PAR3 Communications

 

Coverage

CRM WizKids: Taking CRM to the Next Level

 

Synopsis

Par3 Communications, (www.par3.com) Seattle, WA.

An unwritten assumption about CRM is that the vendor-customer relationship must somehow mimic a person-to-person friendship.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  A business relationship, which is what CRM mediates, is about the common business points of interest between two parties — what was purchased, for how much, when, and does the product or service meet the customer’s expectations — are all relevant to the discussion.  When something changes the relationship is invoked to alert one of the parties of the change. 

Information is the glue of a good business relationship and delivering information in a form and at a time when it is optimally useful is, or should be, the goal of communication within a business relationship.  When the shortest route to information is both the least expensive and the one preferred by both the customer and vendor a major opportunity exists to enhance the relationship.

Airline travel provides a great example.  It is hard to come up with a more dynamic industry where customers’ needs and expectations revolve around information — Is the flight on time? Has it been canceled? Will the weather influence departure or landing time? What alternatives are there in case the schedule is changed for any reason?  These questions and many more like them require accuracy and precision if a customer is to feel valued by the airline and if that customer is to become and remain loyal.

PAR3 has developed a solution to the airline-to-customer communications challenge that is elegantly simple, powerful, and very successful at maintaining timely and open communications channels with passengers.  Using phones and e-mail, PAR3 enables airlines to communicate directly with thousands of passengers at their convenience to alert them to changes in service and to engage in cross- and up-sell travel opportunities.  Most importantly, these actions are performed without human assistance, saving airlines significant labor costs and enabling them to succeed in a highly competitive market.  The company has developed a niche in the airline industry and serves Northwest Airlines, Alaska/Horizon Airlines, Continental Airlines and US Airways.