Customer Loyalty

Management consultant Griffin here addresses the failure of the ``market share'' theory. Presenting case studies-Home Depot's customer intimacy standard; Sharp Electronics' sales doctor approach-she stresses the need to develop customer loyalty programs. Griffin deftly examines pricing, value, customers' purchasing cycles, positioning and targeting to create repeat purchasers. She ponders: What ``exactly'' does a company do that engenders loyalty? A Florida picture framer she interviewed discovered by surveying his customers that the uniqueness and quality of his work ensured their patronage, not his low-end framing options; a Nebraska travel agent learned that he retained his corporate accounts because of his willingness to hold regular review sessions with them. Readers will profit from the arsenal of tools Griffin provides. (Jan.)