I really like the ease of use with this CRM and the fact that it integrates with our other softwares. We operate as a sales unit, so it is essential that we are aware of what other members of the team are doing at all times, and where they stand on different leads, territories, etc. It eliminates the need for additional forms of communication, documents, spreadsheets, you name it. This is essential for any sales team out there, regardless of industry.
Pros
We are a sales and distribution company for a number of investment companies that run mutual funds, hedge funds etc. We have a GIANT list of prospects and trying to manage all of that in excel spreadsheets would be a nightmare when you consider that we operate as a team and not on an individual basis. It's easy enough to use and integrates well with outside software, such as outlook and excel. Great product for sales teams**.
Cons
I'm really not a fan of the lack of a genuine support system. If you have any issues, your only option is to email the support team and they have not been very helpful in my experience. Unless you pay for the top tier of salesforce, there's no phone number that you can call. I wish they had a decent tutorial and moreover, there are some no brainer adjustments that could really improve the CRM, such as mass email integration. Perhaps there is a way, but the fact that I have not been able to figure it out or get a decent answer from support speaks to their support system.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 7/10
Salesforce is the best platform out there to help you resolve your business problems! It is the best CRM that you can access anywhere; anytime!
Pros
Salesforce helped us resolve one of the major problems in our firm. At first, we were using Excel as our Candidate and Client database, and most of the time we get troubles because of this.
There are times that we reach out a candidate who then turns out to be our client. There are times as well that we reach out to a candidate more than 5 times a day, and because of that we get a lot of "do-not-contact" requests.
With Salesforce, it helped us to create tailor-fit solution to our business problem. We were able to import all of our candidates and clients to Salesforce by just uploading our excel databases in the system. We were able to put do not contact provisioning to our clients, to candidates that are currently in process, and also those candidates who indicated that they are not actively looking.
Now, we were able to make a great relationship with our candidates and clients through Salesforce.
Cons
What I least like about Salesforce is their customer support. Sometimes they are not that very good in resolving tech problems. Well, we seldom get problems so we barely need their help, but I hope Salesforce trains them well.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
We have a service desk that was tracking their work through email and spreadsheets and it wasn't working for us. Salesforce Service Cloud let us move all of that to the cloud with easy case logging and tracking. We were able to integrate with Outlook so that support request emails get logged automatically and assigned to support personnel based on assignment rules we configured. We are responding to work requests and closing cases 47% faster than before and nothing gets lost or overlooked because the dashboards clearly show the status of cases and requests.
Pros
Salesforce Service Cloud has so many features ready to use as soon as you get access. For basic service needs you could easily start using it day one and build out enhancements over time. Basic configuration is simple and quick and everything you need to track work requests and cases is pretty much there.
Cons
Salesforce releases updates three times a year and they are huge. Release notes are getting over 600 pages per release and, at least for my work, we've had to change some of our custom configuration and code so that our system would work after the release came out. It's nice that they are working on enhancements but you definitely have to plan in time to thoroughly regression test everything when a release hits your lower level sandboxes.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 8/10
I learned through this experience with Salesforce how to convert potential customers into regular customers. I always wondered how some small businesses stay afloat during economic times. They know how to connect with customers and they built a rapport with them overtime that they became a staple in the community. I used that knowledge and applied it to the platform and was blown away by the results.
Pros
I could run my employers business from anywhere. This is what sold me on the job in the first place, and this software is what made it possible. It's a one-stop shop of everything you need to know about your business. I can view potential customers, how to win over current customers, get insights into how I can approve the customer experience, and so much more. I really thought this software was going to be hard to figure out or stop me from getting the job, but this software made it possible for someone to land a job and keep it. So, I applaud Salesforce for creating an amazing product and service for businesses.
Cons
The only con I have about my experience with this software is the pricing, or at least what my boss have a problem with. My bosses infrastructure requires a lot of different products to make her business run more smoothly. I think it will help if there was a bundle deal for all the services she needs. I'm not exactly sure how she went about it, but I do know she wished she asked more questions as far as pricing and getting a better deal.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 9/10
SalesForce is a great tool that will help small to big companies in driving revenue, and helping each company drive results and performance to each client in their business development, recruiting and lead generation efforts in just a short span of time.
Pros
We've been using SalesForce for roughly 3 years now, and it helped us drive great ROIs due to its easy usage in terms of data entry, categorizing each client or candidate, and also the functionality it provides such as mass emails that we can add HTML codes to make it look personalized or targeted, and also the option that let us see if a client or candidate already opened the email we sent.
Our Academy, BD, and Recruiting department drove great revenue because of this, and SalesForce did a great job in helping us drive sales, and place candidates to our clients in a short span of time.
Cons
What I least like about SalesForce is its downtimes. The only drawback I experience from SalesForce is the time to time down time it causes, but that was just minimal and not often so no harm really made.
Rating breakdown
Likelihood to recommend: 10/10
Lightning Essentials: $25 / user / month
Lightning Professional: $75 / user/ month
Lightning Enterprise: $150 / user/ month
Lightning Performance: $300 / user/ month
All plans are billed annually.
Customers are no longer willing to wait until the next business day to receive responses to their queries and complaints. Salesforce Service Cloud, built on the Salesforce1 Platform, provides organizations with a way to embed one-touch service directly into their products, with multi-channel support designed for today’s nonstop world.
Service Cloud provides agent with tools for quickly managing customer cases, using consoles, communities, knowledge bases, collaboration, social service, and multi-channel support features. In some cases, organizations can even create online support communities where customers are able to find their own answers to common concerns or questions.
Service Cloud is a customer support solution designed for businesses of any size. Businesses are able to provide top quality customer service across every channel, and they can connect with customers on their own terms. Agents are able to provide customers with service through social media, and they can collaborate with other agents through integrated Chatter feeds.
Because Service Cloud is completely cloud-based, agents are able to manage cases from anywhere, at any time. Customer feedback and satisfaction levels can be tracked from any smartphone or tablet device using Salesforce’s mobile app and real-time dashboards.
Because Salesforce 1 Service Cloud is available in multiple editions, the platform can be utilized by businesses in a number of different industries. Businesses that use Salesforce 1 Service Cloud range from the smallest organizations—including small contact center teams that need access to basic services and support functionalities—to some of the largest companies in the world.
Among the businesses that have adopted Salesforce 1 Service Cloud, the solution is often utilized by employees within every department. Customer support agents are the most frequent users of Salesforce 1 Service Cloud. However, project managers and even upper level executives can rely on the solution, as well.
With Service Cloud, agents can juggle multiple cases at once. By unifying the agent experience into one platform, Salesforce has created a way for agents to respond to multiple support requests through multiple channels. Cases can be managed on both desktop and mobile devices.
The console is your primary case management interface, and it’s the place you’ll visit to get an idea of how your customers are feeling on a day-to-day basis. By putting as much information as possible onto one page, Salesforce has decreased the amount of clicking and scrolling you’ll need to do when finding, updating, and creating new records. You can even see visual indicators that update in real-time when lists or records are changed by other agents on your team.
Agents are able to create and manage content, which Salesforce calls “articles,” within their companies’ knowledge bases. These articles can be an excellent resource when agents are looking for the answers to questions that are infrequently asked by customers.
To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your knowledge base, create separate article types and categorize articles to allow administrators to control article visibility. For example, some articles may be accessible to agents-only, and other articles may be accessible to both agents and end-users.
Nobody knows all the answers. Service Cloud capitalizes on this by introducing a way for agents to quickly solicit advice and feedback from colleagues through the Salesforce platform. Using Chatter, agents are able to escalate cases to experts who have experience managing similar situations.
Because Service Cloud is built on the Salesforce1 Platform, it is easy to integrate the solution into your existing Chatter feed. From your desktop or mobile device, you can communicate with colleagues in real-time, asking for advice on how to handle difficult situations or handing off specific cases to experts within your department.
Using Service Cloud Communities, customers can find the answers to their own questions without relying on the help of a dedicated company agent. Regardless of the device a customer is using, self-service tools make it easy to troubleshoot and ask for help from other users within a supportive community.
When you enable Service Cloud Communities, you’re able to add support tabs to your apps, Facebook pages, and mobile websites. Through these support tabs, your customers can browse articles and community posts, and they can find answers to their questions without submitting a ticket to one of your agents. Service Cloud monitors all customer inquiries, and those that aren’t resolved on their own are ultimately flagged for follow-up by an agent on your team.
Service Cloud is available on more than just desktop devices. Using the solution, companies can offer their customers immediate service and support through any mobile device, as well. Using apps or mobile sites, customers can find the right products, get answers to their questions, and watch demonstration videos.
When customers still have questions even after using Service Cloud’s self-service mobile tools, they’ll often start chat sessions with agents from inside the mobile app. As a company service manager, you can participate in these sessions. You can also track agent productivity levels and customer satisfaction through your own mobile device at any time.
Service Cloud is built on the Salesforce1 Platform, and as a result, it is fully integrated into the Salesforce ecosystem. Users are able to customize their business processes and leverage any pre-built integrations they may have with ISV and partner applications. Service Cloud integrates with Desk.com.
Service Cloud is available with three levels of pricing. The most inexpensive option is the Professional plan, which costs $65 per user, per month. Next up is the Enterprise plan, which costs $135 per user, per month. Finally, large organizations can select the Performance plan at $300 per user, per month.
Provides businesses with ways to embed one-touch service directly into their products
Built on the Salesforce1 Platform
Agents can host live chats through desktop or mobile
Create self-service customer communities
Complete social integration
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