Investment in customer service and support technologies needs to balance potential productivity gains against the impact on customer experiences to effectively address organisations cost concerns and capitalise on rapidly evolving consumer expectations.

In commodity markets consumers chose products and services based on price and customer service. Furthermore, they will not stay with providers who don't deliver the appropriate level of service.

Organisations need to focus on optimising their customer interactions in order to deliver the right customer experience.

With customer strategies focusing on satisfaction and revenue generation, future CRM technology investments need to be assessed more closely, based on how they will benefit customers and affect their overall experiences, as well as how they will affect operational productivity.