Customer Relationship Management ( CRM ) : A One - Size - Fits - All Philosophy ?

The considerable value of CRM is well documented in the literature, and it is further exemplified in today’s highly turbulent, competitive, and fragmented markets. Nevertheless, the conceptualisation and operationalisation of CRM remains an area of intense debate, and hence, by reviewing and synthesising literature from the various relational research traditions, the chapter offers a critical perspective as to what customer relationships are and discusses the conditions under which relationships can flourish. To this end, the chapter discusses the conditions, which are conducive to relationship building, highlights the different forms that customer relationships may assume as well as their distinct developmental paths, and offers a number of recommendations to enhance relational efforts.