A Case Study on Relevant Elements of B2B Customer Centricity
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Abstract
B2B transactions make up a large part of the economic activities worldwide. Therefore, it is important to deal with business customers appropriately in order to best meet their expectations. The purpose of this article is to provide new insights on B2B Customer Centricity derived from practice. The study contributes to the generation of knowledge about Customer Centricity in the Business-to-Business (B2B) environment as it identifies seven relevant elements to considered. The findings can be used as an actionable guideline for B2B companies to implement or optimize Customer Centricity in practice. The underlying article contributes to the closure of the knowledge gap on B2B Customer Centricity as it is based on a dedicated B2B case study and therefore dissolves the dependency on extrapolations from the B2C sector. The study uncovers, how the existing model from the B2C area should be adapted for the B2B market and confirms the relevance of Customer Centricity in the B2B environment. Coding and triangulation of the data gained trough interviews resulted in a consolidated set of relevant criteria of B2B Customer Centricity which build a framework for a structured monitoring and assessment of Customer Centricity in the B2B environment. The criteria contain elements already identified as relevant in the B2C context as well as social and B2B specific elements.
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