Expanding Customer Intelligence to Match Expanding Customer Needs

Where I grew up, banking was a local affair. I opened my first checking account and secured my first car loan at the small bank down the road where my aunt worked as branch manager.

Today, I use an online banking service from an out-of-town credit union. I write monthly checks for mortgages and car loans that are held by various national banks. And I charge purchases to credit cards marked with the logos of multiple financial services companies.

The same goes for my growing collection of communications products. I used to have one phone line and nothing but a rusted TV antenna. Now, my household pays for high-speed Internet, cable TV, three cell phones and two local phone lines with multiple features.

As my options as a consumer increase in each of these industries, so, too, does the competition for my business. Clearly, those companies that can understand and predict my unique needs are more likely to attract more of my business.

At U.S. Bank, SAS Customer Intelligence offers that advantage, helping bank personnel understand customer behavior over time and providing the information needed to act on significant customer changes immediately. It's the kind of knowledge that can help even the largest national banks make decisions with the agility of a friendly, small-town branch.

Likewise, at Tianjin Unicom, a leading Hong Kong telco, sales and marketing managers classify customers according to their possible behaviors and potential buying habits, giving them a better understanding of key factors that affect customer decisions.

The results are impressive: increased revenues per user, enhanced product innovation, improved profitability and more powerful marketing strategies, to name a few.

Want the same results for your organization? Read the articles included in this issue or visit our home page at www.sas.com, and start applying similar strategies to your business.

Alison Bolen
sascom Editor-in-Chief