• Bambauer-Sachse Silke

• Stuhldreier Sanja Maria
• Young Ashley

In the first parts of the course Customer Orientation and Complaint Management we will explain the idea of customer orientation and discuss why companies should have a customer orientation and signal it through their mission statement. In addition, we will look at the recent situation in marketing research and business practice.

In further parts of the course, we will discuss how customer-oriented companies can identify potential customers and their needs and we will see why customer satisfaction and customer retention play a major role from a marketing perspective. In addition, we will cover aspects of customer relationship marketing that go beyond customer satisfaction and retention.

Another important part of the course will consist of discussing in detail different complaint management approaches and strategies.

Throughout the course, we will see the links with marketing practice by looking at many real company examples. In addition to smaller practical examples that are brought in wherever appropriate, we will also see some positive case examples of companies with a clear customer orientation and a professional complaint management.

These positive case examples are contrasted with real and very negative customer experiences that the course participants will deal with in the context of group work projects. These projects aim to offer the students the opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired throughout the course to real cases and to see how empirical data analysis can be used to develop reliable strategies in the field of customer orientation and complaint management (basic knowledge of SPSS is required!).

The group work projects are a mandatory part of the course. The overall course grade will be calculated as follows: 0.25* grade of the group work project + 0.75*grade of the written exam.

For some course dates, attendance will be mandatory!

The purpose of this course is to familiarize the students with the core aspects of customer orientation and complaint management and to explain why these approaches should be the core of any marketing strategy.

Kotler/Armstrong (2007): Principles of Marketing

Solomon/Marshall/Stuart (2006): Marketing

Homburg/Kuester/Krohmer (2009): Marketing Management

Doole/Lancaster/Lowe (2005): Understanding and Managing Customers

Bruhn (2003): Relationship Marketing

Egan (2008): Relationship Marketing

Examination time: 60 Min.

Re-take exam only

Examination time: 60 Min.

Course with continuous evaluation: after the registration period, you can no longer cancel your registration (see session calendar on the Faculty's website).