Don’t let the term Customer Relationship Management (CRM) scare you – it’s not about expensive technology, high-priced consultants or major procedure shake-ups. You can do all that if you want but you don’t need to.

At its heart, CRM is simply about the relationship you have with your customers and clients, finding where you could be doing things better from their point of view, concentrating on those things which will profit you and keep them happy, satisfied and coming back.

Don’t think that CRM is about the technology. You don’t just order some shiny new computer software to slice and dice data, install it and boom: you’ve got CRM. It’s more a way of running your business to increase revenues, reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction.

Key Factors

So Rule Number One is that this must be driven by, accountable to and a high priority for top management. Some changes will need to be made to be more customer-centric and you have the authority to make them happen.

Strategise!

So first you’ll set the strategy. What do you expect your CRM project to do? Increase average guest value? Increase guest return visits? Cut per-guest costs? Increase guest satisfaction scores? Write it down in clear sentences. Make sure you’re selecting measurables: “Do better cleaning” is not a goal. “Reduce complaints about room cleanliness by 50%” is a goal. Some managers use the SMART goal paradigm: a goal should be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant & Timely.

Determine what “success” looks like. Put numbers to your goals, as above - 10% improvement in customer satisfaction scores. 5% per-guest cost reductions. 20% increase in return visits. Processes will need to be changed and goals must be measurable and in no way vague. Customer and client information will need to be integrated – whoever talks to clients on the phone must have access to all the information you possess about them.

Now, determine what you need to do to get there. Keep better records of your guests and be more efficient, perhaps sending them reminders to book again? Or, finding out the most common complaints and putting numbers to reducing them? Maybe you find more guests would eat in the restaurant if certain things were different. Make changes and measure the results.

That is CRM and whatever technology tools you use to achieve that – and that work for you – are fine.