Benefits of using a CRM? (SugarCRM)

[elizmm]

I am helping someone setup their online store with magento and I see that there is an extension to tie magento into sugarCRM, which got me wondering what were the practical benefits of using a CRM for a eCommerce site with less then 200 monthly customers (growing slowly so far), the site sells office supplies so there is a need to convert the customer into a returning customer.

Supposedly a crm is supposed to help you track sales and give you leads, but having never actually used one I am trying to understand the practical uses of a CRM? If you use a CRM how do you find it beneficial?

[joesmoe]

I've used SugarCRM in the past, it's good software albeit a bitch to get everything setup and working exactly how you want it. So far as if you customer really needs it or not, that's really up to them.

How do they currently manage their customer relations? If they have some other sort of system in place, and its working, then I'd say leave it be. If their current system is either ineffective or non-existant, then maybe SugarCRM is the way to go.