A model proposal for developing smart customer relationship management strategies with classified customer groups

Today, the airline industry is known to face many challenges. While reducing costs, managing fluctuating demand, superior customer satisfaction and trying to meet the needs of various customer groups, it has come to the fore to keep up with strict Customer Relationship Management efforts. Many organizations view customer relationships and complaints as an unpleasant fact of business, also as a waste of time and money. CRM concept plays an important role in companies that do not want to give up the opportunities arising from understanding the needs and priorities of customers. CRM, which provides a customer-centric strategy, is considered as an important element for companies to differentiate their offerings from their competitors. In this study, the advantages of customer relationship management provided at an effective level and the satisfaction levels of different customer groups in accordance with these activities are investigated with a 4-stage decision-making method. In this context, a survey was conducted with passengers with experience of Azerbaijan Airlines. According to the analysis results of 383 people, it is revealed that high level customer satisfaction can be provided if the needs of ordinary customers are met in accordance with the wishes, except for the key customers, which are considered important by the organizations. In addition, the Data Envelopment and Analytic Hierarchy Process included in the analysis, customers were grouped, and strategies were proposed according to specific customer groups. If CRM strategies are appropriately structured and implemented, it can show process efficiency and revenue growth for airlines, and concrete benefits for passengers.