Siyan Technology x APEC Forum: Creating an easy-to-use digital CRM for the service industry.
The 2022 APEC SME Digital Resilience New Paradigm Forum, hosted by the Small and Medium Enterprise Administration of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, aimed to assist SMEs in developing digital operating models. Representatives from the economic departments of 16 countries, including the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Peru, were invited to participate. In addition, over 30 Taiwanese companies that have achieved remarkable results in “Enterprise Digital Innovation” were invited to give online presentations, showcasing their digital products and business models.
Digit Spark Group and Siyan Technology Company are honored to have CEO James Chen share his marketing perspectives on “membership management” and ” customer acquisition” for small and micro enterprises . They will also introduce the group’s digital CRM application solution , Oh! Bot , demonstrating how businesses can solve various membership-related problems.
When developing digital tools, we start from the needs of “service industry workers”.
James, the CEO, first mentioned that Taiwan is now a country heavily reliant on the service sector ; its contribution to GDP and employment is undeniable. In the retail, transportation, film and television, and IT industries, Taiwan’s annual service-related revenue exceeds one trillion US dollars. Behind this enormous profit lies not only the support of large conglomerates (such as Uni-President, Synnex, and HSBC), but also the collective efforts of numerous medium, small, and micro-sized enterprises.
However, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lack the integrated tools or strategies developed in-house to serve consumers like large corporations, or the brand recognition and influence that allows them to naturally and consistently attract customers. Small businesses rely heavily on their “frontline staff” to personally handle market expansion and consumer interaction , such as continuously responding to customer service calls and managing appointments, to achieve stable and positive results. While this approach is effective, it can lead to two problems: firstly, it overwhelms service personnel, leaving them exhausted; secondly, once a certain membership base is reached, further growth becomes difficult.
The easiest membership management model in collaboration with Line
Digit Spark’s Oh! Bot tool was created to address the problem that creating a CRM membership management tool is too troublesome and costly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Oh! Bot capitalized on the widespread use of Line for messaging across Taiwan , designing it as an app-like tool; it “embedded” CRM tools tailored to the needs of SMEs into Line. Frontline service personnel can directly use Line to integrate online and offline membership management , leveraging the following benefits to make their work easier and more flexible:
Quickly compile questions and requests proactively raised by consumers (e.g., booking appointments, additional service notes, etc.) to simplify the customer service response process.
Based on marketing, administrative, and other needs, different indicators can be easily designed to differentiate members (e.g., those who like a certain offer package, consumers who have questions about a certain service, etc.); this allows for more efficient service to each member’s needs.
• Collect consumer intent data for predictive marketing ; it’s easier to retain new members who make their first contact.
Connect online and offline events. Consumers can easily switch between the personal and event information they need with one click, and businesses can integrate consumer data from different channels; even videos can be linked and obtained from Line.
The membership system designed by the company brand can be easily used by consumers via Line, saving them the trouble of adapting.
Capture your friends’ friends! Leverage Line to expand your customer base to an unlimited number of new customers.
In addition to the above, frontline service staff can also use the Oh! Bot feature to create member activities on Line, design electronic offers for members with different spending intentions, and generate MGM marketing buzz to encourage “regular customers to bring in new customers”.
In the principles of membership management in marketing, there is a “3:7” rule; this means that the cost of acquiring a new customer to become a member is about three times higher than the cost of attracting an existing member to make a repeat purchase. Therefore, businesses try to maintain a 3:7 ratio of new to existing members each quarter to ensure stable revenue and cultivate the ability for sustainable operation.
The benefits of Oh! Bot’s integration with Line also lie in “breaking the 3:7 rule.” Business marketers can easily design mini-games or referral reward programs that attract existing customers to bring in new ones, achieving marketing results similar to Starbucks’ Friends Day . The most effective way to gain the trust of someone completely unfamiliar with a brand is through word-of-mouth recommendations from trusted individuals . This method is easier than completely unsolicited advertising or trial experiences, and it’s also more effective at retaining new customers. For small and micro-enterprises, this significantly reduces the manpower, resources, and time costs associated with each customer acquisition effort.
▼Brand application interface after importing <Oh! Bot>
Conclusion
For small and medium-sized service and retail businesses seeking operational growth, a “smooth membership management mechanism” is an essential operational strategy. Beyond providing attentive service to consumers, the art of membership management also involves enabling managers to perform their duties efficiently and proactively acquire customers using available data—a skill that businesses must continuously refine.
We are dedicated to developing CRM application tools because we recognize the specific needs of businesses. We are honored to be invited to participate in this online forum and to introduce Oh! Bot to the attendees. We also learned from the experiences of others at the event, growing together in the process. Digit Spark and Siyan Technology will continue to strive to serve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and shine together in the industry.
Digit Spark, part of the Zhenhao Internet Media Group, integrates its six sub-brands offering data application services to provide enterprises with comprehensive and precise optimization services across five key areas: “Industry Customer Targeting,” “Performance Optimization Strategies,” “Digital Tool Integration,” “Online Voice Cultivation,” and “Brand Value Promotion.” It drives brand success through data technology.
