Thesis (M. Tech. (Business Administration )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, / Traditionally, commercial banking in South Africa has been dominated by the big four namely Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA), First National Bank (FNB), Nedbank, and Standard Bank. Although still dominated by the big four, other smaller banks such as Capitec and African Bank have made inroads into retail banking. This situation arose due to liberalization of the financial services sector since democratisation in South Africa in 1994 which has paved the way for proliferation of the banking industry. This has in turn led to intense competition among banks for customers. Banks in South Africa therefore have the uphill task of retaining their existing customers whilst acquiring newer ones. As a result, South African banks are being compelled to become more customer focused/ oriented. Meanwhile, a key component of most initiatives to become more customer-oriented is the successful implementation of customer relationship management (CRM). A compelling view of CRM is that organisations generate a great deal of data about customers that they can use to build customer profiles in order to serve them better. South African banks therefore need to adopt and implement innovative CRM strategies to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Most banks have a section that only deals with business clients. This is referred to in banking parlance as Business Banking. One of the critical elements of Business Banking is the high level of relationship banking – a service designed to meet the financial needs of clients through the development of a long-term relationship. This type of service delivery is unique and expensive compared to the traditional retail bank delivery system. As a result, the bank must be in position to monitor the profitability of each relationship to ensure that the right clients are serviced in the right way and are meeting the required value proposition. Therefore, if the South African banks in general need to adopt and implement effective CRM strategies, then the need is even greater for the Business Banking section in order to survive in the marketplace. Absa Business bank went through an operating model change in 2011 which necessitated some structural changes including changes in its CRM practices. Mindful of the value of retaining existing customers and attracting new ones, Absa would want to know whether its current CRM practices are effective in ensuring that customers become more loyal to Absa business bank. In general terms, this study investigated the concept of CRM and its influence on customer loyalty and retention. Specifically, the study investigated Absa Business Bank’s CRM practices in relation to customer loyalty and retention using primary data from employees, management, and customers from the Eastern Cape Region in South Africa. The results of the study are very revealing. Among others, the study shows that bank staff commitment to offering excellent service; building trust with customers; communicating with customers in a timely manner; and proactive conflict handling are important for bank image, customer word-of-mouth behaviour towards the bank and these ultimately influence bank customer retention and loyalty. On the basis of evidence from the study it is safe to conclude that customer loyalty can be attributed to CRM and more specifically those aimed at building trust, demonstrating commitment to service, communicating with customers in a timely, reliable and proactive fashion, and handling conflict efficiently. This report contains the major findings of the study alongside recommendations for practice and further research.

This study proposes a loyalty segmentation model for the South African men's retail credit fashion industry. Retailers operate in a highly competitive market where competitors strive for share-of-wallet of the same customer. The likely victor in this battle is the retailer who best understands customer needs, purchase behaviour and utilises this information to influence customer's spending patterns. The research method comprised a postal survey to randomly selected customers. The process included the construct of the loyalty model which comprised four input models, namely the Competitiveness, Brand experience, Referral and Credit appeal models as well as a number of customer demographics. The Desert scenario, where extreme conditions exist, is used as the analogy for the Segmentation model, with four macro segments (Desert, Oasis, Sand Storm, Rain clouds) being used to categorise respondents along two criteria, namely that of value and relative risk. Segment characteristics are used to segment the retailer's database. / Business Management / MCom (Business Management)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for a Masters of Management Sciences: Tourism and Hospitality Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / In the hospitality industry, the costs associated with promotions and advertising efforts are greater than those of maintaining relationships with existing customers. However, customer loyalty programmes have been discovered and promoted by different marketing managers and marketing experts in the different industries, as a most prominent and paramount business marketing tool in ensuring customer retention. The purpose of this research study is to assess the effectiveness of a Customer Loyalty Programme as a marketing tool in the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) Resorts. This study strategy is quantitative in nature because of its capability to attain a large number of respondents in a short space of time. The target population of this study is the customer loyalty members of EKZNW, in eight different resorts. Descriptive research was found to be relevant and appropriate for this study. A non-probability sampling, with a convenience sampling technique, was adopted for this research study, to recruit members of the EKZNW Rhino Club’s loyalty programme as participants. It was adopted because it allows for quick gathering of data and is also representative of the population. The sample size for data collection was conducted with 376 respondents that are loyalty programme members of EKZNW. A questionnaire was developed as measuring instrument, with the questions designed to be closed-ended. These questionnaires were personally distributed to the respondents in all the selected resorts of EKZNW. The findings of the study indicated that the majority of tourists holding EKZNW loyalty programme membership are happy with being Rhino Club members, however, some are not satisfied with the incentives provided. They recommend that the Rhino Card should be designed to allow them to also use it in other provinces’ game parks. / M

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The objective of this study is to test out the possibility of a synthesis between sustainable development, more specifically corporate citizenship, and customer value, a major focus of business strategy, which if correctly achieved nurtures customer loyalty. This synthesis as defined in this thesis is product stewardship. Product stewardship is the design and promotion of products and services that aim to positively impact the environment and society through the creation, consumption and disposal of such a product or service. In an increasingly competitive global environment, crafting business strategy that successfully nurtures customer loyalty is a vital component of long term business success. The delivery of products and services that customers trust and that fully satisfy customer expectations is a prerequisite for loyalty. Intense competition however squeezes profit margins and floods the market with homogeneous products and services. Competition now becomes price centred which drives both a decrease in product quality and a quest for operational efficiencies in an attempt to reduce overheads. Further, capturing a share of the consumer’s wallet becomes more difficult for corporations, forcing a heavy reliance on the brand and company image. In such circumstances, the delivery of customer value that fully satisfies expectations is hard to achieve and business strategy, concerned primarily with the delivery of exceptional customer value, becomes a major focus for most corporations. However, as all corporations strive for a similar end goal, competitive differentiation becomes harder to achieve. Simultaneously, in the context of greater environmental and social consciousness, including the progression of sustainability science, corporations have the added challenge or obligation to adopt these emerging themes. Scrabbling with these new ideas, few corporations are having a real profound effect in curbing the pending ecosystem crisis. Corporate social responsibility, corporate social investment and corporate citizenship have tended to focus on the company and how it is perceived; a kind of self-centredness that explodes into the gross exaggerations communicated by the brand. Product stewardship, as defined in this thesis, shifts the focus away from THE COMPANY and its BRAND, to the product being designed, produced, communicated, consumed and then wasted. The values of a better world articulated by sustainable development and the aspiration to find a better business strategy are fused into a focus on the product. The company and its brand, therefore is constructed not by a promotion of itself as ‘good’ but rather by the virtues and benefits of the product communicated relationally which, in turn, indirectly builds the reputation of the producer. Loyalty therefore is no longer loyalty to the brand, but to an experience of the product. A number of corporations, both local and international, in South Africa are displaying behaviour characteristic of a product stewardship approach. These behaviours or claims are recorded in case studies on four such corporations, namely; Toyota, Sasol, Woolworths, and the South African Breweries Limited. Each case demonstrates how the application of product stewardship can and does reduce negative impacts on both the environment and society while simultaneously nurturing exceptional customer loyalty. A number of critical questions about the design and promotion of short term domestic insurance products are raised to demonstrate how the application of a product stewardship approach could unlock the potential to nurture superior customer loyalty for corporations in the South African short term domestic insurance industry, a service industry plagued by a declining industry image, low customer loyalty and intense competition. The application of a product stewardship approach to a service orientated industry is significant as services are seldom analysed for their effects on the environment and society, as promoted by sustainable development theory. Instead, in an attempt to display the values of a better world, service industries expend huge resources engaging in activities peripheral to their core businesses, while adjustments as highlighted by a product stewardship approach, to their core offerings, their services, could deliver meaningful change for the environment, society, the corporation and ultimately the customer. Based on the real possibility of a synthesis between sustainable development and customer value as highlighted in this thesis, a further more in-depth study is proposed to determine the direct business effects, quantified, of improved customer loyalty nurtured through the application of product stewardship.

People play a major role in the marketing of services, due to the fact services are intangible, and customers look for ways to determine the quality of services. Since services differ from physical goods, service providers need to understand how they affect their organizations. Furthermore, the criterion for satisfaction is different and the customer participates in the process, hence the interest to study this more thoroughly.

21世紀的的台灣消費環境隨著國民所得的提昇已經逐漸轉型到體驗經濟的時代，美學經濟己植入在各行各業的行銷方案之中，因此，國人在感受到改變之下對於生活更加講究，消費者已經從重視商品的性能與效益轉而為追求除了基本價值外的感受價值，而此感受的價值不再是免費的，決策的行為也由理性的決策行為轉向理性與情感並重的消費者行為。故現代的企業運用情境、顧客喜好的消費體驗，為顧客打造ㄧ個有價值的體驗，稱之為體驗行銷。體驗行銷是進入體驗經濟後的一個重要趨勢，企業可以藉由感官、情感、思考、行動、關聯五種體驗來提高消費者的價值認知。 本研究以營養俱樂部部早餐店為研究對象，研究方法採用便利抽樣方式進行調查，透過量化與質化探討體驗行銷的策略體驗模組SEMs和體驗價值、顧客滿意度、顧客忠誠度三者間的關係，並提出實務的體驗行銷建言。 研究發現如下： 一、透過適當的「策略體驗模組」可正向強化不同構面的「體驗價值」。 二、「體驗價值」對「顧客滿意度」具有顯著正向相關關係，影響程度依序為消費者投資報酬、美感、趣味性和卓越服務。 三、「體驗價值」對「顧客忠誠度」具有顯著正向相關關係，影響程度依序為趣味性、消費者投資報酬、美感和卓越服務。 四、顧客滿意度可以有效預測顧客忠誠度。 五、部份的人口統計變項對「體驗價值」有顯著差異。 六、人口統計變項對「策略體驗模組」、「顧客滿意度」和「顧客忠誠度」無 顯著差異。 / With the economic development and the improvement in the standard of living by growing income, the economic moves to Experiential economic gradually. The Esthetics economic imbedded into the marketing plan in the most of kind of industries. Therefore, people are more care about the living quality, change their focus from features and benefits to experiential value, so that the experiential value will not be the free offer anymore, the behavior of making purchasing decision changes from rationality to a combination with feeling. Corporate operates with the occasional customer preferences to create experiential value for customers. That is called “Experiential Marketing”, it is an important trend in the current experiential economic. Corporate improve the value for customers by five strategic experiential marketing models - Sense, Feel, Think, Act and Relate. This case study is targeting to Nutrition Club, analyzing the relations of SEMs (Sense, Feel, Think, Act and Relate), Experiential Value, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty. Providing the practical suggestions to the club base on the analysis result. The key findings are below: 1. By choosing right modules of SEMs can positively predict or influence al aspects of Experiential value. 2. The Experiential value can positively predict and influences to customer satisfaction, the sequence of the influencing are CROI, Aesthetics, Playfulness and Service Excellence. 3. The Experiential value can positively predict and influences to customer loyalty, the sequence of the influencing are Playfulness, CROI, Aesthetics and Service Excellence. 4. Customer satisfaction can positively predict customer loyalty. 5. Demographics variables have partially significant difference on Experiential value. 6. Demographics variables have no significant difference on SEMs, Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty.

本研究以數位相框為例，透過Cronbach’s α信度檢定、Pearson相關分析與單因子變異數分析等統計方法，探討「產品設計」、「消費者購買行為」與「顧客滿意度」、「顧客忠誠度」間之關聯性及影響因素，以期提供未來數位相框業者在產品設計與行銷策略之建議。 　　研究發現，產品設計的三個構面「外觀設計」、「基本功能」及「操作介面」，與消費行為的三個構面「消費動機」、「使用情境」與「未被滿足的需求」呈現顯著正相關，顯示數位相框的產品設計確實會對消費行為產生一定程度之影響。而研究亦發現，產品設計與滿意度及忠誠度呈現顯著正相關，且消費行為與滿意度及忠誠度亦呈現正相關。 / This research takes example of digital photo frame, to explore the relationship and factors that affect product design, consumer behavior, customer satisfaction and customer royalty. It expects to set recommendations of product design and marketing strategy for the digital photo frame makers in the future. The research found, that the three dimensions in Product Design, including appearance design, basic functions, and operational interface are positively relevant to the three dimensions in Consumer Behavior, which are motivation, user scenario, and unsatisfied demand. This means the product design has certain level of affect on the consumer behavior. The research also found that, the product design has significant positive relevance with customer satisfaction and royalty, and the consumer behavior also shows positive relevance with satisfaction and royalty.

傳統行銷主要注重產品功能及價格的範疇，與Schmitt所提出的體驗行銷相比，體驗行銷強調的維透過感官、情感、思考、情感與關聯方面的刺激來提高顧客的認知價值。本研究以香格里拉休閒農場為研究對象，因為該農場的天然景觀，所塑造的風格以及所設計的體驗活動刺激與體驗行銷之策略體驗模組相符合，所以選擇本牧場為研究對象，探討體驗行銷的策略體驗模組(SEM)和體驗價值、顧客滿意度及顧客忠誠度之間的關係。 本研究的研究結果如下: 一、 透過適當的策略體驗模組可以強化不同構面的體驗價值。 二、 策略體驗模組之情感體驗、行動體驗、關聯體驗三項構面可以正向強化顧客滿意度。 三、 策略體驗模組織情感體驗、思考體驗、關聯體驗三項構面可以正向強化顧客忠誠度。 四、 體驗價值之消費者投資報酬、服務優越性、美感、趣味性可以正向強化顧客滿意度。 五、 體驗價值之消費者投資報酬、服務優越性可以正向強化顧客忠誠度。 六、 顧客滿意度可以正向強化顧客忠誠度。 根據研究結果，本研究對香格里拉休閒農場提出發展體驗行銷建議做為日後參考: 一、 加強體驗模組中的思考體驗及感官體驗。 二、 提高活動內容曝光率，透過網路提升活動內容及特色。 三、 透過顧客管理系統，提供不同季節特殊體驗活動，提高老顧客再回來參觀頻率。

It is common practice for service providers, such as cell phone network providers, to utilise relationship marketing strategies in an effort to retain their customers and thereby to increase profitability. Customers with relationship intentions are willing to respond to such efforts while other customers will refrain. Service failures negatively impact relationship marketing efforts and thus complicate service providers’ relationship-building efforts. Therefore, service providers endeavour to restore customers’ post-recovery satisfaction and loyalty through service recovery efforts to retain their customers. However, the influence that customers’ relationship intentions have on this process has not been considered. Previous research on relationship intention in South Africa focussed only on developing a valid and reliable relationship intention measurement scale. For this reason, the primary objective of this study was to determine the influence of relationship intention on customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention following service recovery within the cellular industry. Supporting the primary objective, a model depicting the influence of respondents’ relationships intentions on satisfaction, loyalty and retention following service recovery was developed. Furthermore, a model depicting the interrelationships of the relationship constructive dimensions of the service recovery process uncovered during this study was also developed. Through non-probability convenience sampling of adults 18 years and older (residing in Johannesburg and the surrounding residential suburbs) who have used a cell phone network provider for three years or longer, 605 respondents completed interviewer-administered questionnaires. Demographic and patronage information, together with respondents’ relationship intentions, attitudes towards complaining, customers’ complaint behaviour, expectations of service recovery, perceived service recovery as well as satisfaction, loyalty and retention following service recovery, were obtained. Results indicated that no associations exist between respondents’ levels of relationship intention and their relationship lengths, as well as whether they had contractual agreements with their cell phone network providers. It is therefore recommended that instead of using relationship length or contractual agreements, cell phone network providers should use customers’ relationship intentions to identify customers for relationship marketing purposes. Findings from this study furthermore include that respondents’ relationship intentions influence their propensities to complain, as well as the likelihood that they will voice a complaint regarding dissatisfactory service delivery. It is therefore recommended that cell phone network providers use the opportunity to identify customers with relationship intentions through customers’ complaint behaviour. This study found that respondents’ relationship intentions influence both their expectations of cell phone network providers to take service recovery action, as well as their perceptions of service recovery. Respondents’ relationship intentions also positively influence their satisfaction, loyalty and retention following service recovery. Based on these findings, it is recommended that cell phone network providers should always take corrective action following service failures (such as billing errors in this study), preferably by including at least an acknowledgement, apology, explanation and rectification of the problem as part of the service recovery efforts. Such a combination of service recovery efforts will increase the satisfaction, loyalty and retention of customers with higher relationship intentions. From the results it can be concluded that customers’ relationship intentions influence their behaviour with regard to propensity to complain, voicing, expectations of service recovery action, perceptions of service recovery, as well as satisfaction, loyalty and retention following service recovery, when service failures occur. The proposed model developed from these findings results in the recommendation that cell phone network providers should view the service recovery process as an interrelated process influenced by customers’ relationship intentions. Cell phone network providers should note that customers with higher relationship intentions will attempt to salvage the relationship when service failures occur, which contributes to their satisfaction, loyalty and retention following service recovery. This study contributes to establishing relationship intention theory by confirming the positive influence of customers’ relationship intentions on constructive behaviour when service failures occur. Moreover, practical recommendations concerning cell phone network providers’ response to billing errors are proposed. Future research should address the methodological limitations of this study by using probability sampling, and data should be collected from all South African provinces. Real-time service failures should be considered as opposed to the scenario-based approach used in this study. Important influences on customer behaviour when service failures occur, such as the perceived severity of service failure, service failure type, perceived justice and attributions, should also be considered with regard to their influence on the constructs of this study. Lastly, the antecedents of or differences with regard to customers’ relationship intentions based on personality, generational cohort or population group deserve further attention to establish relationship intention as study field within the domain of relationship marketing. / PhD (Marketing Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014.

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur lojala konsumenterna på apoteksmarknaden i Katrineholm är. Eventuella samband mellan kön och lojalitetstyp samt åldersgrupp och lojalitetstyp undersöktes även. För att uppnå syftet genomfördes en kvantitativ undersökning med hjälp av enkäter, där 240 svar samlades in. Konsumenterna delades in i de fyra lojalitetstyper som tas upp i Dick och Basus lojalitetsmodell. Analysen visar att kön inte spelar in i vilken lojalitetstyp individen tillhör. Åldersgruppstillhörighet har dock en signifikant påverkan.