CustomerAsset.com Asks, "When are Retailing CEOs Most Likely to Know Their eCRM Investments Aren't Paying Off?" When Things Go Wrong, Unfortunately.

Business Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2000

"Can We Get It Right Before Christmas?"

After two years in which major retailers have invested millions of dollars in upgrading their eCRM (electronic customer relationship management) capabilities, the success of their efforts to better manage the online customer relationship is still far from certain, according to CustomerAsset, a leading global eCRM services company - and some will get a rude shock this holiday season.

Raghu Krishnaiah, head of U.S. operations for CustomerAsset, said, "Some CEOs are rightly nervous about eCRM during this holiday season, given the widely publicized problems many retailers had last year. The fact is, the best outcome for a company with bad eCRM is loss of customers. The worst outcome for a CEO of a company with bad eCRM is loss of customers, plus bad PR, plus an angry board."

Krishnaiah points to the following issues facing retailing CEOs:

1. Now that we've got eCRM up and running, what do we want to

achieve with it?

2. Have I covered all of my bases to ensure we are providing a

customer experience that will drive purchases and keep

customers coming back?

3. Do I have the processes in place to meet my eCRM goals?

4. After all the capital I spent on eCRM, did I get sufficient

ROI on the investment? And how do I even measure ROI?

5. What are the metrics to measure success? What's the benchmark?

6. Does our eCRM really meet the needs of my customers? How can I

tell? What are our customers trying to tell us in the

questions they ask or the problems they report?

7. What are my competitors doing with eCRM? And are they getting

better results?

8. How long will it take for all of the benefits to take effect?

And how much more investment is required?

9. Are my people the right people - can they pull it off?

10. And can we get it right before Christmas?

"At this point," says Krishnaiah, "most companies have hired the consultants, bought the software, staffed up, done the training and perhaps automated some self-help processes. But given the newness of the eCRM function for most retailers - and the many things that can still go wrong - there are still a lot of crossed fingers in executive suites."

About CustomerAsset

CustomerAsset (www.customerasset.com) is a global eCRM company providing customer interaction and database management services to e-businesses in the US, UK and India Headquartered in Bangalore, India, CustomerAsset is funded by eVentures India, a joint venture between SOFTBANK, ePartners (News Corporation) and P K Mittal (Ispat Group). CustomerAsset's services run the entire gamut of the eCRM spectrum including inbound and outbound customer interaction management, data mining, and campaign planning and fulfillment.