The Dimensions Of Customer Relationships: Understanding The Perspectives

When we talk about dimensions of customer service, it is a concept that helps us to understand that customers rate the level of services provided by any organisation in two dimensions. We are going to take a closer look at these dimensions in order to have a good grasp of it.

Procedural Dimension: This is die established systems and procedures to deliver products or services. If for example, an organisation has problems related to the quality of their products, inadequate equipment or supply issues or your procedures as an organization are not customer friendly, you have faded as an organization from the perspective of the customers.  In the view of the customers, you have succeeded as an organisation when you operate from their own perspective.

Personal Dimension: This has to do with how service providers interact with customers (attitudes, behaviours arid verbal skills). The personal dimension is the key to success. When a customer begins to do business with an organisation, they are already in some type of emotional state, therefore the impression an organisation gives in the first time may be the deciding factor in retaining an existing customer, obtaining a new customer or gaining referral business.

You should know that using the following strategies xviii make a tough job just a bit easier Take the initiative, anticipate the customer’s needs, be helpful, be positive; listen and understand, deal with the uniqueness or the situation, and always make the customer feel special.

Acquiring and Retaining Customers

Studies have shown that it is more costly to acquire new customers than to retain existing ones. The reason for this is very simple, in acquiring new customers; you arc trying to steal people from other people’s Life Cycle into your own Life Cycle; which is somehow very difficult when every organization is trying their possible best to retain their customers.

Every serious-minded organization must endeavour to retain their hard-earned customer, A simple positive decision can make prospects to Hood your Life Cycle while a simple negative decision by the management can also lead to attrition. That is why it is advisable that when carrying out customer-centric strategies, the top management must be carried along.

There are two main reasons why the top management must be carried along when embarking on a customer-centric enterprise. The first reason is that you will need them when you need to take some crucial decisions. You will also need them to approve your spending. Without their approval, you might be cash-strapped along the way.

Another reason is that the organizational structure employed in the customer-centric enterprise is much different from the one used in organizations that are not customer-centric in nature. An organisation that is customer-centered must empower its customer-facing agents so that they can resolve customer’s issues completely In order to retain customers, you must not ask customers to wait when you can answer them now. Staff dealing with customers must be able to resolve their issues. This will help in retaining customers for life.

You should know that you cannot retain customers if you fail to meet their needs. Know that the first point that is dragging customers to you is that, they have a need to satisfy. If you are able to satisfy those needs and go beyond their expectations, there is nothing stopping the customers from sticking to you for life.

SUMMARY

In this chapter, we have learned that:

• There are two types of CRM dimensions which were the Procedural dimension and the Personal dimension.
• It is more expensive to acquire new customers than to retain existing ones.
• In order for organizations to acquire new customers, they must be ready to do more than what the organization that is currently satisfying their needs is doing.
• You have to continually increase customers’ experience if you really want to retain them for life.

Brainstorming Session

1. Discuss the two dimensions of the customer relationship.
2. Discuss acquiring and retaining customers and CRM.

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