Harnessing value-added benefits as a customer retention strategy in a selected company within the financial services industry in KwaZulu-Natal

Magisterarbeit , 2017 , 238 Seiten

BWL - Allgemeines

Customer retention has become a multifaceted and serious consideration for businesses. With the rapid advancement of technology, a growing competitive climate, and the ever-increasing platforms and channels available for customers to purchase services and products, the importance of servicing and engaging with current customers is becoming increasingly evident from a business profitability and sustainability perspective.

While after-sale value-added benefits offered to customers through upselling initiatives are believed to be necessary to increase customer retention, further understanding of the type of value-added benefit offered and the timing in which it is offered following the core product sale, is required to determine the extent of the impact it has on customer retention. It is therefore incumbent on companies to develop a robust customer retention strategy that integrates value-added benefits to upscale customer retention and prevent customer churn.

The researcher explored the effectiveness of value-added benefits offered via upselling as a strategy to reduce customer churn within a selected authorised financial services provider based in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A descriptive research design was followed. The researcher conducted a thorough literature review aligned to valueadded benefits as an innovative strategy to retain customers. Data was collected through a combination of tools, case studies, open-ended semi-structured employee interviews and open-ended employee questionnaire surveys, to explore a facet of customer churn where limited theory is available, and to describe the extent to which the offering of a value-added benefit to a current customer affects customer retention.

From the research conducted, the researcher concluded that customers who had taken up a value-added benefit were more likely to stay with their service provider, compared to customers who did not have a value-added benefit. Churn rate percentages for customers with core product-aligned value-added benefits were lower than the customers with core product non-aligned value-added benefits, and customers who had taken up a value-added benefit, before their first debit order was collected by their service provider, were less likely to churn than customers who took up the same value-added benefit after their first debit order was collected by their service provider.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• 1.1 Background
• 1.2 Problem Statement
• 1.3 Research Objectives
• 1.4 Research Questions
• 1.5 Significance of the Study
• 1.6 Delimitations of the Study
• 1.7 Scope of the Study
• 1.8 Definition of Key Terms
• Chapter 2: Literature Review
• 2.1 Customer Retention and the Importance of Value-Added Benefits
• 2.2 Existing Theories and Frameworks Related to Customer Retention and Value-Added Benefits
• 2.3 Research Gap and Justification
• 2.4 Theoretical Framework
• Chapter 3: Research Methodology
• 3.1 Research Design
• 3.2 Population and Sample
• 3.3 Data Collection Methods
• 3.4 Data Analysis Techniques
• 3.5 Ethical Considerations
• Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Findings
• 4.1 Overview of the Data
• 4.2 Analysis of Employee Interviews
• 4.3 Analysis of Employee Questionnaire Survey
• 4.4 Analysis of Case Studies
• 4.5 Interpretation of Findings
• Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusions
• 5.1 Summary of Key Findings
• 5.2 Discussion of Findings
• 5.3 Recommendations
• References
• Appendices

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation examines the effectiveness of value-added benefits offered as an upselling strategy to reduce customer churn within a selected financial services company in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The main objective is to explore the relationship between value-added benefits and customer retention within this specific context. The study seeks to understand how different types of value-added benefits, their timing, and the alignment with core products impact customer churn rates. Key themes of the research include: * **Customer retention in the financial services industry:** The importance of retaining customers in a competitive market and the role of value-added benefits in achieving this. * **Value-added benefits and their impact on customer retention:** The study explores how different types of value-added benefits influence customer loyalty and reduce churn. * **Timing of value-added benefit offerings:** The research investigates the influence of the timing of value-added benefit offerings on customer retention. * **Alignment of value-added benefits with core products:** The study analyzes the impact of the alignment between value-added benefits and the core products on customer retention. * **The role of employee-centricity in customer service:** The research explores the connection between employee satisfaction and customer retention.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter 1: Introduction - This chapter provides a comprehensive background to the research topic, highlighting the increasing importance of customer retention in the competitive financial services industry. It outlines the problem statement, research objectives, research questions, and significance of the study. The chapter also defines key terms and delineates the scope and limitations of the research.
• Chapter 2: Literature Review - This chapter delves into the existing literature on customer retention and the role of value-added benefits. It reviews relevant theories and frameworks, identifies research gaps, and establishes a theoretical framework for the study. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the existing knowledge on the subject matter.
• Chapter 3: Research Methodology - This chapter explains the research design, population, and sample used for the study. It details the data collection methods employed, including employee interviews, questionnaires, and case studies. This chapter also outlines the data analysis techniques used and addresses ethical considerations.
• Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Findings - This chapter presents the results of the data analysis, including a summary of employee interviews, questionnaires, and case studies. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the findings and interprets them within the context of the research objectives.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key focus areas of the research are customer retention, value-added benefits, upselling, customer churn, financial services industry, KwaZulu-Natal, customer segmentation, employee-centricity, and technology-based self-service. These keywords represent the core concepts and themes explored in the dissertation, reflecting the importance of understanding and implementing effective customer retention strategies in the modern business landscape.

• Veranstaltung: Masters of Business Administration
• Autor: Samantha Worthington (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2017
• Seiten: 238
• Katalognummer: V439165
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668798274
• ISBN (Buch): 9783668798281
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Marketing Strategy, Customer Retention, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, Customer Experience