Many companies are looking for better ways to protect their customers’ information. This is particularly true of banks and online marketplaces like eBay. One way eBay is working to protect its customers is by using their information to help identify fraud. Using data mining, eBay is able to process large amounts of transaction information and product descriptions to detect sellers who are attempting fraud. According to eBay, fraud has decreased significantly since the company began implementing security measures based on data mining. Similarly, Ford uses data collected from four million cars to improve in-car features, such as voice recognition and vehicle safety. In-car sensors relay information to Ford about how customers drive and how they use various features of the car. Ford then uses this data to fine-tune features in the following year’s models. Customers can also use Ford’s remote management system, which provides the company with notifications about any malfunctions or maintenance needs such as brake pads that need to be replaced. Because eBay and Ford go above and beyond to make customer protection a main priority, these companies forge stronger, more personal bonds with their customers. SOURCE: Michael Hickins, “For Some, Security is a Starting Point for Big Data,” Wall Street Journal, May 3, 2012, https://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2012/05/03/for-some-security-is-a-starting-point-for-big-data/ (Accessed March 26, 2013); Rachel King, “Ford Gets Smarter about Marketing and Design,” Wall Street Journal, June 20, 2012, https://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2012/06/20/ford-gets-smarter-about-marketing-and-design/ (Accessed March 26, 2013). Question 9 of 123.0 Points
1. Why does Ford use personal selling to sell automobiles?
A. Personal selling allows salespeople to demonstrate the company’s high-tech safety features.
B. Salespeople can vary their message according to the motivations and interests of individual customers.
C. Personal selling allows Ford to qualify customers through direct conversations, credit checks, and other methods.
D. Personal selling is the most effective way to completing the sale of an automobile.
E. All of these.
2. Based on the case, which of the following benefits of Internet-assisted selling is most useful to eBay in its mission to protect customers?
A. The Internet allows salespeople to be more accessible to both clients and the company.
B. The Internet has become a powerful tool for customers to access accurate and up-to-date information.
C. The Internet facilitates cost-effective processing of orders and service requests.
D. The Internet frees salespeople from tedious administrative tasks like shipping catalogs, placing routine orders, and tracking orders.
E. The Internet provides salespeople with vast resources of information on clients, competitors, and the industry.
3. Determining the level of data collection and protection that a prospective customer desires before offering those services to the customer is a crucial part of lead qualification.
True
False