Improving Customer Relationship Management Practices at a Financial Services Provider in South Africa
Eunice N. Nqobo-Badi, Dr Barnes Sookdeo

Abstract
Organizations that do not have an accurate view of their customers and their needs, urgently require a customer relationship management (CRM) system. CRM should be viewed as a strategic process to better understand and meet the needs of customers. This article presents the findings of research that sought to investigate customers’ needs and experiences of the services provided by a financial services provider. The aim of the research was to provide recommendations for improving CRM practices. An interpretivistic research paradigm, was adopted, denoting a qualitative study; and a structured questionnaire and non-probability purposive sampling were used for the empirical investigation. The results indicated that if suitable customer relationship management is employed, customer needs are met, leading to long-lasting relationships. Customers are the building blocks of any organisation; therefore, organisations should pay attention to maintaining their existing customers and establishing good relationships with them.

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