Presents two relatively new (to marketing) qualitative research techniques, “narrative theory” and “dimensional analysis”, and highlights the contribution they may have for consumer research. Narrative analysis focuses on features, plots and configurations, whereas dimensional analysis...

For many years companies have collected feedback from customers through means such as comment cards and toll‐free telephone numbers. The feedback data can be used by companies to track quality, locate quality problems, and identify suggestions for improvement. Gathering feedback from customers...

Purpose – To show how place managers can use feedback from their various stakeholders to improve satisfaction with the service that they provide. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores through the means of case study how the UK property industry and in particular, three major...

Explores the relevance (practice) of strategic HR (employee development) to the financial service arena and the extent to which it may be possible to use it as a means of retaining external customers. There is at present little understanding of the way employee development is practised within...

Since the mid‐1990s, organisations have spent quite a bit of time, money and effort developing new “e”‐channels and routes to market. With the advent and rapid adoption of e‐commerce in the late 1990s, organisational efforts were largely geared toward customer acquisition with little...

General Systems Company, Inc. has been directing its experience in installing quality systems throughout the world, as well as its research department’s focus on the development of new quality system strengths, to support and implement the quality growth opportunities of the twenty‐first...

As Internet usage grows, brands are becoming even more important than they have been in other channels or environments. With more choices from many unknown providers, customers tend to choose a provider that represents a set of values or attributes that are meaningful, clear, and trusted (a...

Measuring customer capital – customers’ contribution to current and future revenues – is fundamental to assessing how successful an organization is in turning customer relationships into sustainable competitive advantage. The new business environment requires that companies shift from...

The collapse of the dot‐com business sector has shown that, in reality, there is only one economy, with a new technology trying to find its way in it. Success in business will always depend on two areas of attention: building the business; and protecting the business. The Business Idea...

On 15 December 2000, the International Organisation for Standardisation published a new series of ISO 9000 standards. There are significant changes in this third edition standard. Several specific surveys and analysis revealed the key concerned areas of the certified companies and the...