B. Customer Relationship Management
1. Buyer-seller relationship
·Transaction buyer: only interested in the purchase
·Relationship customer sees the benefit of the interdependency
·Customer relationship management (CRM): Used to describe programs
that focus on the long-term nature of the relationship between buyer and
seller
·CRM programs should tailor specific strategies depending on the nature
of the relationship that the customer desires.
·Technology can be used to know customers desires and make
recommendations for their purchase.
·Figure 14.1 Page 407 The Buyer-Seller Relationship Outlines the
nature of the buyer-seller relationship
C. The Economics of Loyalty
1. Customer loyalty: allows companies to retain customers.
·Importance of loyalty illustrated by lifetime customer value (LCV)
·Loyal customers represent continued economic stream for the company.
·Research suggests that it is less expensive for a company to retain customers
than to gain new ones.
·If a repeat customer leaves the company, the company loses not only short-
term business but every future transaction that customer would have made.
·Figure 14.2 Page 409 Impact of a five-Percentage-Point Increase in
Retention Rate on Customers Net Present Value Shows the impact of a 5
percentage point increase in retention
·Figure 14.3 Page 409 Why Loyal Customers Are More Profitable Breaks
down the differences in profits
2. Components of customer loyalty as illustrated by Figure 14.3:
·Acquisition Cost: cost in acquiring new customers. These costs represent
initial loss on any customer due to the company having to spend money
prior to any possible future purchase for a customer
·Base Profit: the profit margin the company gains from a customer
·Revenue Growth: retained customers have been shown to increase their
purchases over time
·Operating Costs: fewer costs on repeat customers. Repeat customers are
familiar with the company. New customers need to be given more
assistance.
·Referrals: word of mouth from repeat customers
·Price Premium: loyal customers are less price sensitive because they find
value in the product