Internet verification service cleanses customer data sent to dealerships
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA — March 24, 2004 — Melissa Data, a provider of data quality software and services, today announced that Saab Cars USA has selected Melissa Data's Data Quality Web Service for real-time verification of customer data.
The automaker, based in Norcross, Ga., recently signed up for the Data Quality Web Service (DQWS) to validate addresses that are provided by customers or prospects during online inquiries. The contact information entered at www.saabusa.com are verified, corrected and standardized prior to the data being transferred to Saab's customer relationship management (CRM) warehouse or sent to its network of 230 auto dealerships.
Now when individuals inquire about test drives, ask for literature to be mailed or seek information about financing or certification, Saab can be confident the address records it has collected are accurate.
"It is important that data we collect is a quality consumer address so when we re-contact them we can do so effectively," said Richard Amling, direct marketing analyst in the CRM Group, Saab Cars USA.
Amling said Melissa Data's point-of-entry verification service is ideal for Web and e-commerce applications, and especially useful in recognizing fraudulent entries.
DQWS is a unique data entry verification service capable of validating and correcting addresses, updating phone area codes, parsing names and appending gender, and spotting fraudulent entries such as vulgar words. By ensuring that all new address entries are free of errors and complete, the service gives business users confidence in the long-term integrity of their databases.
Addresses are verified to meet the strictest U.S. Postal Service requirements for accuracy. Once an address is verified, corrected and standardized, a ZIP+4 code is appended to the record. DQWS then links the address to a time zone, congressional district or county. DQWS also returns latitude and longitude coordinates, which can be used to calculate distances to a dealer, store or service location.
Melissa Data said DQWS uses the extensible markup language (XML) standard and works with all operating systems, including Windows, MAC, Linux and Sun. All of the software and source data used to generate validation is located and maintained on Melissa Data's secure servers; for the subscriber, there is nothing to install, update or maintain.
