Macquarie University

Customer Relationship Management - MKTG308

Conventional marketing theory and corporate mission statements lead us to believe that today's organisations should understand and serve customers well. The reality of our experiences as customers is often quite different; conflicting goals, the interests of stakeholders, and even traditional management theory all conspire to ensure that customers are left wondering why they "can't get no satisfaction" (Mick Jagger, 1965). In this unit we explore what customer relationship management (CRM) is really about, and present a proven, managerially-relevant approach to succeeding with CRM programs. CRM normally requires software implementation, but more importantly it involves the alignment of strategy, people, processes and information technology with a strategic focus on customers in order to succeed. Key topics include: customer strategies; customer value; loyalty; experience; life cycle management; sales force automation; marketing automation; service automation; customer profitability; benchmarking; and program implementation. The project in this unit allows students to conduct some simple research based on experience with various organisations.