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And I biggered my money, which everyone needs“ (1971, p. 323). The moral of the story is that short-term thinking about profit is exactly the opposite way to achieve sustainable success.
Fournier et al. (1998, p. 42) criticize marketers who are “perverting“ the relationship marketing concept by not understanding customer trust and intimacy. The problem with CRM practice is not due to a lack of understanding about retention benefits, but rather it is due to immaturity: The problem lies in disregarding and misunderstanding the fundamental emotional nature of human relationship development. Fournier et al. recommend that marketers “think about, and act on, what being a partner in a relationship really means“ (p. 49). Now is the time to learn what it means to be a partner in a relationship.
Statement of the Problem
CRM efforts and research have not fully considered the developmental nature of customer relationships. Although there is a notion of a life cycle, there is not a full acknowledgement of the customers’ emotional or relational “temperature“ over the changing life cycle. Levels of trust tend to fluctuate in cyclical patterns within relationships stages, which are cyclical as well (Altman & Taylor, 1973). In this discussion of the problem, the researcher demonstrates the difficulties encountered by neglecting relationship development. The problem addressed in this study is to understand how the stages in a customer relationship progress.
Price, Arnould, and Tierney (1995, p. 83) claim that companies recognize the importance of developing good relationships, yet “it is not always clear how to create and sustain good relationships." Interest and investment in relationships do not automatically produce healthy, long-term customer relationships.