Customer relationship management (CRM) tools and the ability to use hosted call routing is enhancing customer service for a large beauty salon retailer. Ulta used to staff receptionists to answer customer calls and direct calls to specific internal staffers, but that was time consuming and frustrating for the customer. Online the response was even weaker: The retailer couldn't track or follow up on customer inquiries because it used a third-party vendor to handle e-commerce CRM. So last spring the tech leader pulled in hosted call-routing technology from Echopass and a hosted CRM application from RightNow Technologies, and not only are customers getting quicker and more efficient service, the business is benefiting as well.

For more on making CRM a hosted benefit:
- read this article at BPM Today

PLUS: Microsoft jumps into the CRM hosted marketplace. Article