found that:

Industry-wide, “ease of implementation” and “customer focus” were the top two issues. Both scored below 60 in satisfaction ratings. “Pricing” fared only marginally better.

Contrary to some vendor strategies, most customers don’t want standardized products offering less adaptation to their unique requirements.

Data was gathered through an Internet-based survey conducted in June and July 2001, which generated over 2,200 software profiles from individuals who have used or evaluated CRM software. The report also includes evaluations of CRM software packages provided by the respondents.

Multi-function CRM Software: How Good is It? is available in hard copy. More information on the study is available at www.crmguru.com/crmstudy.