The contribution of e-customer relationship management to online customer experience with respect to Generation Y users

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is that of exploring good electronic customer relationship management practices within e-commerce and how they improve customer experience with regards to generation Y's usage of e-commerce locally. Research Design The research within this dissertation was conducted through using a mixed method qualitative research design.. Twenty nine participants who fit into the Generation Y age group were asked to take part in four focus groups and a total of four face-to-face interviews were held with leading managers within the local e-commerce sector. Findings Managers and focus group participants agreed that reputation, risk, trust and price were considered to be the main factors influencing customer experience. They also agreed that the proper use of electronic customer relationship management tools helped in part to improve the customer experience. Research Limitations The main limitation within this study is that there is a certain discrepancy between the data obtained from the focus groups and that obtained from the face-to-face interviews with managers. The participants within the focus groups referred to international e-commerce websites in the course of the discussions whereas managers focused more on their local .e-commerce websites. Nevertheless the themes that were considered important were very similar. Practical Implications This study suggests that customer relationship management within ecommerce is at present the best possible way forward towards improving user customer experience. Originality/Value Up to date, no research has been made locally on the effect of customer relationship management within e-commerce with regards to customer experience. It is of value to companies involved in e-commerce wishing to tackle issues related to customer experience online. This research may be used as a guide towards identifying the key issues which customers and vendors alike face on a day to day basis within this sector. The validity of this study further backed by the growth in mobile e-commerce offers further possibilities for businesses to make profit.