Customer Relationships
Nordstrom, Inc. has long enjoyed a reputation for providing superior customer service. This paper examines Nordstrom strategies that the retailer employs to build customer relationships and promote customer loyalty.

Nordstrom is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 204 stores that are located in 28 states. It was founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, and today operates 115 full-line stores, 86 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques, and one clearance store. Nordstrom also serves its customers through its website and through its catalogs (Gonzales, 2).

Nordstrom's business strategy has been called "greed through love" (deFelice). The 110-year-old retailer owes its success to customer-friendly policies that are well-known, widely admired, and frequently imitated in the U.S. retail industry. Nordstrom employees work to form customer relationships, and the company is known to have one of the most customer friendly merchandise return policies in the global retail industry (Farfan, 1).

In…...

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Works Cited

Brzozowski, Len. "Customer Service: A Culture, Not a Department." 2011. Xavier University. 20 April 2011. <  http://www.xavier.edu/xlc/about/Customer-Service-A-Culture,-Not-a-Department.cfm >

DeFelice, Alexandra. "A Century of Customer Love." 2005. DestinationCRM.com. 20 April 2011. <  http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=42958 >

Farfan, Barbara. "Customer-centric Choices Lead Nordstrom From Distress to Success." 2010. About.com. 20 April 2011. < http://retailindustry.about.com/od/retailtrendsetters/ig/2010-U.S.-Retail-Store-Openings/Nordstrom-2010-Store-Openings.htm>

Gonzales, Kristen. "Nordstrom announces beneficiaries for Christiana Mall store opening gala." 2010. Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Solutions. 16 December 2010.

Customer elationship Management
Over the last several years, customer relationship management (CM) has become an area which is helping firms to reduce costs and increase productivity. This is because it is focusing on offering small, medium and large sized businesses with number of solutions to streamline their operations. While at the same time, they are utilizing technology to integrate various solutions together. The most notable include: technical support, sales, marketing and customer service. (Brookings, 2013) (Buttle, 2012)

These areas are helping firm to reduce their costs and more effectively understand what is most important to their customers. This is when they can introduce products and services which are most in demand. These objectives are achieved by creating a single platform and adapting to the organization itself. This offers a firm with a customized solution (via the Internet) that assists them in understanding cliental and the marketplace. (Brookings, 2013) (Buttle, 2012)

Evidence of this…...

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References

A Smarter Approach to CRM. (2011). IBM. Retrieved from:  http://www-935.ibm.com/services/us/gbs/alliances/microsoft/images/SMW03042WWEN.PDF 

Brookings, M. (2013). What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of CRM? Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from:  http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-crm-43395.html 

Buttle, F. (2012). Customer Relationship Management. New York, NY: Routledge.

Lawson, L. (2013). Just the Stats. IT Business Edge. Retrieved from:  http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/blogs/lawson/just-the-stats-the-sad-sad-state-of-crm-integration/?cs=50900

Customer elationships
Managing relationships is one of the critical success factors in managing sales. What form might relationships between selling organisations and customers take?

There are many forms that relationships taken between selling organizations and customers. The most critical determinant of how the relationships and selling organizations is the business model of the company itself. For those companies whose business models are predicated on solving complex, intricate problems for customers, direct selling relationships are the most common. The reliance on a consultative, relationship-based selling strategy is often used by companies whose business models focus on complex, challenging problems other businesses have. This approach to selling often puts the role of being a trusted advisor at the center of the selling relationship strategies (Czerniawska, 2005).

In companies who have products that rely primarily on price and availability, the selling relationship are focused on direct selling, persuasive selling, and price-based selling (Leibowitz, 2010).

The relationships between…...

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References

Fiona Czerniawska. (2005). The New Business Consulting Landscape. Consulting to Management, 16(4), 3-6.

Leibowitz, J.. (2010). Rediscovering the art of selling. The McKinsey Quarterly,(2), 117.

Customer relationship management (CM) is an essential component of organizational management. The purpose of this discussion is to focus on a CM strategy for United Behavioral Health a subsidiary of United Health Care . . United Behavioral Health is dedicated to presenting customers with high quality, cost-effective, managed mental health and substance abuse services to its customers. The investigation suggests that the company's core values have been successfully implemented into the company's CM Strategy. The current CM strategy utilizes technology to allow customers to voice their opinions. Currently the company's website ubhweb.uhc.com provides a page that offers help to members that are experiencing problems. In addition, it provides customers with "coaches" that can help whenever problems arise. The company's customers are currently divided into three different groups; the employer division, the health plan division and the public sector. We found testimonials of customers who were extremely satisfied with the care…...

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REFERENCES

Your Customers are Speaking To You. Do You Hear Them? 2002. 2 December 2004

 http://www.jandlmarketing.com/pages/articles/article13.html 

Gupta S. Binggeli U., Poomes C.D., CRM in the Air. The McKinsey Quarterly. Page Number: 6+.

Jacobs F.A., Claire Kamm Latham, Choongseop Lee. 1998. The Relationship of Customer Satisfaction to Strategic Decisions. Journal of Managerial Issues. Volume: 10. Issue: 2. Page Number: 165+.

Once contractors and employees recognize that CUTCO is interested in making changes, they will willingly provide the company with the information they need to better understand what the customers want and need, and how they can best meet their need. When people talk poorly of a company, customers will hear this news much more quickly than they will hear about the positive gains the company has made or intends to make. When people talk negatively word spreads much quicker. Because of this, CUTCO needs to make amends to the individuals it wronged, and provide an accurate description of its practices so it can begin building a strong customer base. Once CUTCO does this, it can then concentrate on its brand. CUTCO already has a good branding strategy; they must simply ensure this strategy aligns with their objectives and the objectives of the people and contractors working with and for them.…...

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References

Alcas Corporation. (2007) CUTCO Cutlery: Company Info, Alcas Corp, Retrieved November 27, 2007:  http://www.cutco.com/company/companyInfo.jsp 

ConsumerAffairs.Com Inc. (2007) "Students Sue Knife Promoters,"

ConsumerAffairs.Com Inc., Retrieved November 27, 2007:

 http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/vector01.html

But in a world that changes so drastically in such short periods of time and in a market filled with fierce competition and customers which change and increase their needs on daily basis, achieving customer loyalty is quite difficult; ergo, Apple's need to develop and implement better and stronger CM policies.
Current Features of Apple's CM

Given the specific nature of their businesses and the fact that after the purchase has been completed, several customers need additional services, the Apple Corporation encourages all current and potential customers to address their questions and complaints to an Apple representative. The corporate website contains detailed information on how customers can contact a service support department within both Canada and the United States.

In addition, for a specified fee, Apple customers can benefit from AppleCare, a service of extended support for the Apple products. There are large numbers of Apple customers who declare themselves extremely satisfies…...

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References

Hafner, K., August 23, 2007, at&T Overstuffed iPhone Bills Annoy Customers the New York Times

Lyons, C., 1993, Disk-based, interactive marketing yields greater response rates, Business Perspectives, Volume 6

Payne, a., 2006, Handbook of CRM: Achieving Excellence Through Customer Management, Elsevier Science and Technology Books, ISBN: 9780750664370

CRM = Customer's don't Really Matter, IntelliNova,   accessed on February 21, 2008http://intellinova.com/crm/crm-customers-dont-really-matter/last 

Profitable Customer Relationships
Until about two years ago I was a long-suffering customer of Sprint. During the time I subscribed to their service, there just always seemed to be a problem that needed resolution: Billing disputes over services I didn't subscribe to. Dropped calls even though I lived within their alleged coverage area. Expensive calling plans. Customer service people who weren't empowered to tie their shoelaces. I could not wait for my contract to expire so I could switch to another cell phone carrier and be abused by them instead.

So in preparation for writing this paper, I googled cell phone customer satisfaction surveys, and which company is right there at the top? None other than Sprint. For a moment I thought I must have misspelled Sprint. S-P-R-I-N-T. But no, there they were. Just to be sure I wasn't hallucinating, I looked at older surveys, and there was the aha moment. In…...

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Hamilton, Glen. The Top Ten Customer Service Principles. 2011. Retrieved on 19 April, 2011.

The Marriott Management Philosophy. Marriott website. 2011.Retrieved on 19 April, 2011 from

Luna, Lynette. "Latest customer satisfaction survey ranks Sprint at all-time low." 20 May, 2008.

I think it is very important to create and maintain profitable customer relationships for any business, no matter how large or small. Some companies seem to think they have a monopoly on goods or service, and so they do not have to offer good customer service. I think in the end, no matter what the product is, companies who do not truly respect their customers will not last. People want to be treated decently, with respect, and as if their patronage matters, no matter who they are or what their needs are. Creating profitable customer relationships recognizes these needs, and is a win-win situation for any organization. Big organizations such as McDonald's or Home Depot (just as an example), often seem to have grown so big they forget this, and so people become "things" when they deal with them. I think that is wrong, and I will attempt to avoid…...

Effects of CM on the Hospitality Industry

At a very strategic level, CM has made the hospitality industry much more attuned to the preferences, wants and needs of guests. It has also created a more responsive industry by capturing the needs of customers more efficiently and economically than was ever possible before. Specific areas that have changed the most include more of a focus on making multichannel strategies, from websites to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, more responsive to the needs of the guest to provide feedback (Lim, Saldana, Saldana, Zegarra, 2011). There are also more effective analytics being used than ever before, creating greater insights into guest's patterns of purchasing not only accommodations but amenities as well (Phillips, Louvieris, 2005). CM's effect on the hospitality industry is very significant, bringing a strong customer orientation to the industry and also giving hoteliers and service providers much greater insights into how…...

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References

Ivanovic, S., Mikinac, K., & Perman, L. (2011). Crm development in hospitality companies for the purpose of increasing the competitiveness in the tourist market. UTMS Journal of Economics, 2(1), 59-68.

Lim, S., Saldana, a.Z., Saldana, P.E., & Zegarra. (2011). Do market oriented firms adopt web 2.0 technologies? An empirical study in hospitality firms. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 7(4), 465-477.

Murphy, J., Olaru, D., Schegg, R., & Frey, S. (2003). The bandwagon effect: Swiss hotels web-site and e-mail management. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 44(1), 71-87.

Phillips, P., & Louvieris, P. (2005). Performance measurement systems in tourism, hospitality, and leisure small medium-sized enterprises: A balanced scorecard perspective. Journal of Travel Research, 44(2), 201-211.

In contrast, Harley-Davidson is selling more of an experience and also a lifestyle change. For Harley, the open road and freedom is the catalyst of their unique value proposition. For Dunkin' Donuts, the trust they have created and sustain makes them a perfect choice for millions of consumers rushing to work in the morning who may have skipped breakfast at home. Harley-Davidson is all about a lifestyle change and freedom while Dunkin' Donuts has become a trusted source of excellent coffee, bakery items and excellent service.

American Express Video

After viewing the American Express video, can you identify a card that might fit your needs?

The Optima card which allows a card holder to carry a balance would be best, as the work I do has unequal payment dates. Freelance work pays irregularly so the Optima card would work best.

Also describe a credit card that you have. Is the credit card specifically for…...

1. Should Carnival do “CRM?” Carnival should definitely do CRM. Carnival obtained its identity as the “fun ship” when its maiden voyage ran onto a sandbar: the management team turned the disaster into a enjoyable experience for passengers by opening the bar for them. It was an inspired reaction to a difficult situation—and it helped to earn the cruise line its reputation.

However, having developed over the decades and become a mid-tier line (neither on the cheap nor on the expensive side—though it does offer an experience that competes just as well against any of the luxury brands), Carnival wants to expand its services to the untapped market in North America—i.e., all the people who have never been on a cruise before. To attract those customers and get one-time cruise customers to become repeat customers, CRM is necessary.

CRM is customer relationship management and it is data-dependent. That means it requires some assistance…...

VW on CM
Customer elationship Management (CM) highlights the significance of the ability of companies in managing customer relations, current and future ones (Kumar & einartz, 2012). The concept occurs as a win-win for customers and companies. Customers benefit with desirable customer service delivery. On the other hand, companies can capitalize on the opportunities in customer-company interaction to enlighten the customer on new products and services. CM occurs as the foundation of contemporary marketing strategy utilized by companies. It is crucial to pay attention to the aspect of CM as it carries benefits and demerits alike.

Lack of a proper design plan of the CM that relies on company objectives could see the company lose companies, current and prospective ones. The success of the CM depends on three elements of People, Process, and Technology. Out of the three, people occur as the most critical element. The aspect of Process describes how…...

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References

Buttle, F. & Maklan, S. (2015). Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Technologies. New York: Routledge

Kumar, V. & Reinartz, W. (2012). Customer Relationship Management: Concept, Strategy, and Tools. New York: Springer Science & Business Media

Bloomberg Business (2015, July 20). Volkswagen China Sales Decline for First Time Since 2005. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved from  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-29/man-camp-exodus-spurs-real-estate-crisis-across-u-s-shale-towns 

CNN Money (2015, July 29). World's biggest carmaker is worried about China. CNN Money. Retrieved from  http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/29/news/companies/autos-china-volkswagen/

This is significant, because it allows a particular restaurant to use this technology to improve the customer experience by: creating a unique solution that will reach out to everyone. Over the course of time, this will help them to be able to build their brand image, while being able to maintain a low cost structure in achieving these different objectives. The information for understanding how and when this applies was located through the source titled Making Customer Relationship Management Work (2001). It was found based upon the specific background reading that we were required to look at as a part of the assignment itself. ("Making Customer Relationship Management Work," 2001)
When it comes to in house CRM solutions, many large corporations that have information that they need to protect will often utilize this kind of platform. For example, a large bank will more than likely have some kind of onsite…...

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Bibliography

Barclays Bank PLC. (2009). Microsoft. Retrieved from: http://crm.dynamics.com/en-us/featured-customers/case-study-details?casestudyid=4000004155&title=Barclays-Bank-PLC

CRM. (2011). Webopedia. Retrieved from:  http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/C/CRM.html 

Making Customer Relationship Management Work. (2001). University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved from:  http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=390&CFID=36709485&CFTOKEN=96362038&jsessionid=9a30fd71d42e213b6970

Generally, the principal means of achieving that essential integration of functions is through modern data information systems capable of storing relevant information and connecting it in ways that are conducive to promoting sales opportunities. In addition to the functions of information storage and processing, technology also provides a degree of automation that allows the easy accommodation of processes that would be either extremely difficult and time-consuming or completely overwhelming if they were performed by human beings repetitively and one task at a time (Russell-Walling, 2007).

Personal Experiences with CRM Issues

My only experience with CRM systems was within an organization that was not particularly successful at maximizing their potential. The new system was installed and employees received demonstrations of the available capabilities, but only one or two functions was ever fully exploited. The organization treated the CRM system more as a one-time IT initiative and less as a new way of integrating…...

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Sources Consulted

Kinicki, A. And Williams, B. (2005). Management: A Practical Approach. New York:

McGraw-Hill.

Robinson, R.A. "Quick Study: Customer Relationship Management (CRM)" Computer

World Magazine, February 28, 2000. Accessed 2 Aug 2011, from:

Lastly differentiating on the extent of experience our customers have had with Internet-based software is useful in defining how much extra time is necessary for software application training.
Discuss your efforts to create customer intimacy.

As our company relies intensively on long-term relationships with customers, taking a very active approach to creating customer intimacy is critical to our business. Our approach is to first concentrate on total accountability for our software by having our CEO visit each and every customer just after an installation to show a high degree of support and accountability. Next, we offer each customer the opportunity to join a customer advisory council specific to their industry and special interests. At present there are three customer advisory councils which give customers an opportunity to discuss their concerns, interested in new product ideas and see what is presently in development.

How will you customize your offering for particular customers?

Our software…...

I. Introduction
A. Background information on the salon industry in Kidapawan City
B. Importance of customer relationship management skills in the business performance of salons
C. Purpose of the study

II. Literature Review
A. Definition of customer relationship management
B. Benefits of effective customer relationship management
C. Relationship between customer relationship management skills and business performance in salons
D. Studies on the importance of customer relationship management skills in the beauty industry

III. Methodology
A. Research design
B. Data collection methods
C. Sample selection
D. Data analysis techniques

IV. Results
A. Overview of the salon industry in Kidapawan City
B. Analysis of customer....

I. Introduction (200 words)
A. Background and Context: Provide a brief overview of the salon industry in Kidapawan City, highlighting its importance to the local economy and employment. Discuss the significance of customer relationship management skills in driving business performance in this competitive market.
B. Thesis Statement: Clearly state the central argument or hypothesis of the essay, which should focus on the positive correlation between customer relationship management skills and business performance in salons in Kidapawan City.

II. Literature Review (300 words)
A. Define and Discuss CRM Skills: Explain key concepts and theories related to customer relationship management skills, drawing upon relevant academic literature....

Introduction

Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses and individuals store, access, and process data. With its vast range of capabilities and benefits, cloud computing has become an integral part of modern technology. This essay topic generator provides a comprehensive list of thought-provoking topics related to cloud computing, covering its technical foundation, applications, security implications, and future prospects.

Technical Foundation of Cloud Computing

The Evolution of Cloud Computing: Trace the historical development of cloud computing from its inception to present-day advancements.
Cloud Computing Architecture: Explain the layered architecture of cloud computing, including infrastructure, platform, and software as a service (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
....

1. Analyzing Nestle's diversification strategy: How has Nestle expanded its product portfolio and entered new markets to drive growth and increase market share?

2. The role of acquisitions and mergers in Nestle's corporate strategy: Discuss how Nestle has used M&A activities to drive growth, acquire new capabilities, and enter new markets.

3. Examining Nestle's sustainability strategy: How has Nestle incorporated sustainability and ethical practices into its corporate strategy to create long-term value and achieve competitive advantage?

4. Evaluating Nestle's global expansion strategy: How has Nestle expanded its international presence and adapted its business model to different markets and cultural contexts?

5. The impact of....