Managing customer relationships remotely: best practices and strategies

Authors: Heidi Myyryläinen, Justyna Franczyk & Małgorzata Kilian

The importance of customer relationships in online business

Building strong customer relationships online isn’t the same as doing it face-to-face. In-person, it’s all about direct conversation and personal connections, while online, businesses have to rely on messages, video calls, and digital tools to keep things personal. It takes a different kind of effort to make sure customers still feel valued and heard. To succeed, businesses need to build trust by staying reliable, keeping in touch, and making customers feel genuinely valued. The focus needs to be also on putting personalized experiences at the heart of the process. In digital world, the technological choices can support engagement and service delivery. Knowing the customer and managing the relationship proactively and in personalized ways are keys for keeping loyal customers (Martins Gonçalves & Sampaio 2012).

Key elements in managing remote customer relationships

Remote customer relationship management has become an essential part of modern business. It requires a blend of personalized service, multi-channel engagement, and a consistent, accessible presence. Customers connect more when businesses speak to their needs in a way that feels personal and real. Personalization can help creating such experiences that customers feel seen, valued, and understood on a deeper level. Personalization can be done by utilizing customer data for more personal service path, crafting more personalized offers, addressing customers by name in emails and chats, and remembering past interactions to create more seamless experiences. Predictive personalization aims to anticipate customer needs even before they arise – the idea is that customer feels effortlessly guided and understood. This can be recommending new services based on users’ goals, (Gorgoglione et al. 2019) among other things.

Multi-channel engagement is important and allows interaction between service provider and the customers across various digital platforms. Customers value if organizations can be reached by e-mail and phone. E-mail can be used for marketing, too, for personalized offers and updates. while social media becomes a space for brand engagement and customer support. For quick assistance, live chat and AI-powered chatbots can provide instant responses. It is also important to pay attention to more meaningful interactions. This could be in some cases video calls that bring value to all participants. Most importantly, communication should reflect the values of the firm and invite the audience along with the journey. (Wrigley & Straker 2018)

Maintaining consistency across all platforms further strengthens the connection with customers and builds credibility and trust. This includes also acknowledging what kind of emotions are involved in interactions. A consistent brand voice and message help ensure that customers feel they are engaging with a reliable and familiar brand. As mentioned, in many businesses availability is also crucial. This can be supported by having 24/7 automated or other support through chatbots, accessible frequently asked questions, and timely responses to inquiries all contribute to creating a good customer experience. It is important to find out whether the solutions work as they should from the perspective of diverse customers. (Wrigley & Straker 2018)

A successful remote customer relationship management (CRM) strategy goes beyond one-time transactions; it focuses on building long-term relationships. From the outset, businesses must identify and acquire customers by conducting market research to understand their needs, using targeted online advertising and search engine optimization strategies, and offering attractive incentives like free trials and discounts. Once customers are onboard, retention becomes the priority. Loyalty programs that reward repeat purchases, personalized follow-ups, and exclusive offers all play a role in fostering a sense of value and commitment. Ultimately, benefits from CRM come from using information in CRM system effectively for serving customers (Josiassen et al. 2014)

Addressing customer complaints effectively is crucial for maintaining these relationships. By actively listening to feedback, resolving issues promptly, and using negative feedback as an opportunity to improve, businesses can maintain trust. Transparency and honesty should remain central in all interactions to ensure customers feel valued and heard.

Incorporating artificial intelligence into CRM further enhances this process, making it more efficient and personalized. AI-driven chatbots can handle customer inquiries 24/7, significantly improving response times and efficiency. Predictive analytics can provide valuable insights into customer behavior, enabling businesses to anticipate needs and trends. Additionally, AI-powered CRM systems can automate personalized recommendations and content, ensuring that each customer interaction feels tailored to their unique preferences.

In essence, remote CRM is about creating a customer experience that is seamless, responsive, and tailored to each individual, all while leveraging technology to make these interactions more efficient and meaningful.

Overcoming challenges in remote CRM

Managing customer relationships can offer numerous benefits, but it also comes with challenges. One of the main hurdles is the lack of physical interaction, which requires businesses to find ways to compensate for the absence of face-to-face engagement. This can be done by adopting video conferencing tools and implementing interactive customer service strategies. Additionally, data privacy concerns are always a priority, and companies must ensure they handle customer data securely while complying with privacy regulations to build and maintain trust. Another challenge is keeping customers engaged; businesses can address this by regularly updating content, running interactive campaigns, and incorporating gamification to keep customers actively involved. It is important to know customers enough well regardless of distance.

Best practices for remote customer relationships management

To thrive in remote customer relationship management, businesses can follow a few key best practices that support strong and lasting connections. If the company has plenty of customers or aims to reach a large group of customers, investing and developing a CRM system can be wise. Platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho offer comprehensive solutions that integrate various customer interaction channels. Encouraging customer feedback is a key practice. It is recommendable to regularly conduct surveys and polls that helps gauge customer satisfaction and spot areas for improvement. In the long run providing value beyond sales is also important. This can be sharing informative content such as blogs, webinars, and newsletters positions your brand as a valuable resource. Staying updated with market trends allows businesses to refine CRM strategies and keep them relevant. Finally, training customer service teams ensures that employees have the necessary skills to manage remote customer interactions professionally and empathetically.

Plan for consistency and build trust

Building good customer relationships remotely needs a smart plan. This means using technology, personalizing interactions, and staying active in communication. Tools like AI can help, but consistency and trust are key. Strong relationships come from authentic emotions and values, regular contact and making customers feel valued. With more business shifting online, companies that prioritize customer experience and flexibility have better chances to thrive. Online access to Distance LAB tools, including the customer relationship management tool (Distance LAB 2024), encourages exploration and reflection on how to foster genuine connections while doing business.

References

Distance LAB. 2024. Learning Tool: Customer Relationship Building. Cited 15 Feb 2025. Available at https://interreg-baltic.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Learning-tool_Content_29.11.2024_Final-version-ENG.pdf

Gorgoglione, M., Panniello, U., & Tuzhilin, A. 2019. Recommendation strategies in personalization applications. Information & Management. 56 (6), 103143-. Cited 15 Feb 2025.  Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2019.01.005

Josiassen, A., Assaf, A. G., & Cvelbar, L. K. 2014. CRM and the bottom line: Do all CRM dimensions affect firm performance? International Journal of Hospitality Management. Vol. 36, 130–136. Cited 15 Feb 2025. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2013.08.005

Martins Gonçalves, H., & Sampaio, P. 2012. The customer satisfaction‐customer loyalty relationship: Reassessing customer and relational characteristics moderating effects. Management Decision. 50 (9), 1509–1526. Cited 15 Feb 2025. Available at https://doi.org/10.1108/00251741211266660

Wrigley, C. & Straker, K. 2018. Affected: emotionally engaging customers in the digital age. Newark: Wiley.

Authors

Heidi Myyryläinen works as RDI Specialist at LAB University of Applied Sciences.

Justyna Franczyk is a Chief specialist for project implementation at Rzeszow Regional Development Agency.

Małgorzata Kilian works as a specialist in regional and international projects at Rzeszow Regional Development Agency.

Authors collaborate in Distance LAB – remote service hub for SME’s and public sector -project.

Illustration: https://pixabay.com/fi/illustrations/kansainv%C3%A4linen-bisnes-liiketoimintaa-9062781/ (Pixabay Licence)

Reference to this article

Myyryläinen, H., Franczyk, J. & Kilian, M. 2025. Managing customer relationships remotely: best practices and strategies. LAB Pro. Cited and date of citation. Available at https://www.labopen.fi/lab-pro/managing-customer-relationships-remotely-best-practices-and-strategies/