The digital age has brought many new technologies that are disrupting the way that companies interact with customers. Automated technologies are one aspect of technological development in recent days, and it has changed how regular business operations are performed. Chatbots, for instance, has changed the way that customers interact with companies. Facilitating interaction and being available around the clock to serve customers who have questions. This study investigated how automated technologies are used in CRM-activities of companies and how the implementation of such technologies can lead to customer engagement. CRM, Customer Relationship Management, is a core business strategy that aims to strengthen customer relationships through co-creating value with the use of supporting technologies. Customer engagement is a measurement of a customer's involvement with a firm over time, with the end goal of customers becoming “fans” that advocate and generate word-of-mouth for the firm. This study investigates how companies utilize automated technologies in CRM-activities and if these technologies can help lead to customer engagement. The study aims to answer the following research question: How are automated technologies, more specifically chatbots, used in existing CRM strategies to further create customer engagement? The study conducted investigates these technologies within five companies that utilize chatbot-technologies from chatbot-providers. The chatbot-providers are also part of the study to get a more comprehensive view of the functionalities and purpose of these technologies. The contrasting view of companies and chatbot-providers is used to answer the sub-purposes of the thesis regarding how companies implement automated technologies. A qualitative study with interviews was conducted, along with secondary data from written documentary sources. The data were analyzed in a theoretical thematic analysis in which themes were developed from the theoretical framework. The findings of the study show that despite the potential of automated technologies, the most prominent use is for customer service operations. The potential for automated technologies in CRM is greater than what was found in the interviewed companies. The findings also demonstrate that automated technologies facilitate connection, interaction, and increases customer satisfaction, which can lead to customer engagement. The findings also show that there is a discrepancy in the views of companies who use chatbots in their business processes and the chatbot-providers that help implement them.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:umu-172386 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Edlund, Paul, Holmner Härgestam, Axel |
| Publisher | Umeå universitet, Företagsekonomi, Umeå universitet, Företagsekonomi |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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