J&S mini supermarket - Research Proposal Example

Their main problems lie in the fact that they don't have the resources (enough staff) to offer a good service to their clients. This means that they have not been able to pay attention to building relationships with their customers. Relationship marketing is defined as "a marketing method in which businesses consistently maintain two-way communication with their prospective, current and inactive customers in order to gain a deeper understanding of their needs while delivering personal and compelling marketing throughout their lifecycle"(Vtrenz,2004:4).

It involves understanding the customers' needs as they go through their life cycles, and one of its central concepts is customer retention.(Wikipedia, 2005) At J & S, customers are hard to retain because once they have experienced a bad service, they seldom come back. In order to start building relationships with their clients, this business must get to know them; who are their clients, what are their needs. This can be done by several ways. From the basic observation technique (e.g. noticing their shopping patterns); to applying mini surveys while they wait in line to pay.

The point is to get to know them better. It is useful to observe things like: With this information, you . With this information, you might be able to offer valuable services to the clients such as free parking (and/or parking space for bikes), weekly offers and promotions, etc. The point is to design a strategy that fits the customers' lifestyles and needs.Focusing on the customers' needsOne of the main things the clients need at this convenient store is to be able to find their products easily.

This can be done; first, by re-organizing the store's layout so that the access and flow through the locale is easy. Then, by using clear signs in the aisles and throughout the that help the customers find what they need (and their prices). Customers shouldn't feel left alone in their task of shopping their groceries. It should be made a pleasurable experience instead of a hassle. Hiring new staff for the purpose of aiding and guiding the customer is the most important action to be taken by this convenient store.

Their job is to be available to the clients, to have the information about the products, about where they are located, and about new products. They should wear a distinctive uniform, perhaps a good suggestion is that they wear T-shirts or vests with a legend such as "Ask me if you have any questions" or "I'm here to help you".The clerk should salute and ask the client "Did you find all that you were looking for" before they pay, and thank them for shopping there before they leave the store. All these little details count.

They will make the customer feel special and it is likely that he/she will return because the service was good and focused on the client.In the store, machines to verify the price should be available at the end of each aisle, and a person should be responsible for checking the aisles for missing prices tags, and misplaced products.Extra