You know how hectic it can get if you’re in the consumer goods industry. Keeping track of customers, handling product support, and managing warranties or replacement parts—there’s a lot on your plate!
That’s where a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system like HubSpot CRM can make your life much easier.
Let’s discuss how HubSpot CRM can help you streamline your processes, keep your customers happy, and ultimately grow your business.
What Exactly Is HubSpot CRM?
HubSpot CRM is a platform that helps businesses keep track of their customer relationships in a more organized and efficient way. Instead of relying on scattered spreadsheets, emails, or notes, it puts everything in one place.
For example, say a customer contacts you with a product issue. HubSpot CRM lets your team log the inquiry, assign it to the right person, and follow up promptly—all within the same system.
If a customer has questions about their warranty or needs a replacement part, the platform ensures you can quickly find their information, check relevant details, and take action.
Streamlining these processes saves time, avoids confusion, and ensures customers get needed support without unnecessary delays.
Why Consumer Goods Companies Need HubSpot CRM
As a consumer goods company, you deal with many customer inquiries, from product questions to warranty claims. When these tasks are done manually, it can take up time, increase errors, and make it harder to give customers a smooth experience.
Without a system to manage this process, it’s easy for things to get missed or delayed. HubSpot CRM organizes all customer interactions and automates many of the repetitive tasks.
Let’s look at some of the unique challenges you may face:
1. High Volume of Customer Interactions
Consumer goods companies handle many customer interactions, especially for popular or widely used products.
This could include questions about product usage, issues with defective items, or requests for refunds and replacements. Without a system to manage these interactions, teams can become overwhelmed, and customer satisfaction may suffer.
How you handle these interactions matters. Customers who feel their issues are taken seriously and resolved will likely stick with your brand. 70% of customers who have their complaints resolved reasonably will choose to do business with that company again.
2. Warranty and Claim Management
Dealing with warranty claims involves multiple steps. You need to check if the product is still under warranty, confirm the purchase details, and figure out how to handle repairs or replacements.
When you’re doing all this manually, it’s easy for things to get missed or take longer than they should, which can frustrate customers.
Around 74% of businesses say using a CRM gives them better access to customer data, which makes handling warranties much smoother.
With everything in one place—like purchase history and warranty status—your team can quickly confirm the details and process claims without delays. This means less waiting for customers and fewer headaches for your team.
3. Replacement Parts and Inventory Coordination
Many consumer goods, such as appliances or electronics, require replacement parts. Coordinating these requests often involves checking inventory, processing orders, and ensuring timely delivery.
Without a centralized system, it’s easy for requests to slip through the cracks or for parts to be delayed due to miscommunication. This can lead to dissatisfied customers and potential damage to the brand’s reputation.
4. Retailer and Distributor Relationships
For companies that sell through retailers or distributors, managing B2B relationships adds another layer of complexity. Ensuring smooth communication about stock levels, promotions, and sales performance requires organized systems.
Maintaining these partnerships becomes difficult without tools, potentially leading to lost revenue opportunities.
5. Tracking and Analyzing Customer Data
Consumer goods companies should understand customers’ preferences and behaviors to stay competitive. For example, knowing which products are most popular or identifying trends in customer complaints can help improve offerings.
The problem is that collecting and organizing this data can take much time, mainly if it’s spread across different systems. 32% of sales reps say they spend over an hour daily on manual data entry.
That’s time they could spend on major tasks, like connecting with customers or refining strategies.
A CRM helps by automatically organizing and storing all customer data in one place, making it much easier to track trends, analyze behaviors, and make data-driven decisions.
Streamlining Product Support
Product support is a significant part of the customer experience for consumer goods companies. Whether customers are reaching out with questions, concerns, or issues, how well you handle their inquiries can make or break their trust in your brand. Managing these interactions efficiently is challenging, especially when dealing with large volumes.
This is where a CRM like HubSpot can transform the process:
Centralized Customer Information
One of the biggest challenges in product support is knowing the entire history of a customer’s interactions with your company. Without this, your team may waste time piecing together details from emails, chats, or calls.
HubSpot CRM eliminates this problem by keeping everything in one place. Each customer has a profile that shows all their interactions, from purchases to past support tickets.
For example, if someone contacts your team about a defective product, your team can quickly pull up their order history, warranty details, and any previous conversations—all in seconds.
This centralized approach doesn’t just save time—it ensures your team has the context they need to resolve issues accurately and efficiently.
Efficient Ticket Management
When customer inquiries come in, especially in large numbers, keeping track of who needs help and what still needs to be resolved can get overwhelming. HubSpot CRM simplifies this with its ticket management system.
Here’s how it works:
- When a customer reaches out—whether by email, phone, or chat—the CRM automatically logs the inquiry and creates a ticket.
- Tickets can then be assigned to the right team member or department so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Your team can track the status of each ticket, prioritize urgent issues, and ensure every request is resolved promptly.
For example, if a customer emails about a missing part, their request can be logged and flagged for follow-up. The system also makes it easy to add notes or updates so everyone involved is on the same page.
This structured approach reduces response times and ensures a smoother experience for your customers.
How to Set Up and Manage Object Pipelines in HubSpot
Pipelines in HubSpot help you visualize and manage processes through various stages. These pipelines allow you to track the progress of deals, tickets, appointments, and other objects. Here’s how to create, edit, and manage pipelines effectively:
Creating a New Pipeline
If your account supports multiple processes, you can create additional pipelines to cater to unique workflows.
- Log in to your HubSpot account and click the Settings icon in the top navigation bar.
- In the left sidebar menu, go to Objects and select the object you want to create a pipeline for (e.g., Deals, Tickets).
- Click the Pipelines tab.
- Open the Select a pipeline dropdown menu and select Create pipeline.
- Enter a name for your new pipeline in the dialog box and click Create.
- Once records are added, you can edit and organize them in the pipeline view.
Editing or Deleting Pipelines
You can rename, reorder, manage access, or delete pipelines to keep your system organized.
- Go to Settings, navigate to Objects, and select the relevant object.
- Open the Pipelines tab and select the pipeline you want to edit from the dropdown menu.
- Rename: Select Actions > Rename this pipeline, enter a new name, and save.
- Reorder: Click Actions > Reorder pipelines and drag them to the desired position.
- Manage Access: Use Actions > Manage access to control who can view or edit the pipeline.
- Before deleting, ensure all records in the pipeline are moved or removed.
- Select Actions > Delete this pipeline and confirm the deletion.
Customizing Your Pipeline
Tailor your pipelines for better usability and automation:
- Board View: Adjust the properties shown on cards by clicking Customize board and card view.
- Automation: Set up workflows for automatic actions in the Automate tab.
- Tags and Labels: Add color-coded tags to categorize records in the Customize [object] tags section.
- Rules: Define rules for moving records through stages in the Pipeline Rules tab.
Enhancing Warranty Support
Warranty support can be a complex and time-consuming process for consumer goods companies, especially when dealing with a large volume of claims.
From tracking warranty periods to communicating with customers about their claims, the process can quickly become disorganized without the right system.
HubSpot CRM helps streamline warranty support by automating many tasks, making it easier for teams to manage claims, communicate with customers, and ensure everything runs smoothly.
Here’s how HubSpot CRM enhances warranty support:
Automated Warranty Tracking
One of the challenges with warranty support is keeping track of when warranties expire and which claims are still in process. Manually tracking this information can lead to mistakes, delays, or missed deadlines.
With HubSpot CRM, warranty tracking is automated. Customers' warranty period can be automatically recorded in the system when they purchase.
As the warranty nears its expiration, the CRM can send automatic reminders to your team to inform them of any upcoming claims or renewals.
This reduces the chance of errors and ensures your team can stay on top of warranty claims without digging through paperwork or spreadsheets. It’s an easy way to ensure that no claims slip through the cracks and that customers get the support they need on time.
Customer Communication
Keeping customers informed about their warranty status will help you maintain trust and satisfaction. When you use HubSpot CRM, communication is easier and more consistent.
You can set up automated emails or notifications to update customers on their warranty status.
For example, when a warranty claim is submitted, the customer can automatically receive an email acknowledging their claim and providing an estimated timeline for resolution. HubSpot can send follow-up emails to keep customers in the loop if any delays or updates occur.
This ensures customers are always informed about their warranty status without your team needing to send individual updates manually. It also helps improve the overall customer experience by reducing uncertainty and providing transparency.
Improving Warranty Claim Processes
Integrating warranty support with HubSpot CRM streamlines the entire claim process, reducing both processing time and the risk of errors.
When a customer submits a claim, all relevant information—from the purchase details to the warranty status—is automatically populated in the system. This eliminates the need for your team to search through different systems or paperwork to verify the claim.
Additionally, HubSpot allows your team to set up workflows that automate parts of the claim process. For instance, once a claim is approved, the system can automatically generate a return label or notify the relevant department to handle the replacement.
This level of automation speeds up the entire process and reduces the likelihood of human error, leading to faster resolutions and higher customer satisfaction.
How to Create Workflows in HubSpot
Workflows in HubSpot allow you to automate repetitive tasks and streamline processes, such as nurturing leads, managing customer inquiries, or updating records. Here's a simple guide to help you set up and manage workflows effectively:
Creating a New Workflow
You can start a workflow from scratch or use templates to simplify the setup.
From Scratch
- Navigate to Automations > Workflows in your HubSpot account.
- Click Create workflow > From scratch in the upper-right corner.
- Choose the workflow’s object type (e.g., Contacts, Deals, Tickets).
- Select Blank workflow as the type and click Next.
- Give your workflow a name and optional description, then save.
Using Templates
- Go to Automations > Workflows and click Create workflow > From template.
- Browse or search for a template that matches your needs.
- Preview the template to review its enrollment triggers, actions, and required assets.
- Click Use template, then customize the workflow in the editor.
Setting Enrollment Triggers
Enrollment triggers define which records will automatically enter your workflow.
- In the workflow editor, click Set up triggers.
- Choose a trigger type:
- Filter-based: Trigger based on record properties.
- Event-based: Trigger based on actions (e.g., form submissions).
- Schedule-based: Trigger based on time or dates.
- Configure the trigger, then click Save.
To allow records to re-enter a workflow:
- Click the Re-enrollment tab in the left panel.
- Enable Re-enrollment and select which triggers should allow it.
Adding Workflow Actions
Actions determine what happens to records in your workflow, such as sending emails, assigning tasks, or updating properties.
- In the workflow editor, click the + icon where you want to add an action.
- Select an action from the left panel (e.g., send an email, set a property value).
- Fill in the action details, then click Save.
If using data from other records (e.g., contact or deal properties):
- Click Edit available data in the action panel.
- Add a data source, configure its details, and apply it to the action.
Customizing and Finalizing Your Workflow
- Placeholder Actions: Save incomplete actions as placeholders and fill them out later.
- Automation Rules: Use conditional branches (e.g., “If/then” logic) for dynamic workflows.
- Notes: Add comments to workflow actions for reference.
Once everything is configured, turn on your workflow to start automation.
Why You’ll Love HubSpot CRM
Let’s get to the heart: HubSpot CRM is a game-changer for consumer goods companies. It makes your job easier, your customers happier, and your business more efficient. Here’s why you’ll love it:
It Saves You Time
One of the most significant benefits of HubSpot CRM is that it automates many repetitive tasks that usually take up so much of your time.
Instead of manually entering data or sorting through scattered information, HubSpot centralizes everything in one place. This means less time spent on administrative work and more time focused on what matters—serving your customers and growing your business.
It Builds Better Relationships
With HubSpot CRM, you have all your customer information in one easy-to-access place. You can quickly check purchase history, past support interactions, warranty details, and more.
A complete view of each customer’s journey can help you provide more personalized support, solve problems faster, and build stronger, long-lasting relationships.
Customers appreciate a brand that knows them and cares about their needs—and HubSpot CRM helps you do just that.
It Helps You Make Smarter Decisions
HubSpot CRM isn’t just about managing data—it’s about making your business smarter. With its built-in analytics tools, you can dive into trends, customer behavior, and performance metrics to make more informed decisions.
Whether you’re tracking the success of your support tickets, measuring warranty claim processing times, or analyzing customer feedback, HubSpot gives you the insights you need to improve continuously.
Smarter decisions lead to better products, service, and a stronger bottom line.
Transform Your Business with HubSpot CRM
We’ve discussed how HubSpot CRM can make a big difference in how consumer goods companies handle everything from product support to warranty claims and replacement parts.
HubSpot CRM helps your team work smarter and serve customers better by centralizing customer information, automating processes, and improving communication.
With the right tools, managing customer interactions and product support becomes faster, easier, and more efficient—ultimately leading to happier customers and a more substantial business.
Now that you have an overview of how HubSpot CRM can transform your operations, it’s time to explore how this powerful tool can fit into your workflow.
Let’s Maximize HubSpot CRM Together
If you’re ready to get the most out of HubSpot CRM, working with experts like O63 can help you unlock its full potential. From seamless integration to personalized guidance, we’re here to ensure you use HubSpot to its fullest advantage.
Let’s work together to take your customer relationships and business operations to the next level.