Argos Strategy
1.Literature review
Developing with your customers may be an effect way to eliminate your competitors, because it is difficult to imitate (Buttle, 1996). In this case, you should understand what you can do for customers. Firstly, it is crucial to identify the customers who are going to be provided services and are cared for, if satisfying the needs of customers has been seen as a precondition before considering any marketing (Egan, 2001). Stone & Young (1992) pointed out that target groups of customers should be chosen in terms of some criteria: 1) the customers are known to have the need for the general kind of services that organisation supplies; 2) there are enough customers who must be willing to pay for the services; 3) the customers have a particular need to which the supplier can offer better than others. The target groups lead the organisations to make plans and strategies to achieve effective and efficient influences on customers‘ satisfaction and competitive advantages.
Customer Satisfaction
Since 1980s, customer satisfaction has been considered as a remarkable topic in the field of marketing literatures (Rajshekhar, et al., 2006). Customer satisfaction is also a key feature of RM. According to Oliver‘s study (1997), customer satisfaction is very relevant to the customer‘s evaluation of product/service features. Furthermore, satisfaction is visibly seen as an affective response and opinion to the consumption experience 28
(Zeithaml & Bitner, 2003). Therefore, the outcome of customer satisfaction tends to be intertwined with customer loyalty, repeatable purchase intentions and retainable relationship (Berry & Parasuraman, 1991). Satisfied customers not only would become loyal customers but also would be active to spread positive word-of-mouth communications, which in turn would bring the company new customers (Ndubisi & Chan, 2005). In addition, satisfied customers tend to be forgiving and less easily to be influenced by competitive offerings
Developing with your customers may be an effect way to eliminate your competitors, because it is difficult to imitate (Buttle, 1996). In this case, you should understand what you can do for customers. Firstly, it is crucial to identify the customers who are going to be provided services and are cared for, if satisfying the needs of customers has been seen as a precondition before considering any marketing (Egan, 2001). Stone & Young (1992) pointed out that target groups of customers should be chosen in terms of some criteria: 1) the customers are known to have the need for the general kind of services that organisation supplies; 2) there are enough customers who must be willing to pay for the services; 3) the customers have a particular need to which the supplier can offer better than others. The target groups lead the organisations to make plans and strategies to achieve effective and efficient influences on customers‘ satisfaction and competitive advantages.
Customer Satisfaction
Since 1980s, customer satisfaction has been considered as a remarkable topic in the field of marketing literatures (Rajshekhar, et al., 2006). Customer satisfaction is also a key feature of RM. According to Oliver‘s study (1997), customer satisfaction is very relevant to the customer‘s evaluation of product/service features. Furthermore, satisfaction is visibly seen as an affective response and opinion to the consumption experience 28
(Zeithaml & Bitner, 2003). Therefore, the outcome of customer satisfaction tends to be intertwined with customer loyalty, repeatable purchase intentions and retainable relationship (Berry & Parasuraman, 1991). Satisfied customers not only would become loyal customers but also would be active to spread positive word-of-mouth communications, which in turn would bring the company new customers (Ndubisi & Chan, 2005). In addition, satisfied customers tend to be forgiving and less easily to be influenced by competitive offerings
References: Berry, L. & Parasuraman, A. (1991) Marketing Services – Competing through Quality, Free Press, New York, NY Blumberg, B., Cooper, D Bryman, A., (2004), Social Research Methods, 2nded, Oxford University Press. Buttle, F. (1996), Relationship Marketing-Theory and Practice, London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd Clark, M.A., Riley, M.J., Wileiw, E., and Wood, R.C., (1998), Researching and Writing Dissertations in Hospitality and Tourism, London: International Thomson Publishing Inc. Egan, J. (2004), Relationship Marketing: Exploring relational strategies in marketing (2nd edn), Harlow: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Finn, M., Elliot-White, M., and Walton, M., (2000), Tourism & Leisure Research Methods: Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation Ghauri, P., and Gronhaug, K., (2002), Research Methods in Business Studies, Essex, Pearson Education Limited Ghauri, P., Gronhaug and Kiristianslund (1995), Research Methods in Business Studies: A Practical Guide, Essex, Financial Times Prentice Malhotra, N. & Birks, D. (2006), Marketing Research: An Applied Approach, Pearson Education Limited, Updated Second European Oliver, R.L. (1999), “Whence consumer loyalty? ”, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 63, No. Sarantakos, S., (1998), Social research, 2nded, Basingstoke: Macmillan Saunders et al edn. London: Pearson Education Limited Saunders, M., Lewis, P., and Thornhill, A., (2003), Research Method for Sekaran, U., (2003), Research methods for business, a skill building approach, 4th ed Zeithaml, V. (1988) ‘Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: a means-end model and synthesis of evidence’, Journal of Marketing, 52(3), Zeithaml, V.A. (2003), Services marketing: integrating customer focus across the firm (3rd edn), New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Programme of work