Year: 2011
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Following the principles of relationship marketing, many service providers systematically align their services to customer profitability. This differential treatment ranges from the preferred treatment of highly profitable customers to the divestment of persistently unprofitable customers. Based on fairness and relationship theories, the present empirical dissertation shows that German consumers perceive differential customer treatment as more unfair than US consumers. Yet, German consumers react more positively when being preferred. Moreover, the present analysis demonstrates that cordial, friend-like corporate self-presentations do not have a favorable effect on consumers’ stance on differential customer treatment.
Author: Sabine Mayser
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2897522452