B100 An Introduction to Business and Management (B206)
Essay
B206 TMA 01 Understanding Customers
68 views 1 purchase
Course
B100 An Introduction to Business and Management (B206)
Institution
The Open University (OU)
How might an understanding of customer behaviour improve your exchanges with your customers?
This question asks you to apply what you have learned in Block 1 to your own situation to improve the benefits you create for, and get from, your customers.
B100 An Introduction to Business and Management (B206)
All documents for this subject (1)
Seller
Follow
chloejackson-nott
Content preview
B206 Understanding Customers TMA 01 Chloe Jackson-Nott
K2628294
970 words
Understanding behaviour will improve the exchange between customers.
Theorists such as Bagozzi, and Wilkie and Moore have researched how this is the case,
but to answer this question looking at one or two of these will help to understand
different views and opinions. Also factoring in customer experience management by
looking at Homburg and how his views can help answer this question.
Throughout my working life there were many different types of customers
whether that be working in retail, hospitality or teaching. Each of these employments
included an exchange between staff and customer. Bagozzi defines the exchange as
the giving and receiving of a benefit for a benefit. Most of us would see this as the
benefit being something of value or money. When thinking of the word ‘customer’ my
first thought is transactional as most of my experience has been serving customers
using a till where money is exchanged. Considering my experience as a bartender,
ensuring I understood the customer behaviour would improve the exchange in this case.
The typical customer who enters a bar is there for a few drinks so small things such as
remembering their order, recognising them from a time before, or simply engaging in
conversation whilst pouring their drinks improves the customer service and provides
them with a positive experience. Even though in the sense that this would be classed as
a standard customer, in my own opinion after a while there becomes more of an
acquaintanceship between them and the staff serving. This opinion is like Homburg et
al. (2017) who argue that the customer experience management is the most relevant
way of pursuing long-term loyalty. Customer service is paramount. As a bartender,
many regular customers would come in and out day after day which gave the staff
opportunity to learn more about them and vice versa. One of the most regular
customers would always purchase a few extra drinks at the end of the night to treat the
staff serving him as he could see they were working long hard shifts. This to me would
be classed as a more personal exchange as the benefit for the customer is great
service and the benefit for the staff is a drink to unwind instead of the classic benefit
being money entering the business.
Recognising which touchpoints matter will also improve the exchange. As the
internet is becoming more of a way of shopping, most people would prefer the process
to be as efficient as possible. Looking at my own behaviour, my preference would
always be going online to get an issue resolved or purchase a product quickly than
speaking to someone on the phone or face to face. During my time at a call centre the
goal was to sell insurance effectively but also maintain that customer service by building
rapport. Buying insurance can occur online or over the phone and we noticed most
people would purchase online but due to incorrect information entered on a quote the
site would ask them to call through to the office. This was then our opportunity to keep
the customer engaged and understand what they needed help with. For example, one
of my customers was slightly aggravated that they needed to call through due to a
driving license error so had to do my best to ensure not to aggravate them more and
only touch upon what was relevant without introducing the hard sales element; almost
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller chloejackson-nott. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $39.63. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
