Chapter 8-
Customer Relationship is a bond or connection between a two firms B2B or a firm and its customers B2C. The bond can be weak, strong, or none existent, it can be intellectual, emotional or both. Lack of personal interaction makes it harder to form and keep a relationship. Relationship involvement is a funciton of product characteristics and purchase situation and the customer’s personal needs. Firms want relationships so customers can: trust the seller to provide good value, anticipate positive feelings, so the brand represents the customers feelings, so they can promote the site to friends, and family. Cost of serving current customers is lower than getting an new customer. CLV is based on active and inactive customers.
<a href=”http://Amazon.com” title=”http://Amazon.
” target=”_blank”>Amazon.com is a B2C. They send mass emails for coupons and promotions as well as new items and books that are on sale. They build trust with their customers. They give recommendations based on your purchases and what other people who bought those items also bought. They want to please their loyal customers. Your information gets saved by cookies and they give u personal recommendations every few days to a week. Since amazon.com has been a great site and very little problems people don’t complain and keep coming back. Amazon.com is a transactional website where you can browse, buy and return goods. You can buy from amazon.com or other sellers. There is a 1-click payment system. They have a great customer relationship because of their personalized recommendations for books as well as other items.
Another example from the book would be landsend.com Uses direct marketing. It is a catalog operation mutlichannel retailer now. You can browse, buy and return. there is a “my virtual model” that lets you have your own virtual living room where the customer can try on closes. there is real time customer service w/ chat session to help you. Great shopping experience.
Yellow Transportation is a B2B website myyellow.com. B2B websites are not well-known the average person because most use transacational websites for personal use and are mostly B2C users. Anyhow, Yellow Transportation lets the other firm to track shipping and scheduling. They want customers to be able to communicate not only by phone, mail and person but also online. Tracking shipments, getting prices for planned shipments, and pickup address. There is also chat capability. the customers can begin tracking shipment as soon as their items have been picked up for shipment. They make sure that their clients (firms) like the service and are satisfied so they will come back and also recommend their business and website to anyone else in need of frieght transportation.
keep customers happy and coming back is the greatest challenge of any business B2B or B2C.