Like any effective customer relationship program, the idea is to maintain a close relationship with your customers to build a long-term relationship. And, like all healthy (being profitable) long-term relationships, the key ingredient is listening to understand the evolving needs of your clients to speak to them at the right time in the right way. CRM programs can benefit greatly from the use of gaming mechanics – by measuring the tasks performed in the ‘game’ – for instance, this may work in how individuals chose to earn rewards/achieve tasks and once these points have been earned – how they choose to spend them. By simply tracking the choices they can uncover unbiased customer motivations and desires – by observing what they do, not what they say they do.

And it doesn’t end there…
The type of information gathered can not only improve the timeliness and relevance of your communication, it can also lead to (here it comes…) co-creation with you customers and even your employees.

To quote Paul Greenberg from his blog post on Mycustomer.com:
“The collaboration between the gamers and the games companies are a prototype for a social CRM business model. There is true co-creation – meaning an effort that is carried out between the customer and the company conjointly to add value to each and both. The company moves from merely producing products to aggregating products, services, tools and experiences that the customer can use to alter the interactions they have with the company in ways that are immensely appealing. This enhances the customer’s commitment to the company – and the community that the company supports reinforces the customer. Advocates are the result. Profits are the benefit.”