A customer relationship manager is hired by companies that value their relationships with customers.
The main work of a person working in this position includes creating and maintaining effective liaison with customers, to ensure that they are provided with high-quality products and services.
To work as a customer relationship manager, you have to possess a degree in business. This is because you need to be insightful about the work, which cannot come about if you do not have prior academic knowledge. Of course, some skills and experience in this regard will go a long way in helping hiring managers determine what your specific skills and competencies are in a customer service capacity.
Apart from this, it is important for customer relationship managers to be highly patient, service-oriented, and possess the capability to manage complicated tasks, such as handling irate customers, and solving problems. The ability to get along with people from different backgrounds and walks of life is also essential in this work. Moreover, one has to possess exceptional knowledge of budgets and forecasting, and how they affect customers.
Working as a customer relationship manager is not without challenges. Retaining customers is not easy, but this is a major part of what you are expected to do. If working as a customer relationship manager is where you want your career to head, have a look at the following list of duties particular to this work:
Customer Relationship Manager Duties & Responsibilities
• Work with marketing and sales departments to develop and implement core strategies, aimed at ensuring customer retention.
• Create and maintain effective liaison with the communications team to deliver information of new products and services.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with customers, aiming to keep their business for a lifetime.
• Indulge in activities such as business reviews, to ensure that customers are satisfied with their products and services.
• Communicate with customers to spread awareness about new products, aimed at increasing the company’s business.
• Alert sales personnel about opportunities to sell, within the existing customer base.
• Escalate and resolve areas of concern, and any problems that may occur due to inconsistent services or quality.
• Carry out customer satisfaction surveys to determine levels of satisfaction, and figure out where service may be lacking.
• Manage and train personnel to ensure delivery of exceptional customer services, in a bid to attract more customers, and retain existing ones.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for customers, and various departments, including marketing, sales, and communications.