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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CRMI Launches First Membership Rewards Program
for Customer Service Professionals
Members earn points as they participate in training programs,
events and services
that provide career development resources and strengthen job skills
CHELMSFORD, Mass.; Aug. 1, 2005 – Professionals
involved in all aspects of customer interaction within their organizations can
"earn as they learn" by joining the new CRMI Membership Rewards
Program, a first-of-its-kind membership program announced today by the Customer
Relationship Management Institute (CRMI). CRMI is a one-stop shop for a wealth
of information, training and services needed to assist organizations in driving
revenue and profits through increased customer loyalty.
Members of the CRMI Membership Rewards Program (www.crmirewards.com)
earn points as they participate in various training programs, seminars/webinars,
CRMI’s annual SCORE Conference plus selected services offered by CRMI and its
business partners. Similar to how airlines, hotels and credit card companies
reward their best customers, CRMI members can redeem their points for valuable
rewards, such as merchandise and discounts on shopping, dining, travel and
entertainment nationwide. Members can manage their accounts and redeem points
online.
CRMI is a valuable resource to professionals
involved in all areas of customer contact. While the actual nature of their work
varies, those in the professions below all share a common goal of establishing
superior relationships that build customer loyalty.
- Customer Service
- Field Service
- Technical Support
- Human Resources
- Product Management
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- Call Center Operations
- Help Desk
- Sales & Marketing
- Professional Services
- Quality Assurance
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"Professionals in each of these areas already
have access to membership organizations that provide skill building and career
resources within their specific fields," said Richard J. Castellano,
president of CRMI. "However, these organizations are dedicated to their
specific fields, and do not reach out to those in related fields who also have
ongoing contact with customers, prospects and suppliers.
"Our
goal is to promote cross-functional cooperation and understanding of how all
points of customer contact play a role in ensuring customer loyalty and
retention," Castellano said. "We think our membership will find this
program very appealing because such incentive programs are not part of their
affiliation with other business and trade organizations."
CRMI Services Enhance – and Reward -- Professional Growth
CRMI members earn points for participating in CRMI and
partner services, such as:
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Training
Seminars/Webinars -- Turning Loyalty Into GoldSM,
Turning Employee Loyalty Into GoldSM
and Turning Service Into GoldSM,
Lean Six Sigma, Chief Customer Officer, etc.
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Annual
SCORE Conference – Since 2003, service executives have found the SCORE
(Symposium for Customer Operations and Relationship Exposition) conferences
to be invaluable in staying current with the latest developments in building
loyalty management strategy and improving customer operations.
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Center
for Loyalty Research – benchmarking, survey methodology, key account
strategies, best-in-class practices, white papers, etc.
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Certification
Programs – at Certified Customer Relationship Professional and Certified
Customer Relationship Management levels.
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CRMI
Services – grant writing, customer appreciation events, speaker bureau,
online focus groups, customer & employee surveys, etc.
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Employee
surveys and incentive programs – CRMI surveys provide a comprehensive view
of the level of employee satisfaction. Incentive programs are useful form
the basis of employee, recognition and reward campaigns.
Membership points can be redeemed for valuable rewards, such as gift
certificates valid at stores such as Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Circuit City
and Best Buy; Marriott hotels; restaurants including Chili’s, Olive Garden,
Applebee’s, Starbucks and Red Lobster; merchandise (home electronics, sporting
gear, watches, etc.), donations to charitable institutions (World Wildlife Fund,
Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, etc.) and exciting vacation destinations.
CRMI Membership Fees and Rewards Points
Members enroll in the CRMI Membership Rewards Program at one of three levels:
Executive (CEO/president, Chief Customer Officer/CCO, VP/CFO),
Management(director, manager) and Customer Service Professional/CSP (supervisor,
individual contributor).
Those who join at any level before Dec. 31, 2005 enjoy special charter
membership fees of $300 for one year and $825 for three years. Charter members
lock-in these special rates as long as their active memberships remain current.
After that date, the one-year membership fee is $350 and a three-year membership
fee costs $975. To get started, one-year members receive 1,000 points and
three-year members get 5,000 points. Corporate membership rates are available
for groups of employees at substantial discounts over the individual rates.
Redemption levels range from 3,000 points for rewards with a value of $25 up
to 100,000 points for rewards valued at $1,000. Members earn 4,000 points and
receive a discount for attending a SCORE Conference, and earn 1,000 points for
each CRMI or partner seminar they attend. Completing the certification program
earns 15,000 points, and 3,000 points are given for purchasing a benchmark
report. Points are also awarded for purchases of books, tapes and videos, and
bonus points are given to those who renew their memberships at each anniversary
date and attend consecutive SCORE Conferences.
"Members
who take advantage of CRMI and partner events and services can earn points
fairly quickly," Castellano said. "We don’t expect people to join
the program just for the rewards, but they’re an added incentive for service
professionals to focus on the career development, networking and skill building
benefits of CRMI’s services."
About CRMI
The Customer Relationship Management Institute (CRMI) provides a range of
educational workshops designed to help organizations create a workplace where
employees are motivated and skilled, customers are valued and relationships are
maximized. CRMI seminars, webinars and white papers focus on best practices in
customer and employee satisfaction, loyalty and retention, as well as incentives
that boost employee productivity and performance. Since 2002, hundreds of
service, sales, quality and human resource professionals from scores of America’s
top companies have benefited from CRMI’s comprehensive programs. For more
information visit www.crmirewards.com,
email info@crmirewards.com
or call (877) 839-8761.
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