CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGEMENT FOR GOVERNMENT

Whether they have done it purposely or accidentally, DOH might have paved the way for a new trend in the management of customer relations in the government. In ICT lingo, the proper term for this is Customer Relations Management, or CRM for short. Just as a backgrounder, CRM is a billion-dollar industry in the private sector, with big high-tech companies like SalesForce and Accenture raking in the big bucks by selling either hardware, software, services or any combinations of the three. Sad to say, CRM is still not widely used in the government. Probably, this is due to a lack of awareness, or a lack of interest. In all probability, DOH has not yet deployed a CRM system, but they have done something that no amount of technology could do, and that is to reach out to the general public to bring their services to the poor, even if they are not requesting for it. To me, this is like the grace of God that is being given to us, even if we do not ask for it, and even if we do not deserve it. I am referring to a recent incident wherein some DOH staff went out of their way to locate a child who had accidentally swallowed a firecracker. These DOH staff not only located the child, they also brought him to a hospital and treated him there, at no expense to his family. That may have been an ordinary feat that could have escaped my attention, but to me, it really stands out as a shining example in a sea of indifference and apathy. IKE SENERES/09088877282/12-31-2023