CRM software maker Siebel Systems Inc. went on the offensive recently in an effort to quash reports that its customer satisfaction reviews were less than stellar.
The reports stem from data in a confidential, Siebel-sponsored survey, which the company says was unlawfully leaked.
“Someone has taken, selectively, eight pages of the 75-page report, clearly marked ‘confidential,’ and over the past month systematically leaked it to members of the financial community, press and analyst community,” said Nitsa Zuppas, senior director of public relations at Siebel. “It was clearly stolen and leaked. It was a violation of the law, and we have the FBI looking into it.”
The software maker didn’t dispute the authenticity of the leaked data, but says it was taken out of context.
“In any given survey what we’ve seen is a couple of problem areas,” said Steve Mankoff, senior vice-president of technical services at Siebel. Mankoff stressed that overall, Siebel’s customer satisfaction scores were extremely positive.