In both Texas and the U.S., existing-home sales have been rising since March 2009--due in part to a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers. The tax credit has also helped stimulate construction.

On Sept. 13, Hurricane Ike made landfall at Galveston. Six months later, many Texas Gulf Coast communities continue to struggle with debris and damage. Rebuilding is under way, but full recovery is likely to take years.

Although still outperforming the nation,> the Texas economy weakened toward the end of the year. Manufacturing and housing have been the most fragile sectors, but growth has moderated in other areas as well.

A sluggish national economy, the global credit crunch and Hurricane Ike have taken some steam out of Texas' growth.

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to draw together the salient issues surrounding customer loyalty and customer relationship management (CRM) into a single coherent discussion. Various schools of academic thought are examined. The paper concludes with practical implications for managers....