But when considered together, the three are an overwhelming argument. But before looking at the costs involved in using inaccurate customer data, consider just two facts. Americans like to move. Even when they don't move, consumers are not stagnant. Any CRM strategy that fails to recognize the dynamic nature of consumers' lives and lifestyles is likely to fall short of expectations.
Hard costs are the most obvious.
They involve processing returned mail and include the concrete expenses of postage, paper, envelopes, printing and labor. Additionally, because returned mail arrives erratically, in varying quantities, and without any advance notice, efficiencies are difficult to achieve. The costs for reprocessing are frequently higher than those incurred in processing an equivalent number of first-time mail pieces. Soft costs, however, can be even more significant than hard costs, especially for the enterprise as a whole. The most tangible soft cost involves the delay in the receipt of revenue.