Chapter 2. THE VALUE OF A CUSTOMER

What is a customer worth to a firm? Consider a customer who walks into a Toyota dealership. To the salesperson, the value of this customer depends on what car and accessories he or she buys during this particular transaction. The dealer is less concerned with who gets the sale than that the sale is made. The dealer also may recognize that a customer who buys a car from his dealership is likely to return for service, which is often very profitable. Further, if satisfied, this customer may also buy other Toyotas from the dealership in the future. From a dealer's perspective, therefore, a salesperson's transaction orientation is too myopic. The dealer may want to build a relationship with the customer with the expectation ...

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