The book “The Dark Side of CRM” has now been published. It explores the bad behaviour of companies & customers and how new technology is empowering both. As well as highlighting a number of critical issues, it also explores how firms might address these behaviours and manage their customer relationships better.
An important balance to so many overly optimistic texts on the potentials of CRM or Customer Experience/Interaction Management, this book helps firms tackle the realities of today’s data-led struggles. A number of authors have contributed, curated by the guiding hand & experience of Prof Bang Nguyen.
Paul Laughlin, Managing Director of Laughlin Consultancy, is a contributing author. Together with Prof. Merlin Stone, he has co-authored chapter 12: “The dark side: customers versus companies”. This includes important warnings of behaviour to identify and manage to avoid destroying value and losing your reputation.
This book is published by Routledge and available through all good booksellers:
The Dark Side of CRM: Customers, Relationships and Management
Customers are treated badly. Not all customers. Not always. But many are and often. Some customers are bad. They treat firms badly. Firms have to react. Employees and customers endure the consequences. Such bad behaviours, by firms and customers, have consequences for perceptions of trust and fairness, for endorsements and referrals, for repeat purchasing and loyalty, and ultimately for a firm’s profitability and RoI.