“Customers are the cornerstone of a business. They are the game changers. Globalisation is reality and companies need to find ways to sustain and survive in the face of competition. Hence, the focus is on customer experience,” said YK Bhushan, Senior Advisor and Campus Head, IBS Mumbai, in his welcome address at the 2nd International Conference on Marketing on ‘Customer engagement and experience — issues, reflection and future strategies’ organised by IBS Mumbai.
BS Nagesh, founder of TRRAIN and the chief guest for the conference, said in his inaugural address, “The pre-requisite of customer engagement is commitment to the customer. The intention of customer engagement is to create moment of delight and sustain it. Online retailers know the customers by head, but to build a customer relationship they must know them by heart.”
The address through video was delivered by Jagdish N Sheth and Charles H Kelstadt, Chair of Marketing in Goizueta Business School, Emory University, Atlanta USA. “Customers are becoming co-producers with the rise of e-commerce which makes customer engagement challenging. Consumers are taking charge which makes customer engagement very essential. The real construct of customer engagement is communication of commitment to customers,” said Sheth. The keynote address was delivered by Ajit Alexander, CEO, VFS TASHEEL International and Jayant Kshirsagar, Director Marketing, SAP, India Limited.
A panel discussion on customer engagement was chaired by Bhushan.
N Subramani, Principal Consultant Strategy & Planning, Direxions Marketing Solutions said CRM is not technology, it is a philosophy. Koral Dasgupta, Consultant, Marketing Communications, said that metaphorically, the issue is how do you touch a beautiful lady and come back without making her feel harassed. Through emotions; empathy, appreciation, love. Technology helps us identify which method is appropriate for a customer. Nishant Parasher, Founder, Engage4more, said a customer is a child: irrational. Empathy towards them is important apart from transactional aspect.