Customer Relationship Management Modern Day

Customer Relationship Management

Modern day organizations are faced with the challenge of balancing customer satisfaction and requests with the values and goals of the company. Harley Davidson is no different. With a brand name like Harley Davidson's, one can think of nothing else other than motorcycles and the passion that it evokes in most motorcycle enthusiasts. It also portrays an attitude of a free spirit and a rebel. The company has been in business for nearly 100 years; and, as long as there will be motorcycle riders, there will be interest in the new models that are constantly being developed by the company. (Harley_Davidson, 2007)

Customer relation's management (CRM) is often focused on the external customer of the organization. CRM methodology attempts in "identifying, attracting and retaining the most valuable customers in order to sustain profitable growth." (Hamid and Kassim, 2004) Companies are striving to ensure that they satisfy the external customer of company but at the same time realizing that the external customer's demands might not always be the best for the company or the other stakeholders of the company. (Senior, 2004) Satisfying the external customer at the cost of the company's reputation and integrity might over the long-term do more harm than good. CRM is often very closely linked to the over all supply management strategy that might be incorporated in an organization.

Peter Drucker, the doyen of management theorists, states that managers and decision makers are constantly searching for the best and most effective management tools that they can use to control their organization. (Drucker, 1997) One of the most important and significant factor in the success of an organization is the customer base. CRM has gone through many evolutions. The Internet and the advent of e-commerce have changed the manner in which companies seek out their customers and ensure that customer satisfaction is achieved at all times. "Effective marketing is and will always be founded on a simple premise: customers are won by personalizing the communication between the seller and the buyer and customizing the product and service offerings so they directly appeal to the desires and needs of individual customers." (Ross, 2005)