Suchergebnisse

Customer focus is the most important challenge of the future. Providing good customer service depends on how well companies know their customers and clearly identify their needs. Availability of customer knowledge, which is knowledge from, for, and about the customer, thus becomes crucial in offering customized products or services. This can be gained most efficiently from direct interaction with customers, but requires the use of interpersonal and organizational soft skills. This book presents the interrelationship between customer knowledge management, customer focus and soft skills, and also provides concrete advice on how the management of customer knowledge can be optimized.

Description based on: Dec. 1989, pt. 1; title from cover. ; New editions supersede old ones. ; Vols. for issued in 3 or more parts. ; Mode of access: Internet.

The article outlines the results of the research on application of customer equity evaluation methods. In the study customer equity of Russian B2B-company was evaluated on the basis of the following metrics: customer lifetime value (CLV), past customer value (PCV), integrated index of customer equity (RFM). The evaluation is complemented with practical recommendations on metrics application for customer equity maximization. On the basis of the conducted research, toolkit of customer equity evaluation is developed. It involves a set of metrics, indicators for evaluation and data sources. This toolkit could be potentially adapted and employed by Russian B2B-companies.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an innovative conceptual view on the management of strategic or important customers in business markets, so‐called (key) account management. Central to this new perspective is customer value creation through external customer alignment. The paper additionally proposes two propositions, based on quantitative empirical analysis and rooted in congruency, transaction cost economy and economic rent generation theory.Design/methodology/approachThe study is quantitative research based on questionnaire survey.FindingsThe paper's proposition is that account management can create important competitive advantages for companies which can acquire and develop the necessary organisational competences to implement an integrative process through alignment with strategic or important, well selected, customers.Originality/valueTraditionally, most companies view account management as a sales activity. Views that are more recent consider it as a marketing activity with emphasis on relationship marketing. The paper's approach, however, is to look at account management from an integrated business process perspective, encompassing marketing and sales as development activities as well. Two elements are central in the proposal: customer selection and alignment.

The content and features of the concept of «customs diplomacy» are studied on the example of the foreign policy activities of the US Customs Administration, which conducts one of the best customs diplomacy in the world. For example, the US Customs Service plays an important role in ensuring not only national but also transnational economic security. The protection of American customs interests by the relevant services begins far from the actual borders of the United States. Therefore, the study of the experience of US customs diplomacy, of course, is relevant for Ukraine.

The definition of «customs diplomacy» is given through a set of specific techniques and methods. The methods, techniques and principles of US customs diplomacy are considered, the main provisions of the CBP Global Engagement Strategy are analyzed. The structural units responsible for the implementation of American customs diplomacy are listed, and their competencies are determined. The officials of the US Customs and Border Protection who are responsible for the implementation of customs diplomacy are named.

Particular attention is paid to US international cooperation with partner countries in the customs sector. An example of such cooperation is North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The practice of implementing international projects and initiatives by US customs attachés in other countries (for example, the Container Security Initiative) is analyzed. International training and support programs of methodological and organizational and technical nature, conducted for foreign partner customs services and agencies, are considered. The important role of harmonizing relations between customs services through the conclusion of international bilateral and multilateral agreements is noted.

It is noted that international cooperation in the customs sphere is important for solving global problems of the world. Thus, strengthening the cooperation of the US Customs Administration with partner countries, agencies and trade groups contributes to transnational security, efficient trade, travel, dissemination of information etc.

This comment is part of a symposium on Ekkehart Schlicht, On Custom in the Economy (1998)

This comment is part of a symposium on Ekkehart Schlicht, On Custom in the Economy (1998)