Impact of Electronic Customer Relationship Management (e-CRM) on Efficiency of Rent-a-Car Sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Electronic customer relationship management system (e-CRM) is acknowledged today as obligatory concept of customer relationship management in the world of services. Therefore, research on impact of CRM and e-CRM system to efficiency of rent-a-car agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina is of crucial importance for companies and managers not only in rent-a-car industry, but the tourism industry as whole. The aim of this paper is to explore the impact of e-CRM on efficiency of rent-a-car agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It explains if and how much is e- CRM incorporated in everyday business of rent-a-car agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, it proves that those rent-a-car agencies that have recognized the significance of e-CRM in everyday business, it leads to increase of agencies' profitability shown through the level of customer retention and attraction. This study is based on the structured personal interviews conducted with major rent-a-car agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research has several findings. Firstly, rent-a-car agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina recognize the significance of e-CRM for everyday business. However, e-CRM system is mostly used by rent-a-car agencies that have foreign license/franchise. Secondly, reasons behind non-usage of e-CRM in other agencies are mostly lack of capacities, insufficient knowledge of information-communication technologies of higher degree, as well as financial constraints. Thirdly, rent-a-car agencies using the e-CRM consider it as contribution to pertaining the long-term customer relations and increase of profitability.