A Retired Barman’s view on SCRM – Social CRM

Coughlin’s Law - if you stand behind the bar long enough you’ll get webbed feet

When I  moved to Atlanta I got a job waiting tables and then bartending.  I had a lot of fun and met a lot of great people.  When I turned 26, I was lucky to meet my future wife  and my priorities changed.

Chapter 3 – time to move on and start a new career in IT.

“How hard can it be.  My brother does it.” Time for the chatty bartender to meet the programmer hiding in his cube. So I started off in IT on the helpdesk and then desktop support. From there I moved onto server support and then finally after the DOT COM bomb self-employed doing IT support for SMB for a few years.

Chapter 4 – Microsoft CRM enters the picture

I started working for Engage Inc in 2007 and in December of that year we had a need to stand up a new server – Microsoft CRM 4.0.  At that point I had heard of MSCRM – I remember it from my Microsoft Action Pack subscription from years ago – but never used it before.  Here started my affair with CRM as my wife calls it.

In preparation for Microsoft Dynamics Convergence convention, I started reading more and getting involved with social media.  I became fascinated with another new evolving industry – Social CRM or SCRM.  I thought to my self – “I know this…. its customer service… been doing this for years but with 2 feet of oak between me and the customer.”

Chapter 5 – Evolution of CRM and Social media

The next chapter I believe will be focused on how we merge CRM and social media.  How we meet the fan, the customer and the community members where they are and interact with them there instead of having them come to us.  We are now going to them.

So now why would a retired bartender’s opinion on SCRM interest you.

While bartending and running English pubs here in town, I learned many things from my co-workers and customers.  Most of which translates very well into customer service in general and specifically SCRM.  Some future blog topics and theme for this blog will be:

1. know your customer – by name, drink, food, their friends, habits, spending patterns – basic CRM
2. know how to up sell them – know how to market to them
3. know how to give them a discount – reward them
4. know the cool crowd and how they are good for business – influencers
5. know how to drum up business -  where are your new customers
6. know how to create regulars – creating fans and advocates

I learned a lot over those years standing on the other side of the oak.  A few good jokes, some philosophy, some business and most of all how to treat someone special and make them feel at home and special.

Coughlin’s Law – remember who your customer is … They pay the bills around here.

Related posts:

1. MSCRM Email Router Complications
2. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Gets High Marks from Forrester Wave and Gartner
3. Microsoft Dynamics Convergence 2010 Review
4. CWR Mobility Version 4.2 – Love it
5. WordPress on Microsoft SQL Server?