Maintaining and managing relationships with customers are tied directly to the financial
well-being of a business. Customer relations is a methodology utilized by businesses to engage
with consumers to obtain information that will improve the overall experience of the customer,
as well as focus on customer satisfaction in order to build customer loyalty. Due to the amount of
influence possessed by today's consumers, businesses feel the pressure to invest in their customer
service teams and meet the ever-rising demands of consumers. Businesses are now emphasizing
a focus on the way they manage their customer relationships, with the goal of creating a mutually
beneficial relationship with consumers that extends beyond the initial point of purchase (Kotler
et al., 2021).
The assigned textbook discusses using a more personalized approach through
customization to enhance the service experience that is being provided to consumers, this entails
abandoning the usual mass marketing strategy and taking a unique and personal when managing
the information and interactions between the business and consumers (Kotler et al., 2021).
Another source elaborates on the different faces of mass customization, this focuses on
creating products that satisfy the needs of individual customers without compromising the
business. The four categories of mass customization involve collaborative customization,
cosmetic customization, adaptive customization, and transparent customization. This allows for
an organization to customize the packaging, marketing, and cosmetics, or even simply create a
product that inherently adapts to its environment.
Although
each approach is different, this
doesn't mean they can't be used in conjunction with each other
(Gilmore & Pine II, 2014).
The organization where I am currently employed has structured its customer service
model and management around the idea that the needs of the patient come first, therefore the
organization has represented a new front in healthcare customer service that fosters a culture that
exceeds customer expectations and earns deep loyalty from both customers and employees. The
organization has created a department designated to patient experience which handles and
addresses customers' reported issues, as well as compliments. In addition, the organization
recently developed a department called the voice of the customer (VOC) which is solely
responsible for developing innovative ideas and strategies to enhance the overall patient
experience, such as enabling customers to serve themselves, improve accessibility, measure
customer satisfaction, demonstrate appreciation for customers, providing customer
empowerment, and much more. This allows for the building of long-term relationships with
customers and establishes brand loyalty.
Reference
Gilmore, J., & Pine II, B. J. (2014, August 1).
The four faces of mass customization
. Harvard
Business Review. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from
https://hbr.org/1997/01/the-four-
faces-of-mass-customization
Kotler, P., Keller, K. L., & Chernev, A. (2021).
Marketing management
(16th ed.). Pearson.
