promotion of sales.

Purchase incentives are created for specific customers and customer groups
through specific programs and campaigns.
The customer buying cycle is supported by the company's sales process in the following ways:
Information about the product's price. Through appropriate channels, comprehensive information
about products and services, as well as aspects of their use, is communicated (see Sect. 8.4.2 about
managing multiple channels).
Assistance with consultation Customers are encouraged or invited to serve as references.
Making offers. During the assembly of the product and service parts, the customer is in charge and
receives an offer.
Completion of the purchase and order. The purchase order is released as soon as the order is
accepted.
monetary transactions Payment receipts are monitored and payment orders for product parts and
services are released.
service delivery and provision Distribution networks are used to deliver goods and services.
The following subtasks are included in the after-sales service phase:
Installation. Services or products are installed with the customer.
Training. Customers are challenged and instructed through appropriate training measures.
service to customers. Customer inquiries are addressed following startup, and potential maintenance
work is carried out.
Connection with customers. Client people group are advanced and motivator
frameworks for extended item parts and administrations are created.
156 8 eCustomer Relationship Management Objective: Examining the customer buying cycle from
both the customer's and the company's long-term customer connection perspective improves
understanding of customer needs, increases chances of providing appropriate products and services,
and improves chances of establishing a long-term customer connection. Since there are typically a
number of ways to contact and communicate with the customer, this presents a unique obstacle.
Study of eDVDShop: Clickstream Analysis Anderson would like to conduct a so-called clickstream
analysis in order to gain a better understanding of the eDVDShop's customers. All Internet inquiries
are stored for this purpose. At the same time, various procedures are utilized in an effort to identify
the inquirer. The user's clicks on links are recorded in the webshop's database. Several intriguing
questions can be answered with this information:
• How many of the visitors can be identified and are registered with the eDVDShop as a result? The
customer category for these users is listed below. However, there may still be unidentified registered
eDVDShop customers among the remaining visitors who are categorized as users.
• How are a customer's visits and orders related to one another? Are people more likely to visit a
website without making a purchase?
• How much time does a customer spend on the website? How often are calls made?
Are there distinctions between the categories of customers?
• Which categories and products receive the most attention? Are these the most well-liked products
in the order?
Anderson discusses the storage of the clickstream with eTorrent. The clickstream is simple to
establish and store because eSarine is implemented in Java.
eSarine already makes use of the Java-based mechanisms that are required for customer
identification.
A cookie is typically used to identify a customer. A cookie is a file that is initially saved on the
customer's hard drive. The cookie can hold additional information about the user. However, the
cookie can be edited by the customer. With plain text information like the user name, caution is
therefore essential. During the initial visit, eSarine stores the session ID in the cookie to identify the
customer. This number protects against an attack on a customer because it is relatively safe. The
database simultaneously stores an entry with both the user name and the session ID. The cookie is
sent back to the web server by the customer's browser on any subsequent visits to the store. By
selecting the old session ID, the user's identity can be determined by accessing the database.
8.4 Operational Customer Relationship Management 157 However, due to the fact that they restrict
user anonymity on the Internet, cookies are somewhat contentious. Because of this, some users do
not allow cookies to be stored.
After a few weeks, Anderson compiles a statistics report and is surprised by the large number of
visitors who do not register or make a purchase on his website. Before leaving the eDVDShop, they
typically click on 3.2 pages.
Anderson thinks about offering a special deal to new customers to get them to buy something.
8.4.2 Multichannel Management The term "multichannel management" is a vague one in the
literature and has not yet become well-established. It is commonly understood to refer to the
management of various formation channels, but it is not always clear whether it refers to contact or
distribution channels. Additionally, it is unclear whether the term will be applied solely to the
supplier side or the customer side.
The customer-side management of multiple contact channels is referred to as "multichannel
management" or "collaborative eCus- Management of contact channels to Customer Relationship
Management" in this context. Because distribution channels and communication channels have
distinct characteristics and are primarily supported by distinct information systems, distinguishing
between the two is a sensible strategy.
During the various inbound phases of the customer buying cycle, distinct information and
communication requirements emerge. Inbound communication is when a customer calls the
business, regardless of the contact method and the request, to communicate. However, in outbound
communication, the company targets the customer through the appropriate contact channels.
Media are technical solutions or platforms for direct and information exchange. The Internet, email,
and telephones are all examples of direct media. indirect media In contrast to indirect media like
billboards, newspapers, and advertising spots, direct media addresses the customer directly and
personally.
The various combinations of contact channels with direct and indirect media are depicted in Figure
8.11. On the business side, the contact channel is not limited to a single organizational unit's
selection. Instead, a contact channel consists of information and communication media, as well as
various employee roles and abilities derived from front office processes:
Individual contact. Individual contact can be viable from the organization's per-Significant expenses
related with
individual
contact
spective if, most importantly, workers are suitably prepared and advanced. However, the costs of
this kind of communication are usually very high, and they can only be justified for certain kinds of
services and products. Utilizing electronic aids (such as product configuration, variant evaluation
and risk analysis, and offer generation) to facilitate personal contact can improve efficiency.
158 8 eCRM Branch Self-Service System Field Service Contact Center Contact Center Web Portal
Marketing Sales Service Personal Contact Telephone SMS Letter eMail WWW Stimulation
Evaluation Purchase Use Channel Medium Company Customer Fig. 8.11: Telephone is the contact
medium and channel. If employees have received specialized training and are prepared for
telephone calls, using the telephone can be a promising strategy. As a result of the frequent need to
reroute a call several times in many businesses before an appropriate employee can respond to a
customer's request, call centers or communication centers are increasingly being established in
businesses (see also Sect. 8.4.3). Telephones can be used in a variety of ways, including
asynchronous connection use for calls and