PUBLIC RELATIONS
Great PR And Customer Experience Key To Business Survival
By Irene Mbonge
While there may be many varying answers as to why human beings exist , there may be only one answer to why business organizations exist . A smart economist may generate diverse answers to this one simple question but all will boil down to one point - that organizations exist because of the customer . All activities , of every organization , are targeted towards satisfying a group or groups of people termed as consumers or customers .
Quite often , the difference between organizations that merely survive in business and those that flourish ; lies in keeping up-to-date , and fine-tuning to the dynamics of attitudes and prospects in the market place .
One of these changes has been the major change in attitudes of customers over the years . There was a time when customers were less critical and vocal if not totally oblivious to their rights when dealing with a business . This was the time when the choices available on where and who to deal with were limited . The power belonged to the business owner , customers had nowhere else to go and , therefore , customer satisfaction was not so important . Today ’ s business terrain presents a completely opposite scenario to those days of yore .
Today , corporations face their hardest rivalry , because they must move from a product and sales viewpoint to a marketing philosophy that will - in turn , give the company a healthier chance of beating competition . This is because customers have become increasingly more demanding , less tolerant and very critical when not having their hopes met as they have a lot of choices on where and who to deal with . As a result the power has now shifted to the customer . If they feel you cannot satisfy their expectations , they will simply leave and deal with someone who will .
What a customer wants from an organization is one important issue that every business must keenly address . Assuming you go to a restaurant to eat . The waitress comes with a smile to attend to you . You go to another eatery that happens to be bigger than the former and you meet a stern waitress who is all about her business . There is a tendency for you to return to the small cafeteria in future . The smile alone , speaking in psychological terms , gives you not just an internal satisfaction but also generates a sense of belonging for the customer . Various factors affect customer satisfaction . Such factors include friendly employees , courteous employees , knowledgeable
Customers have become increasingly more demanding , less tolerant and very critical when not having their hopes met as they have a lot of choices on where and who to deal with . As a result the power has now shifted to the customer . If they feel you cannot satisfy their expectations , they will simply leave and deal with someone who will . employees , helpful employees , accuracy of billing , billing timeliness , competitive pricing , service quality , good value , billing clarity and quick service .
A consumer ’ s buying behavior is influenced by cultural , social , personal and psychological factors . Having a personal relationship with consumers generates an intimate relationship with them . The customer , in such a case , is often ready to generate dialogue on and relatively pardon short comings of the product of the organization if it arises .
A majority of critics of the Public Relations ( PR ) discipline will point out that all consumers need to be satisfied is good quality product at a reasonable and / or relatively low price . True , but what attracts the organization to the public first is its image . There is a tendency to lose customers drastically if the right image for your organization is not in place . Scholars have argued that switching costs is one of the key moderating variables 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 selfesteem . It requires that companies view customers as people first and consumers second .
Trust , commitment , ethical practices , fulfilment of promises , mutual exchange , brand 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
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