or relatively low price. True, but what
attracts the organization to the public first
is its image. There is a tendency to lose its
customers drastically if the right imagery
for your organization is not in place.
Scholars have argued that switching costs,
is one of the key moderating variable
that can significantly influence customer
loyalty through such determinants
as customer satisfaction. Businesses
operating within the service industry can
retain customers and achieve profitability
by building reciprocal relationships
founded on safeguarding and affirming
customer security, fairness and self-esteem.
It requires that companies view customers
as people first and consumers second.
Trust, commitment, ethical practices,
fulfilment of promises, mutual exchange,
emotional bonding, personalization and
customer orientation have been reported
to be the key elements in the relationship
building process. This means that the
customer derives real value from the
relationship which translates into value for
the organization in the form of enhanced
profitability,
customer
sustainability
as a result of loyalty generated by the
satisfaction of the customer over a long
period of time. Service quality and
customer satisfaction are very important
concepts that companies must understand
if they want to remain competitive and
grow.
Consumption is the sole aim of production.
This brings a question to our mind;
who consumes the product? Hence, the
importance of the consumer or customer
in the production chain cannot be over
emphasized and, therefore, there is not
just a necessary but compulsory need for
their maximum satisfaction as it will be
key to the success of any organization and
without which the day-to-day running of
the organization may be a total failure.
Customer satisfaction is an overall
customer attitude towards a service
provider, or an emotional reaction to
the difference between what customers
anticipate and what they receive,
regarding the fulfilment of some needs,
goals or desire. Customer satisfaction
has a positive effect on an organization’s
profitability; satisfied customers form
the foundation of any successful business
as customer satisfaction leads to repeat
purchase, brand loyalty, and positive
word of mouth. Additionally, satisfied
customers provide recommendations;
maintain loyalty towards the company
20 MAL32/19 ISSUE
A majority of critics of the Public Re-
lations discipline will point out that all
consumers need to be satisfied is good
quality product at a reasonable price.
True, but what attracts the organization
to the public first is its image. There is a
tendency to lose its customers drastical-
ly if the right imagery for your organi-
zation is not in place.
and customers in turn are more likely
to pay price premiums. The significance
of customer loyalty in this is that it is
closely related to the company’s continued
survival and to strong future growth.
On the other hand, dissatisfied customers
respond differently. Dissatisfied customers
may try to reduce the dissonance by
abandoning or returning the product, or
they may try to reduce the dissonance by
seeking information that might confirm
its high value.
In recent years, relationships between an
organization and its publics have been the
focal interest in PR research and practice.
PR helps cement the relationship between
customers and the organization and it
is a two-way flow of value. This means
that customer derives real value from
the relationship which translates into
value for the organization in the form of
enhanced profitability and sustainability
over a long period of time. The customer
can be satisfied by an organization when: a
good answer on problems is available; the
customer feels that he is treated well and
honestly; and a close communication has
been created between the professional and
the client.
The world has come full circle from selling
to marketing and from a seller’s market to a
buyer’s market. The customer today has the
option to buy what she thinks she should
and from whom, being in her best interest.
Product
development, technological
improvement, cost optimization and
excellent service facility are very important
for any organization but their importance
is only if the customer appreciates it.
Hence, every business begins and ends
with the customer.
Thus, service organizations are shifting
their
focus
from
“transactional
exchange” to “relational exchange”
for developing mutually satisfying
relationship with customers. Customer-
centered organizations have a superior
understanding of customers’ needs and
wants, and then translate them into the
capability to give customers what they
really need and want which relatively
transforms into customer satisfaction as it
is essential for corporate survival.
Conventionally, researchers of consumer
behavior have noticed that customers have
advanced choice making process from a
rational standpoint. This leading school
of thought views consumers as being
cognitive and, to some extent, emotional.
There is a rising need for organizations to
ensure they promote the good relationship
between them and their respective
customers as satisfied customers form
the foundation of any successful business
because customer satisfaction leads to
repeat purchase and brand loyalty.
Good customer service and good PR
have never been more aligned. One
of the quickest ways to understand an
organization’s reputation is to look at
its response to a consumer complaint. A
company can spend millions on a brand
reputation campaign, use high-powered
PR agencies, and reap the benefits of
CEO thought leadership, but if unhappy
customers hit a brick wall instead of help,
those investments may be squandered.
In the age of social media, an unhappy
customer has access to a digital megaphone
to share their anger, and most are only too
happy to use it.
As a brand, Uber - for instance - has
inherent appeal, but it also suffered bad
PR due to a slow response to emergency