Successful Customer Research Articles

Customer success managers' involvement in sales: Taxonomy, frictions, and implications

In recent years, several organizations have implemented customer success (CS) management to maximize customers' value in use. Despite the acknowledged benefits of CS management, challenges persist, particularly in understanding the involvement of CS managers in sales. Drawing from qualitative interviews with CS managers, this study reveals variability in CS managers' involvement in presales activities and responsibility for up- and cross-selling. These insights have led to the development of a taxonomy outlining different types of CS manager involvement in sales. This taxonomy provides more nuance to the analysis of CS managers' involvement in sales than previously assumed in the literature. Additionally, this research uncovers three CS manager-perceived sources of friction: short-term sales focus, conflicts over customer ownership, and poor handovers. These insights contribute to understanding the complexities of CS managers' involvement in sales and offer practical implications for improving alignment between both functions.

SOCIAL MEDIA INTEGRATION WITH CUSTOMER PORTAL

Abstract : Customer relationship management, abbreviated as CRM, is a concept used in marketing that focuses on the customers’ needs and satisfaction to improve the company’sperformance. In the business world today, technology has changed traditional procedures due to theemergence of the internet and social media channels. It is clear that customers are the only source of current and future profits for the company thus,developing systems that are customer-centered is the new norm in the business world.Traditional CRM uses internal strategies that help understand customer needs, while Social CRM uses social media platforms to manage their customers. Integrating social media andCRM has helped companies improve customer interactions and offers ways of managingand measuring social networking for successful customer engagement. This paper aims toreview various studies touching on the impacts of social media CRM on large Corporationsin the UK. IndexTerms – Social media, customer relationship management (CRM), social customer relationship management (SCRM), social media platforms.

Integration of Successful Customer Engagement for SMEs on Social Media

Customer engagement (CE) is a widely known and accepted conceptual approach to describing the engagement and interactions of social media users with brand pages. Research activities focus on the influencing factors and effects of CE on various platforms, above all, Facebook. The focus is mainly on the corporate presence of large corporations or specific industries. Pages of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), as the backbone of the global economy, are rarely the starting point for research. Therefore, the question arises as to how SMEs need to design their social media communication to generate a high level of customer engagement on social media. Consequently, this study aims to expand previous research findings on successful CE in relation to SMEs and derive recommendations for action. For this purpose, Facebook users and company representatives were interviewed using semi-structured qualitative interviews. The in-depth evaluation of the interview data was carried out using a qualitative content analysis based on a deductive-inductive coding procedure. As a result, six categories with various sub-categories that constituted relevant influencing factors for the participants and promoted engagement were identified. These are Management, the structure of the presence, general aspects of use, motives, content, reaction, and finally, process and background knowledge. Users expect a website to provide information, entertainment, added value, a personal connection, and the opportunity to communicate. SMEs already have extensive expertise in social media marketing but perceive topic acquisition and a lack of resources as a challenge. They all emphasise the relevance of images, product and company-related topics, and an authentic, informal, understandable communication style with humour. Posts should also appear regularly, be up-to-date and short, and have correct spelling and emojis. Finally, questions, prompts and links are engagement drivers. The added value of this study lies in the deepening of the CE concept in relation to the research gap on SMEs. In addition, the results are discussed regarding their practical implications for SMEs to successfully design their presence on social media.

The Customer Success Community: An Exploration of Nonfirm Epistemic Communities and Their Influence on a New Sales Practice

Customer success (CS) management is being implemented across global business markets. CS management is unique, as it exists within a broader CS community of professionals who actively support the new customer management practice. However, academic research has yet to investigate nonfirm epistemic communities (i.e., knowledge communities related to a specific domain) that support CS management and how they differ across geographic settings in ways that may affect the overall practice of CS management. To address this gap, the authors investigate how the CS community is implemented across countries that vary in their levels of uncertainty avoidance. The authors focus on the CS community and its impact on CS management operational factors that represent people, process, and performance factors of CS management. Following a phenomenological approach, interviews from the United States, Brazil, and Portugal drive the findings and indicate different levels of reliance on the external CS community to guide internal CS management operational factors. This research contributes by establishing the importance of the CS community and by uncovering insights based on CS managers’ perceptions of the CS community and its effect on CS management operational factors. The authors offer salient insights into how managers can optimize CS management operational factors, and they provide a discussion of future research topics.

РОЗГОРТАННЯ БАГАТОКАНАЛЬНОГО МАРКЕТИНГУ У ЦИФРОВОМУ СЕРЕДОВИЩІ

The article has considered the interaction between a company/brand and consumer in the modern digital environment based on multichannel marketing by identifying the main stages of its development and defining their main characteristics. It has been determined that in the era of digital technologies, there is a fundamental transformation of the concepts of companies/brands’ marketing activities, among which is the emergence of new ways of interaction through online and offline channels. The stages of development of multichannel marketing have been considered according to the criteria of marketing channels of interaction, their integration by both the company and the consumer, and approximate time frames. The main distinctive features of multichannel, cross-channel, and omnichannel marketing as successive stages of development of multichannel marketing have been provided. According to the study results, it has been proposed to consider the characteristics of the identified stages in terms of the technological and ecosystem basis for the development of multichannel marketing, and the transformation of companies/brands’ marketing activities and the consumer journey. The technological basis reflects the development of the Internet, which enables further development of the interaction environment. The ecosystem basis reflects the transformation of the environment as a result of technical and technological means. It has been determined that the transformation of companies’ marketing activities takes place in the following aspects: integration of digital and physical channels into the company’s business model with the construction of relevant business processes, identification of touchpoints, and mapping a customer journey and contact chains, using push and pull marketing, formation of a seamless customer experience along with product/brand promotion. From the consumer’s point of view, the consumer journey is changing from a linear to a looped one, when previous experience and loyalty become the determining factors for decision-making. From the company’s perspective, a successful customer journey should include brand advocacy.

Review Article on Patient Satisfaction in Out Patient Department

The healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving on a global scale. Over the past few decades, health has gained acceptance as a fundamental right and transformed into a societal objective. One of the fundamental criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the healthcare services offered in hospitals is patient satisfaction. Given their higher socioeconomic standing and easier access to healthcare, consumers have high expectations and demands. Successful customer impression monitoring has evolved into a straightforward yet crucial business approach. An essential tool for organising an essential tool for organising, managing, and conducting research is patient satisfaction measurement.

Orchestration of value: the role of customer success managers within sales ecosystems

PurposeThis study aims to integrate research on customer success (CS) management with the service ecosystems perspective of selling to enhance the understanding of the CS management function and the outcomes selling firms should expect based on implementation of CS management.Design/methodology/approachThe authors apply the service ecosystems perspective of selling to describe how CS management is manifested in practice by offering relevant insights and practical industry examples.FindingsStudy findings identify relevant ecosystem actors, acting on behalf of the customer, required for the delivery of desirable customer outcomes. Study findings also link the orchestration efforts of CS managers to theory-based tenets for explanation of how CS management facilitates the attainment of competitive advantages via the thickening and thinning of ecosystem crossing points.Research limitations/implicationsGiven that the research is conceptual, additional research that empirically examines this framework and the insights presented would lend further credence to the recommendations the authors suggest.Practical implicationsFrom a practical perspective, the authors present a “Customer Relationship and Solution Innovation Matrix” which integrates necessary value-creating activities that CS managers perform and the coordination with internal actors that CS managers rely on to create value.Originality/valueAlthough the practice of CS management is becoming increasingly common, theoretical approaches capable of explaining the function have been lacking. Similarly, while the service ecosystems perspective redefines selling to encompass a broader set of actors than traditionally examined, practical examinations of the theory are limited. The authors address these issues, integrating both research streams for an enhanced understanding of the CS management function through the service ecosystems perspective theoretical lens.

Customer success management, customer health, and retention in B2B industries

Customer Success (CS) Management is an emerging B2B marketing strategy. The task of CS management is to increase customer retention through dedicated and ongoing proactive attention to improving the value customers realize from a product or solution. Leveraging a theories-in-use approach, we demonstrate the adoption of CS management across a wide range of B2B settings and unpack how the implementation of a CS strategy can complement existing sales and service efforts to increase customer retention. We find that a central element to CS management is the tracking of customer health, which is a new marketing metric that is viewed as the pulse of CS strategy. Customer health is a formative metric comprised of objective and subjective data points that track (1) relationship quality, (2) product usage, and (3) customer value realization. CS managers leverage customer health data to proactively manage B2B relationships and reduce churn. While CS management has been widely adopted, we also find that not all CS implementations are initially successful. As such, we describe contingency factors related to short-term ambiguities within the organization and long-term factors that impact implementation of CS management. Given the nascent nature of research on CS management in the marketing literature, our article closes with a comprehensive set of future research opportunities and emerging challenges for firms focusing on customer success.

A Review of the Impact of Social Media in Customer Relationship Management of Large Corporations in the UK

Customer relationship management, abbreviated as CRM, is a concept used in marketing that focuses on the customers needs and satisfaction to improve the company's performance. CRM puts the customer at the center of the company's operations, and all the information related to them is considered in making the company's important decisions. In the business world today, technology has changed traditional procedures due to the emergence of the internet and social media channels. Social media has changed everything from lifestyle to business operations. In this context, large and small business organizations are adjusting to the changes by adopting social media in their marketing strategies. It is clear that customers are the only source of current and future profits for the company thus, developing systems that are customer-centered is the new norm in the business world. Traditional CRM uses internal strategies that help understand customer needs, while Social CRM uses social media platforms to manage their customers. Integrating social media and CRM has helped companies improve customer interactions and offers ways of managing and measuring social networking for successful customer engagement. This paper aims to review various studies touching on the impacts of social media CRM on large Corporations in the UK.

Conceptualising Loyalty Benefits as the Relational benefits perceived by Malaysian Automotive manufacturers

Objective - In the automotive industry, many companies look at strategic advantages in logistics to reduce costs. An enormous challenge faced by the Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) in Malaysia's automotive industry is preserving successful customer relationships. Methodology/Technique – Therefore, evaluating the most perceived criteria by logistics players in the automotive business is paramount. In this study, the companies are chosen to examine the relative importance of the three identified benefits, Special Treatment, Value Added (VAL), and Collaborative Benefits (COL), by data collected from manufacturing firms in the automotive industry. In addition, a new benefit, Loyalty Benefit (LOY), was added to the framework. Finding – The first stage of the survey involved the operational levels, i.e., The team leaders and below, to check on the relevance of the questionnaire. The second stage involved the management level or decision makers. Novelty – The contribution of the paper includes adding theoretical insight into the relationship concept that has been applied by manufacturers and LSPs and will help LSPs to perceive and understand what the manufacturers expect and how to provide the level of services that meet their expectations. Type of Paper: Empirical JEL Classification: G32, M39. Keywords: Loyalty Benefits; Logistics Service Provider; Linear Regression Writing and Investigation – M.F.S; Supervision, Methodology and Funding – S.S.R.S.; Methodology and Analysis – A.N.A; Data Collection and Analysis – N.A.M Reference to this paper should be referred to as follows: Sazali, M.F; Shariff, S.S.R; Aimran, A.N; Mohamad, N.A. (2023). Conceptualising Loyalty Benefits as the Relational benefits perceived by Malaysian Automotive Manufacturers, GATR-Global J. Bus. Soc. Sci. Review, 11(2), 26–37. https://doi.org/10.35609/gjbssr.2023.11.2(1)

Customer Service Combining Human Operators and Virtual Agents: A Call for Multidisciplinary AI Research

The use of virtual agents (bots) has become essential for providing online assistance to customers. However, even though a lot of effort has been dedicated to the research, development, and deployment of such virtual agents, customers are frequently frustrated with the interaction with the virtual agent and require a human instead. We suggest that a holistic approach, combining virtual agents and human operators working together, is the path to providing satisfactory service. However, implementing such a holistic customer service system will not, and cannot, be achieved using any single AI technology or branch. Rather, such a system will inevitably require the integration of multiple and diverse AI technologies, including natural language processing, multi-agent systems, machine learning, reinforcement learning, and behavioral cloning; in addition to integration with other disciplines such as psychology, business, sociology, economics, operation research, informatics, computer-human interaction, and more. As such, we believe this customer service application offers a rich domain for experimentation and application of multidisciplinary AI. In this paper, we introduce the holistic customer service application and discuss the key AI technologies and disciplines required for a successful AI solution for this setting. For each of these AI technologies, we outline the key scientific questions and research avenues stemming from this setting. We demonstrate that integrating technologies from different fields can lead to a cost-effective successful customer service center. The challenge is that there is a need for several communities, each with its own language and modeling techniques, different problem-solving methods, and different evaluation methodologies, all of which need to work together. Real cooperation will require the formation of joint methodologies and techniques that could improve the service to customers, but, more importantly, open new directions in cooperation of diverse communities toward solving joint difficult tasks.

Investigating the Strategic Interactions Among Gartner’s Eight Building Blocks of Successful Customer Relationship Management

Investigating the Strategic Interactions Among Gartner’s Eight Building Blocks of Successful Customer Relationship Management

Chatbots in the Service Sector: A Successful Customer Experience

The conversational approach adopted by chatbots reflects the current trend towards transparent, efficient communication. Users are more inclined to use a service that understands their language, reacts quickly and adapts to their conversational style. This can help build trust and loyalty among users, who perceive the service as friendlier and more accommodating. This article aims to deepen the understanding and importance of chatbots' conversational approach to service. A review of this research highlights the relevance of a conversational approach in this field, particularly when applied to customer service chatbots, improving user experience and motivation through the creation of more natural, responsive and personalized interactions.

Combining corporate environmental sustainability and customer experience management to build an integrated model for decision-making

PurposeThe aim of this work is to provide a theoretical model that can help companies to develop a unique approach to achieve both corporate environmental sustainability (CES) and successful customer experience management (CEM).Design/methodology/approachA two-phase study achieved the research aim. The first phase consisted of the analysis of contemporary theoretical contributions with a focus on CES and CEM. In the second phase, taking a qualitative approach, the key dimensions identified in the initial analysis were investigated to explore the dominant perceptions of practitioners and to hone the theoretical categories.FindingsFive innovative pathways emerged from the study to inform decision-making while maintaining the dual objectives of CES and successful CEM. These pathways are combined to offer a strategic tool for managers and for research advances. This original integrated model also offers six novel theoretical propositions that describe how to shape corporate decisions to achieve environmental sustainability in CEM.Research limitations/implicationsFirms can benefit from an approach that integrates CES and CEM to develop a new mindset for an innovative and valuable decision-making process and to design more captivating experiences for customers. Nevertheless, the efficacy and generalizability of the theoretical framework and propositions require empirical testing.Originality/valueThis paper makes an original contribution to the environmental sustainability and marketing literature by bringing together all elements in these fields of research in a conceptual model. Moreover, this paper proposes theoretical propositions that advance knowledge of the subject and offer ideas for future research and managers.

Using the data mining technique to predict successful customer engagement of marketing campaigns in social media

Using the data mining technique to predict successful customer engagement of marketing campaigns in social media

Using the data mining technique to predict the successful customer engagement of the marketing campaign in social media

Using the data mining technique to predict the successful customer engagement of the marketing campaign in social media

Implementation of Bootstrap Technique in Detection of Road Sign using Machine Learning

Abstract: Traffic sign recognition is a driver assistance tool that can alert and warn the driver by showing any applicable limitations on the current stretch of road. Such limitations include signs such as 'traffic light approaching' or 'walking crossing.' The present research focuses on identifying Indian road and traffic signs in real time. Real-time footage from a moving automobile is captured by a computerized camera, and genuine traffic signs are retrieved using vision data. The network is divided into three stages: one for identification and the other for classification. The first stage created and constructed hybrid colour edge detection. In stage 2, a new and successful custom feature-based technique is used for the first time in a road sign identification strategy. Finally, a multilayer Convolution Neural Network (CNN) with Graphical User Interface (GUI) is being created to identify and analyse various traffic signals. It's tricky, despite the fact that it's been tested on both traditional and nontraffic signs and passed with flying colours..

Intelligent Marketing Decision Model Based on Customer Behavior Using Integrated Possibility Theory and K-Means Algorithm

E-commerce is referred as any transaction in which the sale and purchase of goods or services takes place via the Internet and leads to the import or export of goods or services. Supply always needs demand. We need marketing to expand the demand in order to sell more services or products. Organizations need to have a good understanding of their customers and their desires in order to become succeed in business, and to get this understanding, they must use tools and techniques to measure the customer's interest. With using of data mining techniques and with the discovery of hidden and valuable knowledge of data, organizations don`t miss the opportunity to sell more and provide better customer satisfaction. The customer segmentation is one of the methods of customer recognition. This method is used when we look for groups of similar data. Segmenting is one of the most important topics in reaching modern marketing and managing successful customer relationship management. The purpose of this paper is to design an electronic marketing model using the k-mean algorithm. First, customer`s data is collected and after preparing and pre-processing data, using the k-mean algorithm, segmentation customers and future marketing strategies and recommendations are discussed and eventually using the theory of the possibility, the possibility and requirement for the proposal to be considered, and each of the recommendations or strategies are given numbers with the name of the possibility and necessity of the system output, and a more favorable proposal is obtained.

Methods of Developing a Successful Customer Satisfaction Program in an IT Organization

Methods of Developing a Successful Customer Satisfaction Program in an IT Organization

Brand Crisis and Customer Relationship Management on Social Media: Evidence from a Natural Experiment from the Airline Industry

The rise of social media platforms has created new opportunities for successful customer relationship management (CRM) activities. Compared with traditional CRM, social media–based CRM enables brands to easily and directly communicate with their customers, which can strengthen customer relationships. The public nature of social media offers an innovative way for brands to engage and manage their customer relationships, increasing brand awareness and enabling easy access to prospective customers. However, public customer engagement on social media does not come without risk. For example, negative word of mouth on social media stemming from poor customer engagement or a brand response can disseminate and reach a large audience. Despite the popularity of social media platforms as customer relationship channels, it is still unclear how a brand crisis can change a brand’s social CRM efforts. Leveraging a natural experiment setting, we investigate the impact of the United Airlines crisis on three dimensions of social CRM efforts: informativeness, timeliness, and attentiveness. Contrary to traditional CRM efforts and recommendations, we find that the brand crisis increases informativeness efforts but reduces timeliness and attentiveness efforts.