The strongest tool in the marketing of retail stores is good customer service. The customer is always right, and a retail store must work hard to ensure that even when the customer is wrong, the way an issue with the client is resolved has a win-win outcome for both the customer and the retail store. Social technology has been very important in promoting good customer service because customers can openly share their feelings about goods or services, make reviews and even give ideas which the organization can implement to make the customer happy.
A returning customer is a happy customer. That should be the ideal goal of retail shops. IKEA is a company that deals with furnishing, both office and home furniture. It utilizes the lever of customer value creation because its sole purpose is to show the customer how certain products could fit in the spaces in their homes and create the need in that customer to improve their homes or offices with such products.
The aim of the company is to create a one on one connection with its customers so that eventually customers can be able to purchase products, even those customized according to the needs of the customers without having to visit the IKEA stores. Additionally, networking with customers on the internet and online helps in easy checkouts because customers can use the available online payment methods and the company can deliver the products on time according to the time stipulated.
In short, when companies, especially retail businesses use such methods as supported by enterprise 2.0 and social networking in the integrated marketing strategy is effective because it ensures that customers and consumers are met by sellers and producers on the terms of the customers in both online and offline marketing and advertisements. In essence, the customer is considered the highest ranking factor in the business as compared to other factors of the business.
Moneer Aqeb 