Page 130 - The Handbook for Quality Management a Complete Guide to Operational Excellence

116 I n t e g r a t e d P l a n n i n g U n d e r s t a n d i n g C u s t o m e r E x p e c t a t i o n s a n d N e e d s 117

Kotler (1991, pp. 679–680) presents the following steps for establishing a
relationship management program within a company:

Identify the key customers meriting relationship management. The company
can choose the 5 or 10 largest customers and designate them for
relationship management. Additional customers can be added who
show exceptional growth or who pioneer new developments in the
industry, and so on.
Assign a skilled relationship manager to each key customer or customer group.
The salesperson who is currently servicing the customer should receive
training in relationship management or be replaced by someone who is
more skilled in relationship management. The relationship manager
should have characteristics that match or appeal to the customer.
Develop a clear job description for relationship managers. It should describe
their reporting relationships, objectives, responsibilities, and evaluation
criteria. The relationship manager is responsible for the client, is the
focal point for all information about the client, and is responsible for
mobilizing company services to the client. Each relationship manager
will have only one or a few relationships to manage.
Appoint an overall manager to supervise the relationship managers. This
person will develop job descriptions, evaluation criteria, and resource
support to increase relationship managers’ effectiveness.
Each relationship manager must develop long-range and annual customer-
relationship plans. The annual relationship plan will state objectives,
strategies, specific actions, and required resources.
Figure 6.4 lists a number of relationship factors.

Surveys
Survey development consists of the following major tasks (GAO, 1986, p. 15):

• Initial planning of the questionnaire
• Developing the measures
• Designing the sample
• Developing and testing the questionnaire
• Producing the questionnaire
• Preparing and distributing mailing materials
• Collecting data
• Reducing the data to forms that can be analyzed
• Analyzing the data
Figure 6.5 shows a typical timetable for the completion of these tasks.

06_Pyzdek_Ch06_p105-128.indd 117 11/9/12 5:09 PM