2024 Outlook Customer Manager CRM Review: Pros, Cons & Features

What Does Outlook Customer Manager Do?

Outlook Customer Manager was a feature added to Microsoft Outlook to integrate essential CRM tools such as company records, activity logs, and deal tracking, making it easier for small businesses to manage customer information in their email. It meshed well with other Microsoft services, enhancing collaboration by keeping vital client details and calendar events accessible with a single click. 

However, Microsoft discontinued this service in June 2020, cutting off access to its online data, which forced users like me to seek new solutions that fit the evolving digital environment. However, I still miss Outlook Customer Manager’s simplicity in customer relationship management.

Pricing Plan

Outlook Customer Manager under the Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan charged $20 monthly per user. This rate unlocked a complete toolkit that integrated with your daily Microsoft Outlook use, enhancing it with robust Customer Manager features.

• Monthly Cost: $20 per user. This fee grants access to Microsoft Outlook and includes the Customer Manager benefits, expanding your Outlook capabilities.
• No Free Plan Available: There’s no free version available, and there is only a one-month trial. This might be restrictive if you’re still exploring your options and are not ready to commit.
• Target Audience: The plan is ideal for small to midsize businesses, offering a simple, predictable pricing model that aids in straightforward financial planning.
• Scalability Concerns: The flat rate could be a barrier for rapidly growing companies. Scaling up could be challenging without tiered options or the ability to customize extensively.

What is Outlook CRM Software Best Known For?

Outlook Customer Manager shines for those like me navigating through different CRM tools to make customer relationships smoother, especially for small businesses deeply integrated with Microsoft’s suite of products. What sets this CRM apart is its seamless connection with Microsoft Outlook. 

With this integration, businesses can handle customer interactions without toggling between applications. It creates a unified workspace where emails, calendar events, and customer data all coexist. One memorable experience with Outlook Customer Manager was how it consolidated all customer information—emails, meetings, calls, notes—into one place. 

This saved time and reduced the clutter of managing various customer aspects separately. Such integration is a game-changer for small businesses, simplifying processes and allowing them to focus more on customers than data management. The platform’s automation and reminders for follow-ups were also invaluable. 

Outlook Customer Manager integrates tasks and reminders directly into Outlook, making tracking and prioritizing interactions easier without extra tools. This feature ensures no customer query goes unanswered because of forgetfulness or oversight. Accessing this CRM tool through its mobile app meant staying updated with real-time data and making swift decisions. This enhances responsiveness and agility—a vital advantage for any small business in today’s fast-paced environment. 

These features collectively make Outlook Customer Manager indispensable for small businesses seeking effective customer relationship management within a familiar interface. It bridges the gap between various data sources and streamlines customer relationship management directly from Outlook, fostering better, more personalized interactions crucial for business growth.

Outlook Customer Manager CRM’s Key Features

Outlook Customer Manager epitomizes integrated CRM functionality within Microsoft Outlook, leveraging the familiarity and robustness of Microsoft’s ecosystem. As I delve into its key features, I’m always impressed by how seamlessly it integrates into daily workflows. 

This CRM tool doesn’t just manage customer information—it embeds itself within tasks, calendars, and emails already in use, making everything from contact management to deal tracking effortlessly accessible from one place. I’ll delve deeper into these features in the following sections, revealing how each could streamline your business interactions and customer relationship management.

Organize Contacts

Having explored various CRM tools, I found the “Organize Contacts” function in Outlook Customer Manager to be a standout feature for streamlining customer interactions within Microsoft Outlook. This feature enabled users to manage and access customer contacts efficiently, improving customer relationships’ effectiveness and transparency.

• Centralized Contact Database: With just one click on the People page in Outlook, I could easily view or edit any contact. This integration eliminated the need to switch between applications to access customer information, ensuring a seamless workflow and saving valuable time.

• Customization and Linking: What impressed me the most was the ease of customizing how contacts were displayed. I could sort contacts by first or last name and link multiple entries for the same contact, reducing clutter and avoiding confusion.

• Contact Lists for Efficient Communication: Creating and managing contact lists was simple. This feature facilitated efficient communication, Whether for sending group emails or organizing team collaborations. By adding contacts to a list with just a few clicks, targeted communication efforts were streamlined without requiring manual input each time.

• Integration with Email and Calendar: Integrating email and calendar events directly within the CRM interface enabled me to track all interactions and commitments in one place. This enhanced my ability to follow up and maintain relationships seamlessly without missing crucial details.

Microsoft Outlook Integration

The integration of Outlook Customer Manager with Microsoft Outlook is a standout feature. This seamless integration allows small businesses to handle customer relationships within the familiar Microsoft Outlook platform. Here’s why this feature is such a game-changer:

• Centralized Customer Data: All customer information, including emails and calendar events, is automatically organized and accessible in one place. This saves time and improves visibility into meaningful customer interactions that might be overlooked.

• Efficiency in Communication: With customer details just a click away, responding to emails or scheduling meetings becomes effortless. Having direct access to the Outlook interface means I can view the entire communication history with a customer without needing to switch applications or navigate through complex databases.

• Simplified Task Management: The integration also extends to task management. I can attach tasks to specific contacts or deals from the email interface, helping prioritize follow-ups and manage deadlines effectively. This feature is convenient during busy periods when keeping track of commitments is crucial.

• Streamlined User Experience: Perhaps the most significant benefit is the lack of a learning curve. Since everything operates within Outlook, my teams don’t have to adapt to a new tool. This ease of use facilitates quicker adoption and minimizes disruptions in our workflow.

Is Outlook Customer Manager Easy to Use?

From my experience with various CRM tools, Outlook Customer Manager truly shines for simplicity. It’s remarkably user-friendly and integrated seamlessly into Microsoft Outlook, especially for those familiar with it. Everything you need is just a click away within your main Outlook window, eliminating the need to switch between different apps or tabs. 

The interface feels like a natural extension of Outlook, reducing the complexity often associated with new software. Microsoft provides ample training resources, including detailed articles and video tutorials, to help new users get started quickly. Plus, ongoing support is readily available via email or phone, ensuring swift resolution of any issues.

Which Companies Work with Outlook’s Customer Manager CRM?

Reflecting on the businesses that embraced Outlook Customer Manager before its phase-out, it’s clear how it benefited small and mid-sized companies, particularly in simplifying customer relationship tasks directly within Microsoft Outlook. Here are examples highlighting its effectiveness and reliability:

• Retail businesses
• Service providers
• Real estate businesses
• Consultancies

Alternatives

With Outlook Customer Manager out of the picture, let’s highlight some excellent replacements that ensure the CRM journey continues. If you’ve enjoyed the simplicity and cohesion of Microsoft’s CRM, these alternatives will intrigue you. They provide comparable, if not enhanced, capabilities:

• Zoho CRM
• Salesflare
• Pipedrive

Suitability Assessment

If you considered using Outlook Customer Manager to handle customer relationships, here’s where it excelled and fell short.

Would Choose Outlook Customer Manager if:

• You run a small business with simple CRM needs combined with email management.
• You like having customer details, calendar events, and messages together in one place.
• You prefer straightforward solutions.

Would Avoid Outlook Customer Manager if:

• Your business is growing rapidly.
• You desire advanced CRM functionalities.
• You expect a tool to keep up with the latest CRM trends and integrations.