Are Your Customers Satisfied?

How many times have you heard the old retailer adages, ‘the customer is always right,' or ‘the customer always comes first'? Chances are, you've used them quite a few times. Though a seemingly simple concept, retailers go to great lengths to find the solution that marries customer relationship maintenance and ongoing customer satisfaction. This solution exists, and it's known as customer relationship management (CRM). CRM is defined as methodologies, software, and usually Internet capabilities that help an enterprise manage customer relationships in an organized way.

Gwen Babcock, chief information officer of Pacific Coast Feather, knows the importance of a solid CRM system firsthand. Pacific Coast Feather is a privately held company in business more than 100 years. The manufacturer began as a familyowned bedding business in the Pacific Northwest. Today, Pacific Coast Feather sells basic bedding products in the United States and internationally through retail customers in Canada, China, and Europe. With annual revenue of $325 million, Pacific Coast Feather maintains more than 25% of the market share in major bedding categories. The manufacturer prides itself on understanding its customers and developing products they need.

Pacific Coast Feather offers an array of B2B Web sites with products and services designed to meet the specific needs of different customers. "We sell through all major retail channels, and our customers are primarily large retailers," states Babcock. However, a small percentage of goods are sold directly to consumers via ecommerce Web sites.