Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of trust, privacy, service quality and customer satisfaction on the success of electronic customer relationship management (E-CRM) systems. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a new model for determining the critical factors in the success of E-CRM systems is presented. The suggested model is verified using partial least squares with structural equation modeling. A questionnaire is designed and collected from 378 taxpayers in East Azerbaijan province of Iran. Findings The outcomes reveal that customer satisfaction is significantly influenced by the perceived quality of service. Customer satisfaction, in turn, is significantly impacted by the trust. Therefore, the quality of service, trust and privacy, through customer satisfaction, significantly affects the success of E-CRM systems. Research limitations/implications The main limitation can be referred to the clients that would not cooperate well as they were avoiding to give much information about the financial issue. Also, the study was conducted only in the context of Iran and a limit sample was utilized. Practical implications The research results help service providers improve E-CRM. Originality/value This study sheds light on identifying the antecedents of trust, privacy and quality of service that affect customer satisfaction; it may contribute to the theoretical framework for customer satisfaction in the context of the E-CRM. The results of the research offer practical implications for marketing managers and practitioners who prepare strategic plans and implement tools to improve the productivity or performance of the E-CRM systems. Moreover, customer satisfaction is related to the success of E-CRM systems as a result of trust, privacy and service quality. This research offers new insights into E-CRM intentions from a taxpayer in Iran.