Barry Berman

How to Delight Your Customers

While many researchers have made contributions to the now extensive literature on service quality, there is much less research on what constitutes delight in service quality and how organizations can delight customers. This article examines the differences between customer satisfaction and customer delight, notably the benefits of delighting rather than merely satisfying customers. It describes how to delight customers, outlines how to implement a successful customer delight program, shows how to measure customer delight, and discusses the potential pitfalls of doing so.

A guide to developing and managing a well‐integrated multi‐channel retail strategy

A well‐integrated multi‐channel format enables consumers to examine goods at one channel, buy them at another channel, and finally pick them up at a third channel. Multichannel retailing offers synergies, as it can result in an increased customer base, added revenue, and higher market share. Common characteristics of a well‐integrated retail strategy include: highly‐integrated promotions, product consistency across channels, an integrated information system that shares customer, pricing and inventory data across multiple channels, a process that enables store pick‐up for items purchased on the Web or through a catalog, and the search for multi‐channel opportunities with appropriate partners. This article provides a check‐list to enable a retailer to assess its readiness to undertake a multi‐channel strategy.

Developing an Effective Customer Loyalty Program

Despite the large number of firms offering loyalty programs and their high levels of consumer membership, many of these loyalty programs have not been successful. This article differentiates among four different types of loyalty programs and offers a series of guidelines to assist firms to develop, implement, and control an effective loyalty program. It also describes several potential pitfalls that need to be avoided.

Conceptualizing and Operationalizing the Business-to-Business Value Chain

Abstract The value chain has been the subject of considerable discussion in the literature. Most of that dialogue has centered on the value chain itself, rather than providing a more comprehensive view of the business-to-business (b-to-b) value chain. This article examines the b-to-b value chain from two vantage points. First, the paper presents a holistic model of the b-to-b value chain. This model incorporates goals, the value chain (and value delivery chain), the total delivered product, and perceived outputs (which may result in value gaps and delivery chain breakdowns). The paper then suggests techniques for operationalizing the value chain. These include a value-driven marketing checklist, a flow chart for enacting a value-driven strategy, and an approach for measuring perceived value and for making necessary strategic revisions.

The Teaching of Relationship Marketing Concepts in Undergraduate Marketing Principles and Graduate Introductory Marketing Courses

A survey was conducted that attempted to determine the extent to which both general and specific relationship marketing concepts are covered in introductory marketing classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Factors that explain differencesin the coverage of relationship marketing topics are also explored. The results indicate that relationship marketing is more likely to be discussed in depth by recently graduated faculty or by faculty with research interests in channels, sales, business-to-business, or international marketing. Recommendationsare made to improve the integration of relationship marketing into these two courses.

Usage of Microcomputer Software in AACSB-Accredited Undergraduate and Graduate Marketing Programs

This article presents the findings of a survey of AACSB-accredited undergraduate and graduate programs relating to the integration of personal computers into the marketing curriculum. This survey determines the degree of software usage, summarizes faculty evaluation of different marketing applications software, identifies areas which interfere with successful implementation, and evaluates the software acquisition process. A number of recommendations are made to improve microcomputer software integration.

Gray markets: past, present, and future

This article conducts a literature review on three gray market areas: strategy, legal issues, and consumer behavior. Previous gray market strategy-based articles do not discuss the impact of the Web on gray market activity, limit their analysis to international gray markets, and do not identify situations where gray market activity is profitable for a manufacturer and its authorized resellers. Like the strategy-based articles, the legal issue-based articles confine their discussion to international gray markets. A current US Supreme Court case that expands the potential for gray market activity is discussed. The third research stream focuses on the impact of brand image and brand equity and the relationship of perceived risk and gray market acceptance by consumers. The authors develop an overall strategy for dealing with gray market activity based on balancing positive and negative issues. In some cases, it is prudent for manufacturers and resellers to view gray markets as an alternative strategy to private labels, second-tier brands, or fighting brands. In other instances, firms need to explore supply- and demand-based strategies to deter gray market activity. Alternative organization formats for gray market surveillance and control are discussed. Difficulties associated with conducting gray market research as well as directions for future research in gray markets are covered.