Chrysler executives not phoning it in with CRM

Chrysler Corp. is integrating top executives into its CRM strategy with a new customer-calling program that kicks off next week.

The “Customer First Call Campaign,” spearheaded by Chrysler chairman and CEO Bob Nardelli, asks Chrysler's 300 top executives to make customer service calls to people who have purchased a Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle in the last 60 days. Before manning the phones on their own, the Chrysler executives will observe incoming and outgoing calls at the company's customer service centers. Then, under the supervision of a call center expert, executives will call customers to ask if they are satisfied with their purchase and if they are having any problems; if a customer does report problems, the executive will be in charge of the case until the problem is cleared up.

“Mr. Nardelli launched this unprecedented program because he wants executives to experience the voice of the customer,” explained Patty Georgevich, global service and communication manager for Chrysler. “It's just another example of an initiative that fits in with the plan for us to have a continued commitment to bring the customer closer to the company and the company closer to the customer.” 

The call campaign is the most recent in a group of “Customer First” CRM initiatives kicked off by Chrysler this year. In March, the company, with help from interactive agency Organic, launched an online Customer Advisory Board to engage customers in dialogue and gather actionable feedback.

Earlier this month, Chrysler launched another customer-focused initiative called “Let's Refuel America,” through which the company offered a gas card that would lower customer's fuel prices to $2.99 a gallon for the next three years. The offer was inspired by direct feedback from the Advisory Board.

“CRM is in the forefront of everything we do,” Georgevich said. “It's become one of the pillars of how we do business, so responsiveness is significant.”