Organizational Relationship Policy: Segments and contact moments

Building relationship with customers in current market trends is the most important aspect that an organization should focus on. Distinction and eminence are now most sustainable and affirm for which developing good relationship with customers is must. Some of the substantial outcomes of building a quality relationship is explained below by which need of relationship with customer are insight:

  1. Better Customer perceptiveness- As the customer lengthens to deal with a supplier, the supplier tends to explicate a better insight of customer’s needs and expectations. By this a high level of relationship can be developed between them. This will result in selling more products and retain the business with the customers which finally will lead to profitable business.
  2. Lead to Customer Satisfaction– Customer satisfaction is the measure of how the needs and responses are collaborated and delivered to excel customer expectation. It can only be attained if the customer has an overall good relationship with the supplier. In today’s competitive business marketplace, customer satisfaction is an important performance exponent and basic differentiator of business strategies. Hence, the more is customer satisfaction; more is the business and the bonding with customer.
  3. Lead to Customer Loyalty- Customer loyalty is the tendency of the customer to remain in business with a particular supplier and buy the products regularly. This is usually seen when a customer is very much satisfied by the supplier and re-visits the organization for business deals, or when he is tended towards re-buying a particular product or brand over times by that supplier. To continue the customer loyalty the most important aspect an organization should focus on is customer satisfaction, hence it can be said that customer loyalty is also an outcome of good relationship.
  4. Lead to Customer Retention- Customer retention is a strategic process to keep or retain the existing customers and not letting them to diverge or defect to other suppliers or organization for business and this only possible when there is a quality relationship between customer and supplier. Usually a loyal customer is tended towards sticking to a particular brand or product as far as his basic needs continue to be properly fulfilled. He does not opt for taking a risk in going for a new product. More is the possibility to retain customers the more is the probability of net growth of business.
  5. Chances of getting referrals- It is always a cost-free advocacy by customers to provide referrals to supplier when they feel satisfied and encouraged and when they have a healthy relationship with customers. These referrals or customer’s reference of other customers acts like a piece of cake for suppliers as there is no cost and struggle involved in this. This could be treated as the best outcome of quality relationship what a supplier can think of.
  6. Growth in revenue- When suppliers have healthy relationship with customers the revenue of the organization always increases as customers tend to buy more and more. There is possibility that a satisfied customer seek to buy special category of related products apart from the regular ones from that particular supplier. For instance if a satisfied and loyal customer has a home insurance from an insurance company then there are positive chances that he could also insure his property and car also if he is fully satisfied with the services of that insurance company. This will definitely result in growth of business.
  7. Cost to serve is low- Cost to serve existing satisfied customers is always very less for the supplier as they know and understand customers. Customers never come back with complaints and queries because they know the actual business flow and completely rely on the relationship with supplier.

A moment of truth is usually defined as an instance wherein the customer and the organization come into contact with one another in a manner that gives the customer an opportunity to either form or change an impression about the firm. Such an interaction could occur through the product of the firm, its service offering or both. Various instances could constitute a moment of truth – such as greeting the customer, handling customer queries or complaints, promoting special offers or giving discounts and the closing of the interaction.

Importance

In today’s increasingly service driven markets and with the proliferation of multiple providers for every type of product or service, moments of truth have become an important fact of customer interaction that marketers need to keep in mind. They are critical as they determine a customer’s perception of, and reaction to, a brand. Moments of truth can make or break an organization’s relationship with its customers.

This is more so in the case of service providers since they are selling intangibles by creating customer expectations. Services are often differentiated in the minds of the customer by promises of what is to come. Managing these expectations constitutes a critical component of creating favorable moments of truth which in turn are critical for business success.

Moments of Magic and Moments of Misery

Moments of Magic: Favorable moments of truth have been termed as ’moments of magic’. These are instances where the customer has been served in a manner that exceeds his expectations. Eg: An airline passenger being upgraded to from an economy to a business class ticket or the 100th (or 1000th) customer of a new department store being given a special discount on his purchase. Such gestures can go a long way in creating a regular and loyal customer base. However, a moment of magic need not necessarily involve such grand gestures. Even the efficient and timely service consistently provided by the coffee shop assistant can create a moment of magic for the customers.

Moment of Misery: These are instances where the customer interaction has a negative outcome. A delayed flight, rude and inattentive shop assistants or poor quality of food served at a restaurant all qualify as moments of misery for the customers. Though lapses in service cannot be totally avoided, how such a lapse is handled can go a long way in converting a moment of misery in to a moment of magic and creating a lasting impact on the customer.

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