The aim of this study was to evaluate if there was a connection between performance management and customers service within retail branches in Gauteng. In the service industry service is the key component of retaining customers and gives the competitive edge over their rivals. A thorough literature study was conducted by using the views of different authors and combining them. The concept of service delivery was defined and discussed looking at the various components of service. Further to this the concept performance management was defined. Based on the literature study it was found that there is a large human component in service delivery and the perception of the customer in terms of that service delivery. “Knowledge where value resides and what constitutes customer value from the standpoint of the customer has been very critical in the strategies of firms in all industries and elsewhere (Day, 1990. Mckenna, 1991. Ibidunni, 2004). Ensuring that individual values and goals are aligned to the organisation and that each is driving the same strategies becomes fundamental to their success. PM can be used as a tool to align these strategies and to strive towards one goal, retaining the customer through exceptional service delivery and ensuring that the brand talks to one standard service delivery throughout all of its channels. Conclusions regarding the findings of the research were presented and recommendations were made. It is important to note that these recommendations are guidelines that correlates directly to the empirical analysis made. The research study was evaluated against the primary and secondary objectives with the correlation that both were achieved. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The aim of this study was to evaluate if there was a connection between performance management and customers service within retail branches in Gauteng. In the service industry service is the key component of retaining customers and gives the competitive edge over their rivals. A thorough literature study was conducted by using the views of different authors and combining them. The concept of service delivery was defined and discussed looking at the various components of service. Further to this the concept performance management was defined. Based on the literature study it was found that there is a large human component in service delivery and the perception of the customer in terms of that service delivery. “Knowledge where value resides and what constitutes customer value from the standpoint of the customer has been very critical in the strategies of firms in all industries and elsewhere (Day, 1990. Mckenna, 1991. Ibidunni, 2004). Ensuring that individual values and goals are aligned to the organisation and that each is driving the same strategies becomes fundamental to their success. PM can be used as a tool to align these strategies and to strive towards one goal, retaining the customer through exceptional service delivery and ensuring that the brand talks to one standard service delivery throughout all of its channels. Conclusions regarding the findings of the research were presented and recommendations were made. It is important to note that these recommendations are guidelines that correlates directly to the empirical analysis made. The research study was evaluated against the primary and secondary objectives with the correlation that both were achieved. / Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Today, many financial institutions extending credit rely on automated credit scorecard decision engines to drive credit strategies that are used to allocate (application scoring) and manage (behavioural scoring) credit limits. The accuracy and predictive power of these models are meticulously monitored, to ensure that they deliver the required separation between good (non-delinquent) accounts and bad (delinquent) accounts. The strategies associated to the scores (champion strategies) produced using the scorecards, are monitored on a quarterly basis (minimum), ensuring that the limit allocated to a customer, with its associated risk, is still providing the lender with the best returns on their appetite for risk. The strategy monitoring opportunity should be used to identify possible clusters of customers that are not producing the optimal returns for the lender. The identified existing strategy (champion) that does not return the desired output is challenged with an alternative strategy that may or may not result in better results. These clusters should have a relatively low credit risk ranking, be credit hungry, and have the capacity to service the debt. This research project focuses on the management of (behavioural) strategies that manage the ongoing limit increases provided to current account holders. Utilising a combination of the behavioural scores and credit turnover, an optimal recommended or confidential limit is calculated for the customer. Once the new limits are calculated, a sample is randomly selected from the cluster of customers and tested in the operational environment. With the implementation of the challenger, strategy should ensure that the intended change on the customer's limit is well received by the customers. Measures that can be used are risk, response, retention, and revenue. The champion and challenger strategies are monitored over a period until a victor (if there is one) can be identified. It is expected that the challenger strategy should have a minimal impact on the customers affected by the experiment and that the bank should not experience greater credit risk from the increased limits. The profit from the challenger should increase the interest revenue earned from the increased limit. Once it has been established through monitoring whether the champion or the challenger strategy has won, the winning strategy is rolled-out to the rest of the customers from the champion population. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Operational Research))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Today, many financial institutions extending credit rely on automated credit scorecard decision engines to drive credit strategies that are used to allocate (application scoring) and manage (behavioural scoring) credit limits. The accuracy and predictive power of these models are meticulously monitored, to ensure that they deliver the required separation between good (non-delinquent) accounts and bad (delinquent) accounts. The strategies associated to the scores (champion strategies) produced using the scorecards, are monitored on a quarterly basis (minimum), ensuring that the limit allocated to a customer, with its associated risk, is still providing the lender with the best returns on their appetite for risk. The strategy monitoring opportunity should be used to identify possible clusters of customers that are not producing the optimal returns for the lender. The identified existing strategy (champion) that does not return the desired output is challenged with an alternative strategy that may or may not result in better results. These clusters should have a relatively low credit risk ranking, be credit hungry, and have the capacity to service the debt. This research project focuses on the management of (behavioural) strategies that manage the ongoing limit increases provided to current account holders. Utilising a combination of the behavioural scores and credit turnover, an optimal recommended or confidential limit is calculated for the customer. Once the new limits are calculated, a sample is randomly selected from the cluster of customers and tested in the operational environment. With the implementation of the challenger, strategy should ensure that the intended change on the customer's limit is well received by the customers. Measures that can be used are risk, response, retention, and revenue. The champion and challenger strategies are monitored over a period until a victor (if there is one) can be identified. It is expected that the challenger strategy should have a minimal impact on the customers affected by the experiment and that the bank should not experience greater credit risk from the increased limits. The profit from the challenger should increase the interest revenue earned from the increased limit. Once it has been established through monitoring whether the champion or the challenger strategy has won, the winning strategy is rolled-out to the rest of the customers from the champion population. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Operational Research))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Techn. Univ., Diss.--Darmstadt, 2003.

Advanced analytics and big data allow a more complete picture of customers' preferences and demands. Through this deeper understanding, organizations of all types are finding new ways to engage with existing or potential customers. Research shows that companies using big data and advanced analytics in their operations have productivity and profitability rates that are 5 to 6 percent higher compared to their peers. At the same time it is almost impossible to find a banking institution in the Czech Republic exploiting potential of data analytics to its full extent. This thesis will therefore focus on exploring opportunities for banks applicable in the local context, taking into account technological and financial limitations as well as the market situation. Author will conduct interviews with bank managers and management consultants familiar with the topic in order to evaluate theoretical concepts and the best practices from around the world from the point of Czech market environment, to assess capability of local banks to exploit them and identify the main obstacles that stand in the way. Based on that a general framework for bank managers, who would like to use advanced analytics, will be proposed.

Customer experience in retail banking has become a key source of differentiation. Increased competition in the financial services industry and the global financial crisis caused financial institutions to find themselves in a difficult operating environment. A sustainable competitive advantage in the current environment cannot be achieved only through excellent service delivery, service quality and prices, but through the creation of memorable customer experiences. The current study expands on the conceptual framework for the creation of customer experience proposed by Verhoef, Lemon, Parasuraman, Roggeveen, Leonard and Schlesinger (2009). In this paper the nature and extent to which the determinants discussed by Verhoef et al. impact on the customer experience is assessed. Using a quantitative method, a survey questionnaire measuring customers’ perceptions about their experiences with the retail banking firms, was distributed to 1043 employees of the air transportation company. The study finds that the past experiences, brand and prices impacts more on customer experience than other determinants identified. The study also evaluates the impact of transformation and Black Economic Empowerment on customer experience. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This study expands upon previous research on the antecedents (job demands and job resources) and outcomes of frontline employee burnout, and examines the role of customer orientation (CO) in the burnout process. Using data from frontline bank employees in New Zealand, we investigate both the direct relationships of CO to burnout and job outcomes (job performance and turnover intentions) and the buffering role of CO concerning the relationships between job demands, burnout, and job outcomes. The study results show that burnout mediates the effects of job demands and job resources on job performance and turnover intentions. Besides being directly related to burnout and job performance, CO also buffers the dysfunctional effects of job demands on burnout and job outcomes. Implications of the results are discussed and future research avenues are offered.

Yes / This paper aims to capture the perception of banking services providers on how to restore their customers’ trust in the UK banking industry. Twenty frontline employees (FLEs) who have customer-facing responsibilities are interviewed and a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts is undertaken. Through the emergence of three different major themes and a number of sub-themes, we have presented our findings in the form of a trust restoration model. Interviewees have reported three major themes as an action framework to restore their customers’ trust. Firstly, banks are implementing enhanced transparency in their operations, by appropriately disclosing the key features of their lending and other banking activities. Secondly, they are implementing policies and procedures that can help strengthen their relationship banking, such as improving employee and customer engagement activities for supporting small businesses and the community. Thirdly, they are promoting operational efficiency by adequately investing in information technology infrastructure. However, some financial service practices identified by the interviewees, for example, the deliberate sale of financial products that are unsuitable for their customers or too complex to understand, still continues. Ultimately, this ‘sale before service’ tactic is incompatible with the industry claims of compliance with the new financial regulations.

Assessing performance, quality, and excellence in services are critical topics in the literature. As such, this thesis evaluates aspects related to conceptualisations and measurement models across different disciplinary perspectives. This thesis develops, and validates a multiple-item scale for Modelling service excellence in the UK retail banking sector, according to the perceptions of customers. The scale development method follows Churchill’s (1979) well founded process, and is informed by Anderson and Gerbing’s (1988), and Rossiter’s (2002) guidelines. The model estimates whether the hypothesised antecedents are considered valid for identifying banks which provide excellent services. The findings reveal that reputation, rates, innovation, and technology significantly determine service excellence. This thesis was undertaken in a critical timing, between 2007 and 2012. During that time, the economy and particularly, the banking sector faced a major credit crunch and crisis of confidence in the sector per se. The crisis caused banks to rethink their competitive positioning by re-assessing their strengths (Akdag et al. 2011). Hence, initiating a differentiation between quality and excellence in services was essential. Overall, this thesis contributes to the literature by offering an integrated solution to assessing service excellence, from concept definition and differentiation, to scale development and validation. A new definition of services excellence is introduced and components of services excellence are identified. Hence, distinguishing between service quality and service excellence. Furthermore, the relationship between service excellence and its determinants is explored. Based on an updated set of antecedents and corresponding items, the measurement model provided in this thesis is considered as one of the best available options, realised by testing the postulated hypothesis and the alternative model testing.