What Matters to South African Bank Customers? A Case Study of four Main South African Banks

This paper is a follow-up article based on the first article titled Customers speak for themselves: A case of Customer Satisfaction in the four Main South African Banks. Customer satisfaction within the banking industry is very important in the South African context. Although banks are trying their best to give their customers the best service, it is important to continuously measure customer satisfaction and identify service attributes that contribute to overall customer satisfaction for the banks. The data used in the analysis is based on a quantitative survey of 500 randomly selected customers in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town were interviewed using a face to face methodology. The key drivers of overall customer satisfaction based on regression analysis for the different banks were helpfulness and innovativeness (ABSA), helpfulness, innovativeness of the bank, resolution of problems and investment advice (FNB), language usage and friendliness of service consultants (Nedbank), innovativeness of the bank, investment advice and use of language (Standard bank). These attributes were important to the overall customer satisfaction and need to be closely monitored by the management of these banks.

Sustainable Destination Development & Implications for The State of Jammu & Kashmir

The business of tourism has been seen as a key player in the uprising of any destination but at the same time, makes it vulnerable to numerous parallel threats where a destination strives hard for its sustainability in the long run. Thus the future competitiveness and strength to survive for any destination depends on its ability to survive in the longer run and stand sustainable in terms of economic, natural and cultural resources and at the same time to ensure, efficient and planned consumption of the same. To satisfy the same it becomes imperative for the destination planners to incorporate their polices as such that lowest minimal depletion of resources is observed and maximum sustainable development of the destination is attained. The involvement of various stakeholders or destination planners in the progression of development of the destination cannot be overlooked. The state of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the leading destinations in terms of tourist inflow and the contribution of the various planning agencies cannot be ignored as far the development of the destination is concerned in the long run. This paper is an attempt to highlight the contribution of the various planning agencies in the sustainable development of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The study gives an outline as to the various practices that should be adhered by the agencies so as augment the practice of sustainable development.

Perceived Benefits of Loyalty Programmes and Their Impact on Purchase Intentions of Customers

The purpose of the study is to determine the perceived benefits of loyalty programmes among customers and its effect on their purchase intentions. It also determines the influence of demographics on customer loyalty programme membership and its role in relationship between perceived benefits and purchase intentions of customers in apparel stores in Jammu city. A theoretical framework is proposed based on the three integrating variables, perceived benefits of loyalty programmes, loyalty programme membership and purchase intention based on review of literature. Subsequently, a descriptive analysis has been undertaken to determine the relationship between the selected variables. The study has concluded that among the demographic variables under study, age group and income level have a significant impact on loyalty programme membership of customers while gender does not exhibit such impact. Further, it has confirmed that perceived benefits have a significant impact on purchase intentions of customers. The study also suggests the moderating role of loyalty programme membership in the relationship between perceived benefits of loyalty programmes and purchase intentions of customers. The paper has several practical implications for the stores/organizations who want to retain customers through effective loyalty programmes. When customers perceived more benefits from loyalty programmes they have higher intentions to purchase from the store of which they own a loyalty card, thus leading to long term relationship with the store. Moreover, the demographic variables included in the study may help the retailers to target the customers for loyalty card membership.

Evolution of Consumption: An Insight into Consumer Derivatives and Marketing Implications

Consumers in the market search for a product/brand or something else? The concept of marketing involves identifying and satisfying customer needs and wants. As the dynamics of marketplace and environmental forces show a swift change, customer needs get redefined. The new marketing paradigm aims at comprehending the evolving customer needs and responds by providing a set of experiences to satisfy customers. Marketers strategize the elements of marketing mix in the realm of remarkable experiences where customers are involved at the cognitive as well as emotional level. The customer derives satisfaction out of the holistic experience and this contentment leads to customer loyalty. In the light of the marketing metamorphosis, the present paper seeks to understand the transformation of consumption into experiences.