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Article
Publication date: 20 March 2007

Gurram Gopal and Steve Cline

The paper aims to highlight the focus on short‐term profitability by transportation service providers in a notoriously cyclical business, often at the expense of developing…

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Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to highlight the focus on short‐term profitability by transportation service providers in a notoriously cyclical business, often at the expense of developing customer loyalty. It urges transportation service providers to use customer relationship management tools and customer emotions to generate long‐term profitability.

Design/methodology/approach

The insights into the marketing aspects of the transportation services industry were developed based on interviews and discussions with more than 50 transportation industry specialists, representing service providers and buyers.

Findings

The transportation services industry is a cyclical business and, in the post‐2001 economic recovery, carriers have focused, as in previous cycles, on short‐term profitability. They are not investing in customers offering potential future growth, and are dropping currently unprofitable customers in favour of those offering the most profit per lane today. Customer relationship management techniques, especially those based on customer emotions, can be used by the transportation service providers to generate customer loyalty, allowing them to grow with their customers and smooth out the peaks and valleys of the business.

Research limitations/implications

The research was constrained by limited access to quantitative data from the carriers and buyers and limited ability to publish data due to reasons of confidentiality.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the need for transportation service providers to use customer relationship management techniques and generate and sustain customer loyalty to drive their long‐term profitability.

Originality/value

Relationship‐based marketing has been a neglected function for transportation service providers. This paper provides a rationale for the transportation service industry to adopt customer relationship management techniques, successfully used in financial and other services, and presents some CRM methods, especially those based on customer emotions.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 27 January 2022

Fabiola Monje-Cueto and Johnny Davy Ruiz Ayala

In this chapter, the reality of Bolivia's current situation is presented, including details regarding the country's political, economic and environmental context. Then, alternate…

Abstract

In this chapter, the reality of Bolivia's current situation is presented, including details regarding the country's political, economic and environmental context. Then, alternate possible future scenarios are presented, developed by four different types of stakeholders in Bolivian society during four workshops that produced various suggestions on how to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic using a sustainable approach.

Several findings are incorporated into these scenarios, including potential risks, public policy recommendations and structural changes required to attain the best possible post-pandemic scenario for Bolivia, including the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda, especially SDGs 8, 13 and 17.

Details

Regenerative and Sustainable Futures for Latin America and the Caribbean
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80117-864-8

Keywords

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