Having CRM is absolute necessity today, as reaching out to Global Village spread of market is highly impossible with fewer resources we have. But it can be balanced in this way: 1) In my opinion, personalized Direct Mailers get more attention. 2) It is highly recommended that always have a Key Account Manager concept in place and maintain well balanced face-to-face meeting approach along with digital touch. One personal meeting is equal to 10 time more powerful than digitally enabled reach. 3) Lending an empathetic ear to hear out customers' needs/feedback/expectations at-least once in a year will help you to do mid-term course corrections and stay ahead of your competition. 4) Long-time untouched customers are poached by competition.

I truly believe while CRM automation can streamline tasks and improve sales process/customer success quality, but it's very essential to remember that technology should augment, not replace, human connection. We can use CRM to segment but not for tailoring messages. We need 'warm to hot' customer/customer prospects not a 'cold' one and unfortunately automated messages are cold. My team practices 'tailoring & personalizing'.

Organizations should try to create a balance between automated responses and personal interactions. One shall use customer information to personalize automated messages making the customer feel valued and comfortable with the change. Regular audits should be performed and customer dis-satisfaction scores should be captured to identify training needs for generative AI and existing processes.

Automating tasks with a CRM system can risk losing the personal touch. Ensure balance by : Using automation for routine tasks. Reserving personalized interactions for complex or emotional customer needs. Regularly reviewing customer feedback to maintain a human connection. Monitoring customer satisfaction to adjust automation strategies. Training customer service teams to prioritize empathy and personalized care.