In today’s complex marketplace, a firm is often dependent on many suppliers to help serve its customers. Embracing these supply chain relationships for the greater good of the ultimate customer creates customer value that is hard for competitors to match. For example, a European auto manufacturer converted its customer database program into a system that could be shared by all channel partners. By refusing to hoard the information, the manufacturer helped create a blended-channel strategy that built greater customer loyalty throughout the distribution chain.
Action Step: Contact your suppliers routinely and ask them, “If you could change one thing about the way we do business together that in turn creates better value for the customer, what would it be?” Use this feedback to steadily improve channel partner collaboration.
Source: Griffin, Jill. Customer Loyalty: How To Earn It How To Keep It. 2002.