A questão da produtividade das atividades de marketing é um antigo debate da disciplina, porém ganhou destaque nos anos 1990 a partir de uma conjuntura que propiciou questionamentos sobre a eficácia e eficiência dos departamentos de marketing das empresas. Argumentou-se que o marketing deveria ir além das métricas tradicionais e explicitar as consequências de marketing para todos os stakeholders. Nesse sentido, os conceitos de customer equity e customer lifetime value têm se mostrado promissores em fazer a conexão marketing-finanças a partir de uma série de estudos iniciados nos anos 1990. Desde então foram elaboradas inúmeras modelagens a fim de mensurar a contribuição das ações de marketing empiricamente. De fato, evidências apontam para uma real contribuição de marketing dentro da empresa, seja pelo valor da marca, da clientela, da satisfação, lealdade entre outros. No entanto, a diversidade de modelos pode significar um entrave na padronização de cálculo e não existem pesquisas que estudem o impacto do modelo escolhido nos resultados da estimação nem sua implicação para tomada de decisão. A presente tese visou investigar até que ponto existe modelo dependência na estimação do customer equity e customer lifetime value, já que os resultados impactam diretamente na estratégia a ser utilizada pela gerência e, consequentemente, no desempenho da empresa A partir da classificação dos modelos foram comparados aqueles chamados de determinísticos, um grupo de modelos com características semelhantes e implementação simplificada. Os resultados indicam que, no caso da utilização do customer equity para avaliação financeira da empresa a estimação apresenta grande variabilidade, o que indica modelo dependência e a necessidade de aprofundamento metodológico, principalmente em negócios com alta heterogeneidade de margens e retenções. O ciclo de vida do cliente, por sua vez apresenta modelo dependência no que diz respeito a estratégia gerencial para maximizar o mesmo, sendo a seguinte: nos modelos de projeção infinita a retenção de clientes apresenta “prêmio” crescente no ciclo de vida esperado, enquanto que margens de contribuição tem peso maior em ambientes com retenção menor que 50% aproximadamente. Modelos com projeção finita, no entanto, não apresentam essa característica, sendo a retenção sempre a causar maior impacto marginal no valor do ciclo de vida esperado. Esses resultados fornecem evidências para concluirmos que existe modelo dependência na estimação de tais métricas. / The marketing productivity is an old debate in the field and has gained substantial attention since 1990’s as a product of a context that raised questions about the real contribution of marketing, its efficiency and efficacy. Managers argued that marketing should demonstrate its effects beyond traditional metrics and making them available to all business’ stakeholders. In this sense, customer equity and customer lifetime value has been used to make the connection between marketing and finance by 1990’s until now. In fact, research has shown that marketing contributes to firm value by elevating brand equity, customer loyalty and satisfaction, customer equity, among others. However, the large number of customer equity and customer lifetime models can be a difficulty on finding standard methodology, and there are no studies that compare model’s impact on results. This study aims to investigate the dependency of the models in estimating customer equity and customer lifetime value and its consequence on strategy adoption by managers. Starting from a classification proposal, a group of deterministic models were chosen to be compared. Results show that using customer equity for valuation purposes is model dependent, since models present great estimation variability, especially in a heterogeneous context. Customer lifetime value does produce divergent strategies and has model dependency as well: on models of infinite projection retention rates have increasing effect on expected customer lifetime values, but margins are preferred until a retention threshold of fifty percent. This does not occur within a model with finite projection, which retention rates has always more impact than margins. The sum of this results offer evidence that, indeed, model dependency on estimating customer equity and customer lifetime value exists.

Many banks invest heavily in customer relationship management (CRM) system implementation and expect to increase their profitability. However, the failure rates of CRM projects are significant. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies implemented by CRM managers in the banking industry to achieve CRM system effectiveness. CRM implementers from 1 medium and 2 large banks in Minnesota who successfully implemented CRM systems were selected. Data were collected primarily from participant interviews, websites, and social media pages. Bertalanffy's general systems theory was the underlying conceptual framework for this study. Data triangulation and member checking were used to ensure the quality of the data collected. The data were analyzed with Yin's 5-step data analysis technique. Five themes were identified: organizational focus, autocratic top management, technical capability, user-driven development, and the implementation team. Current and future CRM managers can apply these findings in establishing strategies to improve the effectiveness of their CRM. Successful CRM systems in banks may lead to increased profitability which enables both the banks and their customers to support social innovations such as fair trade, hospice care, and improved financial services to local small businesses.

Background: The concept of the chatbot has been around for nearly 60 years. However, service providers have recently increased the integration of chatbots in distinct industries due to the growth in digitalization and advanced technology. Not only that, chatbots can support service providers in becoming more efficient and reducing overhead costs. As a result, this transformation in service offering has influenced customers in various forms. Thus, this study explores Generation Z's perceptions and experiences using chatbots, with a focus on the influence these systems have on their trust. There is little information about this topic, and this study should aid organizations in learning how to better meet customer expectations, which could lead to more promising customer satisfaction in the future. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate customer perceptions and trust in chatbots which is a form of advanced technology in a customer service setting. The aim is to gather empirical evidence from customers' social reality to answer the research question of this investigation. Method: This research conducted an exploratory qualitative study with an inductive research approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 respondents from Generation Z, located in Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany to achieve a broad perspective regarding their experiences with chatbots. The respondents were selected using the snowball and networking sampling method. The research paradigm of this study is interpretivism, which supports the examination in exploring and gaining knowledge about this phenomenon. Conclusion: The aim of this study was achieved, and the gathered empirical evidence presents further knowledge regarding customers' experiences with chatbots. This study and other relevant examinations prove that the increase of digitalization in customer service settings has an influence on customer experience. Primarily, the empirical findings indicate that there is an overall lack of trust in advanced technology due to the issue of privacy. Although Generation Z has grown up alongside the worldwide digital transformation, they remain cynical and distrustful of the future of technology. Thus, it occurs that there is a lack of customer trust in chatbots. However, this is confirmed by the fact that customers are sharing low pre-expectations towards chatbots. As a result, customers experience a more dissatisfied feeling towards the service provider. On the other hand, the empirical findings reveal that customers' loyalty remains unaltered towards businesses.

This study deals with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) of a department of an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of trackless mining equipment. The study was done from the service deliverer's perspective. The aim of the study was to determine an effective Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) in order to assist the OEM to deliver superior satisfaction to its customers in the Aftermarket service delivery environment. It also aims to determine what the OEM needs to do to meet the customers' demands in order to develop a meaningful relationship for both the customer and the service provider. The gap in the perceptions of the customers and the perceptions of the managers of the OEM's Aftermarket service contracts were identified, to reveal the Key Performance Areas (KPAs) for improvement. In order to reveal these KPAs, a literature study was conducted, as a first part of the study. The literature study also helped to create a better understanding of CRM, superior customer value and satisfaction in the service environment. The second part of the study consisted of an empirical investigation. Customers and managers of the OEM's Aftermarket service contracts had to complete questionnaires. Completed questionnaires were received from the total population of the customers and managers. The analysis of the database that was compiled from the questionnaire's responses was done by using Microsoft's ® Office 2007 Suite, supported by Levine, Stephan, Krehbiel and Berenson's textbook Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft ® Excel. The analysis identified a significant difference in seven out of the seventy-eight aspects, in the responses from the customers' perceptions versus the perceptions of the OEM's managers. The analysis also provided a base for the CSI. The combination of these aspects and the CSI exposed five KPAs which need to be improved by the service provider to meet the customers' demands. Improvement of the exposed five KPAs will assist to develop a meaningful relationship for both the customer and the service provider. This study recommended that the OEM develops an action plan based on the climate survey that was done in 2008 in the company and that the OEM improves the communication to the customers related to the OEM remuneration strategy. Furthermore, it was recommended that the importance of the information provided is emphasised by changing the reporting lines, that the defects with regard to the service exchange components' repairs are reported according to the ISO9001 system. A further recommendation is that the benefits to the customer to promote the OEM's service contracts should be communicated to the customer. Lastly, training to the OEM's managers to manage a service level agreement (SLA) successfully was recommended. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This study deals with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) of a department of an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of trackless mining equipment. The study was done from the service deliverer's perspective. The aim of the study was to determine an effective Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) in order to assist the OEM to deliver superior satisfaction to its customers in the Aftermarket service delivery environment. It also aims to determine what the OEM needs to do to meet the customers' demands in order to develop a meaningful relationship for both the customer and the service provider. The gap in the perceptions of the customers and the perceptions of the managers of the OEM's Aftermarket service contracts were identified, to reveal the Key Performance Areas (KPAs) for improvement. In order to reveal these KPAs, a literature study was conducted, as a first part of the study. The literature study also helped to create a better understanding of CRM, superior customer value and satisfaction in the service environment. The second part of the study consisted of an empirical investigation. Customers and managers of the OEM's Aftermarket service contracts had to complete questionnaires. Completed questionnaires were received from the total population of the customers and managers. The analysis of the database that was compiled from the questionnaire's responses was done by using Microsoft's ® Office 2007 Suite, supported by Levine, Stephan, Krehbiel and Berenson's textbook Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft ® Excel. The analysis identified a significant difference in seven out of the seventy-eight aspects, in the responses from the customers' perceptions versus the perceptions of the OEM's managers. The analysis also provided a base for the CSI. The combination of these aspects and the CSI exposed five KPAs which need to be improved by the service provider to meet the customers' demands. Improvement of the exposed five KPAs will assist to develop a meaningful relationship for both the customer and the service provider. This study recommended that the OEM develops an action plan based on the climate survey that was done in 2008 in the company and that the OEM improves the communication to the customers related to the OEM remuneration strategy. Furthermore, it was recommended that the importance of the information provided is emphasised by changing the reporting lines, that the defects with regard to the service exchange components' repairs are reported according to the ISO9001 system. A further recommendation is that the benefits to the customer to promote the OEM's service contracts should be communicated to the customer. Lastly, training to the OEM's managers to manage a service level agreement (SLA) successfully was recommended. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

När konkurrensen mellan produktutvecklingsföretag växer, blir det allt viktigare att öka ansträngningen för att erhålla bättre kundinsikt (CI). Kundinsikt är essentiellt för att försäkra att företagets produkter utvecklas i linje med kundens behov och samtidigt minimera risken för att utveckla egenskaper hos produkten som saknar värde för kunden. Trots att kundinsikt är en grundläggande del i produktutveckling så har företag ofta svårt att implementera ett effektivt sätt att samla information ifrån kunden och öka sin kundinsikt. Syftet med detta arbete har därför varit att sammanställa och analysera befintliga metoder och verktyg som används i kundinsiktsprocesser samt att sammanställa rekommendationer kring vad som bör tas hänsyn till vid design av en kundinsikts process. Vidare ämnar studien att designa samt applicera en CI process på vindkraftsindustrin, med inriktning mot turbinbladsinspektion (WTBI), för att dels testa rekommendationerna samt att leverera kundinsikt till Case-företaget FLIR Systems. Metoden för detta masterarbete består dels av en fallstudie åt FLIR Systems i Täby vilket innefattar intervjuer med anställda och en fördjupad litteraturstudie. Detta denoteras i rapporten som steg ett. Baserat på rekommendationerna ifrån steg ett så designas och appliceras en CI process på WTBI industrin vilket utgör steg 2. Studien resulterade i att ett antal barriärer relaterade till företagets CI process identifierades. Vidare presenterades rekommendationer gällande vad som bör tas hänsyn till vid skapandet av en kundinsiktsprocess för att bemästra de identifierade barriärerna. Initialt rekommenderas tydliga mål och avgränsningar kring ett företags CI projekt. Vidare rekommenderas ett ramverk för att skapa kundvärdekedjor vilket möjliggöra ett strukturerat sätt prioritera kunder. För att underlätta valet av lämpliga kundinsiktsverktyg för olika projekt utvecklades också vad som i studien har denoteras som en "Design guide". Det kan ses som ett ramverk ämnat för att ge en överblick av vilka verktyg som finns samt dess olika styrkor och svagheter. Vidare resulterade den praktiska kundinsiktsprocessen som applicerades på WTBI industrin dels i värdefull kundinsikt för det givna segmentet. Resultaten tyder också på att sociala nätverk, så som LinkedIn, med fördel kan användas som verktyg i CI processen för att överkomma ett flertal barriärer. / As the competition is getting tougher it becomes important for product development companies to increase their efforts of collecting customer insight (CI). This is essential to ensure that products are developed in coherence with the customer’s needs in order to decrease the risk of developing products that does not add value to the customer. However, despite customer insight being crucial for product development, companies appear to struggle with implementing a suitable way to collect customer insight. The purpose of this master thesis has been to compile and analyse existing methods and tools used in the CI process in order to provide recommendations on what to consider when designing such a process. Further, the study aims to design and apply a CI process, targeting the wind turbine blade inspection (WTBI) industry, both in order to test the recommendations as well as deliver customer insight requested by the case company FLIR Systems. The methodology of this master thesis was partly the case study at FLIR, consisting of interviews with the employees and an extensive literature review. This has been denoted as stage one. Based on the recommendations derived from stage one, a CI process was designed and applied targeting the WTBI industry, denoted staged two. The result was a set of identified barriers related to the company’s CI process. Further, recommendations of what to consider when designing the CI process was derived, aiming to help the company overcome the barriers. It was proposed that the company needed to clearly state the scope for their CI projects. Also, it was recommended to adopt the customer value chain framework in order to gain a more structured approach when assessing which customers to target. Further, what have been denoted as the design guide was provided to the company in order to encourage an active evaluation of which tools to include in their CI process. An additional outcome from the test was that the use of a social network channel, such as LinkedIn, seems to reduce several of the barriers. In terms of customer insight for the WTBI industry, the study managed to derive valuable information for the case company which was perceived as useful for further research

Syftet med denna studie har varit att bidra till ökad medvetenhet, förståelse och kunskap om Co-Creation. Genom att fokusera på flygindustrin som är mycket bekant för författaren är syftet med studien och forskningen att bättre förstå hur flygbolagen ser på samverkan och fördelar eller potentiella nackdelar med att använda Co-Creation för att driva ett mer integrerat samarbete mellan kunderna och leverantörer. Datainsamling har skett genom en blandad metoddesign som fångade både kvantitativ och kvalitativ data. Deltagarna i studien är alla från flygindustrin. Totalt deltog 43 studieobjekt i denna studie. Resultaten illustrerar att det för närvarande finns en begränsad nivå av samverkansaktivitet inom flygindustrin, men de flesta deltagarna bedömer att det finns stora fördelar med Co-Creation. Resultatet indikerar att respondenterna anser att Co-Creation är absolut nödvändigt för att driva innovation, skapa en samarbetsmiljö och ett verktyg för leverantörer att bättre förstå både flygbolagens behov och krav samt passagerarnas behov och krav. Denna studie kommer att gynna både leverantör och flygbolag genom att samarbete och partnerskap kan baseras på gemensamma värderingar, överenskommelser och mål. Resultatet kan ytterligare ses representera leverantörsrelationer mer generellt och därigenom gynna alla som bättre vill förstå hur Co-Creation kan användas för att förbättra och expandera leverantörs- och kundengagemang. / Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study has been to contribute to greater awareness, understanding and knowledge on Co-Creation. By focusing on the aviation supply industry which is very familiar to the author, the aim with the study and research is to better understand how airlines view Co-Creation and the benefits or potential drawbacks of using Co-Creation to drive more integrated collaboration between customers and suppliers. This is a study with data collection utilizing a Mixed Method Design Survey that captured both Quantitative as well as Qualitative information and input. The participants in the study are all from the aviation industry. In total 43 study objects participated in this research. The results illustrate that there is currently only a limited level of Co-Creation activity in the aviation supply industry, however the vast majority of participants’ assess that there are significant benefits with Co-Creation. The result indicate that airline respondents believe that Co-Creation is imperative to drive innovation, create a more collaborative environment and a tool for suppliers to better understand both the airlines needs and requirements as well as the needs and requirements of the airlines passengers. This study will benefit both supplier and airlines by collaborating and partnering can be based on common values, understandings and goals. The result can be further extrapolated to represent supplier customer relationships as a whole and further benefit anyone who would like to better understand how Co-Creation can be used in improving and expanding supplier and customer engagement. / <p>2017-08-16</p>

Providing high quality customer service that actually satisfies the needs of the customer and results in customer satisfaction is one of the biggest concerns of businesses today. Customer satisfaction determines the behavioural intentions of the customer hence the reason why companies are continuously reaching out to the customer with the aim of building strong relationships that will result in customer loyalty. Managers of companies therefore should be conscious of the role played by quality customer service in building these strong relationships. By gaining such insights into customer perceptions and expectations managers will be in a position to offer products and services that meet customer demands. This study was been based on the customer’s perspectives and their experiences with telecom providers in Kampala, Uganda. A quantitative approach and a questionnaire as data collection tool were used in the conduction of this study. The findings suggest that service quality plays a key role in customer satisfaction. In addition to this the findings also suggest that customer satisfaction plays a key role in determining customer loyalty and customer switching depending on the situation. The findings in this study are similar to those findings of studies done in other countries.

This study examines customer service in selected restaurants in the Tshwane area. It is aimed at establishing criteria for excellent customer service in restaurants, which can serve as the basis for building good relationships with customers. An extensive literature study was undertaken and aspects that were discussed in the secondary research include the various components of customer service, as well as the marketing environment of restaurants in South Africa and the Tshwane Area. An empirical study was conducted to namely to investigate customer service in selected restaurants in the Tshwane Area, with the aim to establish criteria for excellent customer service as a benchmark for establishing relationships with customers, by means of an exploratory study. A self-administered survey was conducted whereby questionnaires were handed to restaurant patrons with the restaurant bill folder. Based on the research results, criteria were developed for excellent customer service which can be used as a benchmark for establishing relationships with customers, by providing customer satisfaction, which leads to customer retention, loyalty and ultimately profitability for an organisation. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Crafting and stimulating service innovation is considered a main research priority and remains a challenge for service providers. One suggested component of stimulating service innovation is customer creativity. Customers who adapt, modify and transform services or products to better suit themselves are increasingly being recognized as a source of competitive value and innovation. It has been proposed that understanding and supporting the customer’s value creating practices is the key to creating and sustaining value over time in health care. Health services directly address a customer’s well-being and have a significant impact on his or her quality of life. In these types of services, the service outcome is highly dependent on the activities of the individual customer. Health care services often require customers to participate extensively, over long periods of time, with limited support and control. Health services also stretch far beyond the particular service setting into the customer’s daily life. While research, policy, and legislation have all emphasized the active role of health care customers, such customers have traditionally had few opportunities to design their health care services. Nevertheless, health care customers solve health-related problems and engage in self-care and medical decision-making on a day-to-day basis, although this creativity is often unknown to the service provider. To understand how health care customers can enable service innovation, this thesis seeks to conceptualize and investigate the concept of customer creativity in health care. The thesis focuses on customer creativity, not only as an outcome, but also as a dynamic and contextualized process that can be enhanced. The thesis combines insights from health care research with service and innovation research to provide build a framework for health care customer creativity. Building on five papers, the research develops an understanding for health care customer creativity. The individual papers are based on systematic literature reviews as well as empirical data in the form of customers’ ideas for service innovation collected through diaries. The results of the thesis suggest that despite the negative nature of the service, health care customers are creative. Given the opportunity, health care customers can provide creative ideas and solutions on a multitude of aspects, both within and outside the health care setting. This provides the potential to view the health care experience through the customers’ eyes and take part in their creativity in spheres where the service providers have not traditionally had any access. This thesis contributes to the literature by providing a framework for health care customer creativity that recognizes the concept as a complex interplay of factors operating at the individual, contextual, and situational levels. The proposed framework specifies the health care specific factors upon which customer creativity depends, with the intention of positing potential research directions and developing an enriched theory of health care customer creativity.