Free CRM software is now being chosen by many companies and small businesses to standardize business processes and improve the quality of their customer service. With zero investment costs, it’s pretty easy to see why these freebies are able to attract such a large number of users. Especially when CRM software is increasingly appreciated for its effectiveness in business strategy. However, besides the practical benefits, there are also many negative reviews surrounding the quality of this software. Is using free customer care software the right thing to do or is it just a disadvantage?
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The vital role of CRM software in business strategy
CRM or customer relationship management software, a definition that has been mentioned frequently in business for many years. The use of support software in customer experience management and business operations is no longer a strange thing in the current era of explosive technology. Typically, CRM software is used to maintain the relationship between a business and its customers by storing, analyzing and creating the most relevant marketing and customer service strategies.
Every successful business is associated with customers. Now the trend of focusing on customers is being promoted more than ever. According to statistics, almost 80% of business profits come from regular customers. That’s why the customer service experience of the staff is always well-trained and professional. But human ability is always limited, not to mention errors, data loss happens very very common.
Therefore, the need for a CRM system to help comprehensively manage customers is definitely indisputable. Despite the fact that there are many companies today that do not need it and still handle customer related issues very well. However, over time, as the business grows, it is inevitable to expand the size of the company with the support of customer relationship management software. Along with that, the application of CRM technology platform to business processes is being considered as the current development trend of Vietnamese enterprises. Not only helps increase revenue but also improves the work efficiency of departments and employees in the company.
What are the pros and cons of free CRM software?
Due to some financial constraints or company size, many small and medium businesses have decided to choose free CRM software instead of the paid versions that are very popular on the market today. Since cost is one of the most important factors when considering any investment aspect, these businesses often prioritize using zero-dong platforms to save money. However, besides the immediate advantages, this free customer support software also has hidden disadvantages that are difficult to overcome. Here are some advantages and disadvantages often encountered in free customer care software for investors to consider:
Advantages of free CRM software
Depending on each supplier, the free CRM customer care software will have different usage features. However, the overview is designed to better manage and support customers on a data-storage basis than the conventional way. Therefore, free customer support software has the following advantages:
- Save a source of budget to use for other business activities of the company. This is the leading advantage for investors and business managers.
- Bringing the most basic features to meet most customer care needs of businesses.
- Can be suitable for many different industries, depending on the type of software that you can research and use for your needs.
- Helping small businesses to take care and manage customers more professionally and professionally than traditional methods of care before.
Disavantage of free CRM software
It cannot be denied that using free CRM software today brings certain benefits to businesses, especially helping to save a decent amount of budget. However, to give an accurate answer to the question of whether to use the free version, it is necessary to refer to the following limitations:
- The free version is often limited to certain features, often groundbreaking advanced features. You can only use a few basic features, if you want to “unlock” more advanced utilities, you will have to pay.
- Free customer care software will often be limited in the number of people allowed to access, certain records and capacity per business. Usually only allows access to 2-3 users/month, about 500 records, so this is why using this software is mostly companies, small businesses are in the stage experiment.
- Free CRM software will often be packaged versions, ie not enhanced with new features and cannot be customized or changed.
- If you use this free software, you have to learn and study it yourself without any guidance or support. For use in small businesses only. For businesses with 2-3 employees and only managing less than 500 customers, using free CRM software is the right solution for your business. However, if your business has a larger scale, has many departments, a large number of customers, you should use paid customer management software because that way it can meet the appropriate features. with your business.
- The stored data is not highly secure, easy to be stolen.
- Limited language, because in Vietnam today, there are not many reputable free CRM software providers, most of which are from foreign suppliers. Most of the software does not have a Vietnamese version, making it difficult for users.
The above is an analysis of the benefits as well as limitations that a free customer care software can bring to your business. However, to make a decision whether to use the free version or not to invest money to be able to fully exploit the advantages of the paid version, it all lies in the strategy and vision of the developer. administration. To learn more about the importance of CRM software, refer to the blog How can CRM manage the workspace effectively?
