When using a CRM software system, what are the pros and cons of tracking phone calls made with customers? Are there any best practices?
Here are some pros and cons of tracking phone calls in a CRM system, and some best practices:
Pros:
- Helps keep a record of all conversations with customers for future reference. This includes details like date, length of call, who participated, and topics discussed.
- Allows you to log any follow-up actions needed after the call, ensuring tasks don't fall through the cracks.
- Provides insights into how much time is spent on the phone with customers. This can help with capacity planning and scheduling.
- Enables reporting on call volume, frequency with customers, etc. to identify patterns and areas to improve.
Cons:
- Entering lots of call records can become time consuming and reduce time spent actually talking with customers.
- Callers may feel uncomfortable knowing calls are being tracked and documented.
- Without proper CRM usage and discipline, call data may not end up being entered consistently.
Best Practices:
- Have clear internal policies on what calls should be logged - such as all sales calls and customer service calls longer than 5 minutes.
- Train employees on call logging discipline and protocol. Set expectations from the start.
- Use call logging forms/screens with pre-populated fields to make entering calls fast and easy.
- Identify key data fields to capture on calls such as basic context, lead/contact name, purpose, summary, and follow-ups. Avoid overly detailed notes.
- Use call logging to augment other interactions captured in CRM, not duplicate them.
- Review reports on call frequency, productivity and follow-up completion rates to optimize.
- Allow users to manually enter calls, but also integrate phone systems with CRM to automatically log calls.
- Make sure to comply with any call recording laws and get customer consent if necessary.
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