CQS was founded in September 2007 and is a leading company in the field of operational Customer Relationship Management. With a wide range of clientele, from almost every business sector, it has recently been steadily gaining ground, investing in innovation, customer-centric philosophy in human resources, but also in the excellent utilization of technological tools and digital media/applications.
Konstantinos Hatziandreou is the head of CQS, with whom we had the opportunity to do an extremely interesting interview, in which he analyzed the company’s competitive advantages, its innovative applications, but also its core values, such as the emphasis on continuous growth and efficiency, the creation of value for customers and its executives, reliability.

Marketing Week: Customer Relationship Management – which is clearly a structural feature of CQS’s services -, since 2007 when the company started, has been differentiated in several places, both due to the rapid development of technology and the tools it brings, as well as due to of the new needs of customers, which were dictated by the financial crisis. What do you think are the most important of these changes and how have you, as a CQS, experienced them?

Konstantinos Hatziandreou: It is obvious that the model of hyper-consumerism could no longer work, as a matter of fact. The purchasing consciousness is changing, the criteria and requirements of customers are changing who are looking for quality, the perfect cost-benefit ratio as Steve Jobs characteristically defined with “enough is not good enough”. This new attitude also changed CRM, which is anyway the most “social” field in business activity. So what changed, the gaze turned to the clientele, active and inactive, in a completely different light. It was understood that in a reality where everyone is trying to do new, “smart” programming and not spend recklessly, you can’t cover a single need, but cover an entire situation that leads to the real customer experience. That is why we move away from ad hoc and move to holistic CRM approaches. We organize exactly this transition. This undertaking is made even more complex by the rapid development of technology through which the points of interface with the customer have increased drastically. A clear and unified strategy is required, as well as know-how, in order not to lose the connection with the customer in the chaos of multiple touch points that each have their own operating code. And that’s exactly where CRM helps. It makes the many codes speak the same “language” ensuring clarity, homogeneity and consistency. And in fact it should be a “language” that shows that in addition to “saying” what you give, you also know how to “listen” to what the other person needs.

Marketing Week : The changes that CRM has undergone, I guess would also trigger CQS to reposition itself in the market, with new services, new strategy and new philosophy. Tell us a little about the changes you made.

Konstantinos Hatziandreou: In a period of recession, it is almost a reflexive move for companies to switch to cost reduction models. This is usually the first reaction. But the game is played on what will be the next reaction, after the “shock”. And many times it is a “psychological” and not a strategic choice. For example, when asked why several large market “players” do not take action, many would answer that this is due to a lack of capital and liquidity in the market. But the truth is that even companies that do not face these issues, do not undertake such initiatives. I estimate that this happens because companies are reluctant to take risks in today’s environment and in already burdened business plans. In this reasonable hesitation, which however blocks their development possibilities, we propose a new way. A strategic repositioning that puts aside the “inhouse or outsourcing” question, which after all has only two possible answers. However, given that each case is unique and must be treated as such, we answer this question: co-sourcing. In a word, synergies. In other words, we are saying that before you look for capital and before you make difficult decisions regarding cuts in human resources or reductions in the logistical infrastructure, you should seek to achieve synergies, with which you will produce real added value.
Marketing Week: Coming into contact with your customers every day, do you identify any areas where they have the greatest need? In other words, which services are most needed? And finally, how do you respond to these needs?

Konstantinos Hatziandreou: As I told you before, each case is unique, which is why we do not plan “generally” but “on a case-by-case basis”. So I will tell you what is a constant, common denominator. And this is the method and the way we operate. First of all we do a complete mapping of the existing situation using more modern “diagnostic” tools. On this basis and with the client’s goal in mind, we create the corresponding action plan specifically for him with specific schedules and with an accurate determination of costs. Let me mention two points that emphasize our function as a true business partner and indicate the alignment of our motivations with those of the client for growth and profitability: Firstly, we aim to reduce the funds as much as possible for the actions the client has chosen. By making the necessary “plug ins” we develop synergies so that the resources invested give the maximum return. This plan is not static, but constantly evolves according to needs. Our own internal mechanism constantly monitors it and is always ready to update it as required. Second, we invest together with our client. The process I described to you does not burden his budget. In essence, we, acting as a co-investor, cover and provide the resources that are missing in the 3 main elements that CRM has, which are people, technology and processes are restructured and updated based on automated continuous optimization mechanisms. While for example, in order to acquire cutting-edge technology, we make additions using cloud services and leveraging “pay as you go” models. Accordingly, with regard to human resources, the emphasis given through special training and empowerment programs, as well as through the dissemination of our own know-how, with the aim of their full and effective reuse, is typical. If there is added value, everyone’s contribution is valued and the profit is shared. So we are clearly talking about a win-win cooperation. As you can see synergy is not just something we recommend. It’s who we are and how we operate. That’s why we do it well.

Marketing Week: Do you believe in the power of data driven marketing or is the power of data overrated in modern marketing?

Konstantinos Hatziandreou: As I said earlier, the customer has now become particularly demanding and asks in a direct and easy way to offer him solutions that give him real value. If you don’t “know” him you can’t “talk” to him and in any case he no longer has the patience to “listen” to you. You know, trust is interpersonal. It’s math and “chemistry” together. Obviously the central issue is to convince the customer that they are winning. But there is something more. The process to be convinced must ….convince her too. Convince him that you’re not trying to “convince” him, you’re just telling him the truth! It goes without saying that I believe that personalized sales and campaign management are essential. But in an organized way. What do I mean by that? I will tell you some important steps. There are constant interactions, based on new technologies and multiple points of contact with the customer. If you can record them in a common knowledge base, you have already taken a very big step. But it is not enough. You must be able to “read” it correctly, use it, turn it into effective action. We have created a mechanism that, once this first feedback is collected, separates the clientele into special audiences where each is assigned to a different workflow. Each workflow has a different management and a different budget. Now depending on the interaction that occurs through all available communication channels – phone, sms, direct mail, web, face2face, etc. -, the classification and priority can change. This process is continuous and evolves instantly and automatically. In addition, it adapts every time the customer’s data, strategy and goals change. For us, the work does not end at the first refusal of the client. For us, the work does not end at the first refusal of the client. Instead, that’s where it starts. Because you have to understand the reasons for the refusal and then come back. In this sense, we consider data to be very important for modern marketing.

Marketing Week: It is very important that the portofolio of your customers is very broad and includes sectors such as banking, telecommunications, insurance, fast moving goods, IT, pharmaceutical, etc. How easy is being able to meet the needs of such diverse industries? B.C. do you assign specialized executives exclusively to each client?

Constantinos Hatziandreou: We clearly use specialized executives in every sector of the market in which we operate. From the moment we become essential business partners, operate with performance based models and move based on the added value we produce, inevitably in every project we undertake we become an extension of the client’s internal mechanism. We fully understand its needs, the opportunities and threats it faces, the dynamics of the market in which it operates. On the other hand, because we are talking about ideas and solutions that have within them the concepts of innovation and diversity, we consider it crucial to properly transfer best practices and know-how from different markets. That is why we make use of executives who have cross-industry experience and who challenge everything, even the obvious. Such a strong team, such a powerful combination, is the perfect “synergy” for an excellent result.
Marketing Week: Regarding the executives of your company, I find that they are at particularly high quality standards, while I can’t help but testify that you give special importance to his training, as well as to how they feel working for CQS. Am I detecting an anthropocentric philosophy or not?

Konstantinos Hatziandreou: I couldn’t imagine anyone else! We work in the area of ​​business CRM and we are called to turn the strategy into practice. Action which should be fruitful and creative. And this can only be achieved by humans. No matter how excellent and complete the processes, technology and infrastructure are, what differentiates truly successful companies is their people. Especially in this difficult time, when cutting costs is the focus, leaving people behind, out of the picture, is not a solution. On the contrary, it creates serious problems in the operation and efficiency of the company. For us, people should be the key component of the solutions you propose. Because they will discover the most important solutions for a business, the solutions of innovation. Helping them develop, believe in themselves and enjoy their work is a sure investment. After all, everything can be copied, the techniques, the tools, the infrastructures. Everything. In addition to culture, the talent and dedication of a team of people who think creatively.

Marketing Week: We now live in times when pure intentions are not enough, in the sense that anything that does not bring results and profits, has no reason to exist, even if it is based on the best of intentions. Is efficiency a key priority for CQS? And how is this perceived directly by the customer? B.C. performance-based pay is a strategy that has been gaining ground in recent years. Could you adopt her?

Konstantinos Hatziandreou: Performance-based pay is a given for us and is another one of our strong competitive advantages. We follow this policy, which is increasingly accepted naturally by our customers. It is precisely this policy of ours that builds strong relationships of trust with our customers. It is proof that we mean it when we say that we want to be real business partners with them and not just offer them consulting services. In other words, we give them the possibility to reduce the risk of their investment by shifting it to us – when, for example, we are paid with a percentage of the added value we produce – and they appreciate that.