WHILE Iunderstand that Liz Bird was communicating the future importance of customer relationship management (Travel Weekly November 30) she is way off the mark in suggesting that any business can ever ‘own’ a customer!
Customer purchasing activity may be influenced by marketing techniques and customer loyalty by the quality of service and product delivery but no business will ever own a customer.
On the Internet, Liz Bird’s example, the balance of power shifts to the customer as they control the ‘pull’ of product information required compared with traditional marketing channels which ‘push’ information to customers. So although Iagree that customer relationship management will play an increasingly important role in the new marketing world as the depth of lifestyle knowledge of customers enables improved targeting, we can never ‘own’ customers.
Steve Foster
Managing director
Holiday Cottages Group
Barnoldswick
Lancashire