CRM News: Industries

Bookit.com Has Some Nifty Features Hiding Under the Clutter
October 09, 2009

Clutter, clutter, clutter -- will they never learn? Well into our survey of travel-planning Web sites, a common design theme continues to predominate: a crowded user interface that detracts from the supposed utilitarian purpose of the site. As I examined Bookit.com, though, a few features jumped out of the busy display, dispelling my initial less-than-dazzled impression.

BofA Won't Hit Customers With Rate-Hike Squeeze Play
October 08, 2009

Bank of America on Tuesday pledged not to hike credit card interest rates or fees before a new law intended to reform industry practices takes effect in February. Since most Bank of America customers have variable rate cards, however, they could still see their interest rates go up. The interest on variable-rate cards is tied to the rise and fall of the prime rate.

Bing Travel Gets You Where You're Going, but No Peanuts
October 02, 2009

I remember when Kayak accused Bing of "borrowing" some of its design features last year. At the time, I wondered if indeed Kayak had a legitimate complaint -- the sites' designs are similar. However, after reviewing four separate travel-planning Web sites, I have concluded that Bing and Kayak could not have sprung from the same ideological source.

The Overdraft Overhaul
September 29, 2009

Banks are backing off harsh overdraft fees and policies. That's the good news. The bad news is they'll probably look to make up that lost profit elsewhere. It's a worrisome prospect for the vast majority of customers who never overdraw their funds and have grown accustomed to perks like free checking accounts.

Kayak: A Boatload of Delicious Simplicity
September 25, 2009

Continuing the E-Commerce Times' exploration of travel-planning Web sites, I paddled over to Kayak this week, and after a few minutes of playing around with the site, I was inexplicably struck with the desire for ice cream. Specifically, Haagen Dazs' five simple ingredients ice cream.

Dell Looks for Tech Services Gold With Perot Acquisition
September 22, 2009

Dell will spend $3.9 billion for the technology services company Perot Systems in an attempt to expand beyond the PC business and compete more aggressively with HP -- which recently bought another tech-services company founded by H. Ross Perot. Dell said Monday it will offer $30 per share in cash for Perot Systems -- a 68 percent premium over its closing price Friday.

Orbitz Has You Running in Circles
September 18, 2009

For this week's installment in the E-Commerce Times' series on travel-planning Web sites, I took a spin around Orbitz, completing my tour of the top three aggregators. The Orbitz site presented a simple two-column layout. Still, its design called to mind those "parked domain" Web sites that are used to seed ads or random content but have no real purpose.

Apps.Gov to Bring Cloud Efficiencies to Federal Agencies
September 16, 2009

The federal government has launched Apps.Gov, an online app store for federal agencies and workers, in the hope of reducing the $75 billion a year it spends on IT. Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra introduced the site Tuesday. The goal is for the federal government to leverage the efficiencies that cloud computing can deliver, Kundra said.

E-Commerce Innovations - What's Now and What's Next
September 14, 2009

Just as the evolution of the speed-skating boot set new standards for the sport, innovation in today's constantly evolving e-commerce landscape has worked as a catalyst to move it forward. E-commerce practitioners from all industries need to be ready to step up and embrace innovation as a means of staying ahead of the game.

Expedia Is Spare but Savvy
September 11, 2009

My first impression of Expedia -- a site that I used to frequent but haven't visited in at least a year -- is that its design is refreshingly straightforward: a three-column layout relatively uncluttered with self-promotion. Expedia's streamlined site does have its disadvantages, though. I don't see where to sign up for flight status alerts, for example.

New Dell Product Spurs Electronic Medical Records Adoption
September 10, 2009

Dell is expanding its electronic medical records offerings with a new hardware, software and service bundle designed to help hospitals ease the transition from paper to digital records. The service is an end-to-end solution that touches upon all aspects of this process in the hospital setting.

Blinders May Help When You're Tooling Around Travelocity
September 04, 2009

Travel Web sites were among the first category of e-commerce ventures to actually make a buck a decade or so ago. It is astounding, therefore, that recent industry reports show a deep dissatisfaction among many users of these portals. In particular, Forrester Research recently reported on the failings of several of these sites, both in terms of tools and customer service.

Beyond CRM: 5 Steps to Outfox Your Competitors
September 03, 2009

Imagine this all-too-common scenario: A customer needs to add a new line to his cellphone plan. He's had a number of reception and phone issues, and he will stay with his current company only if offered a very good deal. However, the agent -- unaware of the prolonged dissatisfaction and insensitive to the customer's tone -- suggests an expensive upgrade plan and rushes the customer to some type of decision.

The E-Coupon Generation
September 01, 2009

Electronic coupons, arriving by cellphone, Twitter, e-mail and Facebook, are helping generate an old standby's comeback and bringing in new, younger customers. Many shoppers, especially young consumers like 30-year-old April Englebert, used to reject coupons printed in newspapers and direct-mail booklets as passe or cumbersome.

Survival Tips for Passengers Stranded on the Tarmac
August 28, 2009

You're tired, hungry, have a cranky baby on your lap and all you want to do is get off the plane, but you can't because it's been on the tarmac for hours waiting to take off. While such delays are rare, they can be more common during the hot summer due to thunderstorms and, this year, because of fewer flights to get you to your destination if your flight is canceled.

Google Plans to Branch Into Loan Referral Biz, Says LendingTree
August 27, 2009

LendingTree, which allows prospective borrowers to get quick offers from multiple lenders, claims Google is about to get into the same business. A LendingTree lawsuit against a separate technology provider claims that it has learned Google plans to launch such a service later this month or in early September.