Customer database software is an essential link between your customers and your staff. Sharing information across departments makes providing excellent service and maintaining good customer relationships easier. When you collect and store information like names, email addresses, and shopping history, your staff is well-positioned to identify your customers’ needs and pain points. This information helps them predict what products or services may be helpful for an individual customer, leading to more personalized connections and, ultimately, higher sales.

Identify Your Goals. Do you want to use customer data to help with employee scheduling details, like determining how many technicians you need in the field? Or are you looking for ways to target your marketing efforts? You may be searching for new strategies, like adding service to your installation business or sending monthly information newsletters.

Collect information. Start with current customers. Find new prospects by adding an email sign-up form to your website. Consider offering a discount or free offer, like an exclusive information sheet for customers who opt in. Ask current customers for referrals.

Choose and organize the database. With so many options, you probably won’t use all the available functions of your customer database software. Customize your software with the most valuable features for your business, taking into account the size of the database and who will be using it.

Consider a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM). A CRM does the hard work for you. RB’s customer database software tracks purchase information to guide your marketing and advertising efforts, helping you create timely (and profitable) follow-ups. It integrates with the popular and free email marketing software Mailchimp and Google Maps for route optimization in the field. The CRM improves communication between customers, employees, and departments within your business. RB’s software also adds the convenience of online billing and payments with online storage of documentation necessary to customers and service.

How to Manage Customer Database Software

Your customer database software isn’t effective unless you actually use it. And using it judiciously will let your customers know they are valued.

Be transparent about what data you are collecting and how it will be used. Post a privacy policy on your website.

Only collect the information you need. Extraneous data can clutter your database and slow down processes.

Update information regularly, adding new information, removing duplicates, and deleting inactive contacts.

Keep customer information secure for their peace of mind and your business interests.

Invest in a backup system and test it regularly. If you have a power or system failure, a backup will ensure that essential data is not lost.

Train your team on how to handle and interpret data. Employees with access to your customer database software need to know how to use and protect sensitive customer information.

Customer database software is a vital part of your customer service efforts.

Personalized attention. Knowing your customers’ wants and needs allows you to alert them about relevant specials and discounts. Contacting them through their preferred method and frequency can increase your conversion rate.

Cost-effective ad campaigns. Targeted advertising is more likely to result in sales. Having the right information at hand allows you to reach customers at the right time and helps you spend your ad investment more effectively.

Relationship-building. Satisfied customers become loyal repeat customers. Those who feel they have a strong relationship with a company or brand are not easily influenced to move away from it. They are less likely to be deterred by changes in availability and pricing and more likely to focus on product or service quality. They tend to understand when things go wrong and will likely recommend your company or product to their family and friends.

Choosing the Best Customer Database Software

The best customer database software helps to keep your customers engaged while centralizing all interactions in one place. This makes it possible to work smarter, not harder, by incorporating these important features:

Track important customer information that will help you make informed business decisions, create and schedule timely follow-ups, and distribute calendars and tip sheets personalized to each customer’s needs.

Seamlessly integrate with other programs to help you meet customer needs more quickly and efficiently.

Easily import new or purchased customer lists, categorizing customers by user-defined fields to create targeted ad campaigns.

Automatic alerts across departments about customer needs, with alerts to customers about the status of their accounts.

RB’s CRM Centralizes Your Customer Interactions

RB’s software is designed specifically for pool and spa businesses and is continuously updated using feedback from our clients from across the country. Our software completely manages retail and service into a single system, and our CRM provides everything you need to maintain excellent customer relationships and boost your bottom line. Contact us today for a no-obligation demo, or check out our latest eBook – The 2024 Pool Trend Report: Cutting Edge Designs Making a Splash.