Customer relationship management in the era of social networks websites

Abstract

Nowadays, companies’ priorities are focused on the relationships that they shall keep with their clients. Creating and maintaining long-term relationships with clients is one of companies’ biggest concerns.It is based on this context that many companies are already using CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools to store, manage and organize their customers’ contacts throughout web-based softwares which support this kind of actions. Besides social networks’ websites are potential channels and assume a growing and prevailing part on relationships between companies and costumers.This investigation paper assesses the level of use and the impact of social networks on customers’ relationship management. Within this framework, an empirical study based on quiz enquiry has been made to 184 companies in of Aveiro’s district.Results indicate that companies are conscious of this new reality of social networks as a drive to spread and to communicate, but on the other hand they do not visualize them as a tool to grow and manage client’s relationship.