In this model, companies will realize that failure is an option, and that’s not a bad thing. Failure becomes an opportunity to gather data and feedback, and further evolve tactics.

Don’t Think Web-Only. Think Web in Addition.

The Web is important, but strategy can’t be Web-only. Companies need to be everywhere customers buy. After all, the competition offers many choices and venues. As a result, companies need to integrate and synchronize all their channels, including the phone, Web, fax, stores and so forth. Every touch point must also provide a consistent level of service.

The new e-business economy does offer tremendous advantages for those companies that are able to rethink their traditional business methods. Those that revamp will enjoy e-business success. Those that don’t won’t be around tomorrow. n

Jeremy Burton is senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Oracle in Redwood Shores, Calif.

The R in CRM

By Brian Mulconrey

"I’m sorry sir, we have no record of your order. You’ll have to call our sales department and have them call us so that we can process your request." That apology comes from a conversation I had the other day with a Southwestern Bell service representative. I had already received my new phone, but the company didn’t have a record of the order, so the service rep couldn’t process my request.

When I hung up, Southwestern Bell effectively lost all memory of this interaction except for a few disjointed call notes and perhaps a call recording?for training purposes?that’s unlikely to reach those who need to hear it most. But instead of calling the sales department?after all, I didn’t really have to call them?my wife and I went out for the evening. We went to see the movie Memento, the story of Leonard, a man who has lost the ability to form new long-term memories. Fifteen minutes after meeting people for the first time, he loses all memory of them except for a ragged collection of notes and photographs, which he often has a lot of trouble interpreting.

Customer Connections

My wife and I did not enjoy the movie. But thanks to Southwestern Bell, I couldn’t forget it. There was a nagging connection between my phone conversation with the service rep and the movie’s main character. Memento wasn’t entertaining because I never felt a connection with the characters. To help me share the experience of the inability to create new memories, the film presents the story in reverse order, beginning with the last scene and ending with the opening scene.