Achieving Customer Satisfaction in Business Relationships - Case Study Example

Consumer Behavior Students Name Institution Consumer Behavior Consumer behavior can be defined as the process that is involved when people selects, use, purchase, and dispose of services, goods, ideas, or even experiences to satisfy their desires and needs (Berenguer, Cervera & Gil, 2008). It is normally interested with the buying behavior of people who use the purchased products. The consumer behavior study builds on general human behavior understanding. When thinking about the consumption motives, it is important to understand that a person who stands in purchase background and relevant consumption decisions have numerous overlapping and alternative roles (Bolton, Gustafsson, McColl-Kennedy, Sirianni & Tse, 2014). The different roles of customers bring changes to design and management of social campaign whereby the businesses are focusing on the consumer (Berenguer, Cervera & Gil, 2008). It is hard to foretell what will all consumers do and the exact thing that will motivate them to take a specific action. In reality, a sole consumer is perceived as a mix of various aspects and roles are normally activated in dissimilar situations. The different roles played by Consumers The consumer as a Productive Resource Most researchers have found that may service industries perceived customers as their partial workers (Berenguer, Cervera & Gil, 2008). This perception increases organizations service boundaries to informative service recipients as temporary members or participants. The contribution of consumers requires recognition affecting the organization's productivity (Bolton et al. 2014). For instance, when a client or a potential customer explains his or her needs, they contribute to important information, which helps a company to enhance its services. Similarly, when the client follows the set guidelines such as those of swimming; there will be reduced expenses, which are associated with dealing with causalities. Participation of consumers in service encounter raises several issues in an organization. For, instance, when the consumer is involved in the quality and quantity of production, most studies hold that the delivery systems should not be included from inputs of clients to reduce uncertainties which can be brought about by the customer in the production process (Bolton et al. 2014). When there is less contact between customer and service producer, the systems will operate more efficiently. For example, the introduction of online shopping reduces customer contact enhancing efficiency and reducing costs. Customer as Competitors A consumer can act as a competitor to business. In most cases, customers will make a choice to purchase to produce a service for themselves, fully or in part (Bolton et al. 2014). Such an act by the consumers is beneficial since it makes consumers feel part of the businesses and in the process, their will have a sense of belonging (Berenguer, Cervera & Gil, 2008). Consequently, customer loyalty, there will be increased referrals and sales in the business. This makes competitors to a company. The consumers may wash their clothes in a restaurant, and in the process denying a business some revenue. Consumer as a citizen A long tradition of collective and individual consumer activism or citizenship around the world has different firms: legal cases campaigns, whistleblowing, education, and direct action. A powerful tension between consumer concepts and citizen where the two act in different roles exists: that is, as citizens and as consumers (Bolton et al. 2014). The acts of people as consumers should not be detached from their actions as country’s citizens, in particular when it comes to the sustainability. As consumers, people use short-term orientation to act in a manner that enhances direct fulfillment of their wants and needs without sustainability consideration. Because they are citizens, their actions are always guided by the long-term orientation where a person considers the environmental matters and tries to show responsibility towards others (Berenguer, Cervera & Gil, 2008). The citizen concept means that both balance and control over duties and rights and the people's active orientation. Again, in their roles as citizens, people are required to have a moral standpoint when they are making decisions. The emergence of the word citizen has emerged partially in connection to environmentalism. The environmental citizenship involves the emergence of what has been discussed about a citizen as a consumer, an active person who feels no fear defending the majority rights and who is ready to evaluate the various moral questions and alternatives when making a choice (Berenguer, Cervera & Gil, 2008). S/he understands acts and cares about relevant responsibility towards the environment. Environmental citizenship requires people to be responsible towards the environment and take part in the informative directives by the government to reduce climate change. The consumer acts as a chooser The consumerist culture has a choice as a core value. The rationale behind this is that when it is better to have more choice as it benefits the consumers, society, and economy (Berenguer, Cervera & Gil, 2008). The consumer is provided with a variety of choices in the market meaning that he or she will have to make a rational choice or select from sellers who fully fulfill their desires and needs. This act of consumers is important in consuming behavior because it is the one that will determine if purchase products form the business or not (Bolton et al. 2014). The businesses will all be waiting and anticipate that consumers will prefer them to their competitors and purchase their products increasing profit margins. However, this has shortcomings. For instance, consumers who make choices during purchases with no relevant information may purchase wrong or unwanted products. Difference between Customer as a citizen and consumer as a productive source The customer as a citizen will always be concerned with his or her duties to the nation of a country. The customer will make sure that his or actions are not contrary to what the citizenship requires of him or her (Berenguer, Cervera & Gil, 2008). They will try to understand if the business engages in sustainability programs of conserving the environment, as it is required. Business, which is no taking part in issues such as pollution control, and environmental conservation will receive backlash from consumers. Such might lead to devastating effects like the collapse of the business because of reduced or lack of market. On the other hand, when a customer is perceived as productive resources, he or she is seen as an employee of the company in a sense (Bolton et al. 2014). The business may require the consumers to provide some relevant information, which helps the organization in changing its strategy and enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction. Zara Company Zara is a mid-produce lifestyle brand, which manages to maintain a consumer base, which successfully spans ages, geographical and socioeconomic boundaries. With the employment of a ubiquitous brand culture and cultural intermediaries, Zara has managed to sustain its brand, which is competitive with the luxury brands of today. The Zara’s consumer is a cosmopolitan, fashion conscious and even a sophisticated woman (Greener, Powell & Simmons, 2009). The economy has a mix classic and trendy pieces, which are copied from the runway shows and lone of general pieces for every season. The customers of Zara must understand the trends and be ready to hunt for them. In Zara Company, most reviews are no already positive. The company is committed to enhancing service quality by making sure that issues affecting customers are addressed in time. The employee-customer relationship is excellent since the Zara workers have skills and knowledge to enhance the style used in communicating with customers (Forbes, 2016). The workers understand the role of the customers as activists and citizens, and they strive to be diplomatic, assure the customers, avoid abrupt changes, and avoid criticism. Furthermore, the business deals with factors that may create dissatisfaction such as messy environment, overpricing and environmental pollution. The professionalism or workers when it comes to understanding the roles of consumers during purchasing has made Zara excel at the satisfaction of customers by investing deep understanding of clients’ needs through engaging and consulting them (Hansen, 2012). The advice they get is important to improve the firm’s weaknesses. Moreover, the business measures customer satisfaction regularly by asking questions in delivery areas, access timelines, and quality of clothes. When the company analyses the customer’s experiences, the strategy is changed to enhance customer satisfaction. References Batra, S. K., & Kazmi, S. H. H. (2008). Consumer behaviour: Text and cases. New Delhi: Excel Books. Berenguer, G., Cervera, A., & Gil, I. (2008). Industrial Marketing Management. The roles of service encounters, service value, and job satisfaction in achieving customer satisfaction in business relationships, 921-939. Bolton, R. N., Gustafsson, A., McColl-Kennedy, J., Sirianni, N. J., & Tse, D. K. (2014). Journal of Service Management. Small details that make Big Diffrences: a radical approach to consumption experience as firm's diffrentiating strategy, 253-274. Forbes, (2016). Forbes Welcome. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/companies/zara/ [Accessed 23 Dec. 2016]. Greener, I., Powell, M. A., & Simmons, R. (2009). The consumer in public services: Choice, values and difference. Bristol: Policy Press. Hansen, S. (2012). How Zara Grew Into the World’s Largest Fashion Retailer. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/magazine/how-zara-grew-into-the-worlds-largest-fashion-retailer.html [Accessed 23 Dec. 2016]. Read More