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Earlier research (Carson, 1998) uncovered the “top 10“ list of important relationship marketing factors by asking customers: “What is important in order to keep you as a customer?" The 10 most important factors are reported:
- 1. Credible/competent/dependable
- 2. Courteous/likable
- 3. Needs met/relevant
- 4. Trustworthy/genuine/altruistic
- 5. Understanding/reassuring
- 6. Committed
- 7. Flexible/open
- 8. Comfortable/satisfying
- 9. Personalization
- 10. Functional conflict
These results indicate that relationship marketers need to juggle more relational customer concerns than traditional marketing would suggest.
These introductory paragraphs discuss the issues driving marketing’s calamity and ensuing renovation. The issues of overspending and unaccountability are leading to a shift toward retention and long-term customer relationships. In addition, this introduction includes the statement of the problem, the purpose, the significance of the study, and the research question and hypotheses.
From an economic point of view, marketing has “overspent and underdelivered“ (Sheth & Sisodia, 1995, p. 9). Sheth and Sisodia assert that marketing is “feeling the heat“ from accountability and productivity problems (p. 9). Marketers are creating a dizzying array of more products, but with more competitors. Marketers are spending more money on more media channels to reach fewer customers with poorer results (Peppers & Rogers, 1993).