Hewson Group: European Gov. Should Adopt CRM

It is no surprise that shoddy customer service plagues government institutions in the U.S. as well as Europe. That is why Hewson Group, a European research firm, published its first review of CRM in the public sector. The key finding: European governments need CRM. "To secure a visible and sustained improvement in public services, the UK government needs to match its enthusiastic campaign for e-government with an equal commitment to CRM," claims Nick Hewson, group managing director at Hewson Group, in a statement. Hewson Group researched local and national government initiatives, and reported that the use of the Web, particularly with self-service applications, will offer many advantages for both the 'customer' and for public-service organizations. Simply put, CRM provides a set of established methodologies and technology tools needed to make public services more customer-focused. And CRM technology and services are readily available in Europe. Britain has a vibrant and successful CRM industry, according to the Hewson Group, including a highly developed call-center infrastructure. The report concludes: "There is an undoubted depth of skills and experience which should be harnessed to make a difference in the public sector."