Customer Retention - Fad or Fiddle Faddle

["Steve Taylor" <StevePTaylor@email.msn.com>]

Dear All,
Some of you may recall that I wrote asking for support with my MBA
dissertation. Thanks to those who have. Having taken a number of twists and
turns I have started to investigate the current focus on "customer
retention" as a management topic.
Having been on the fringes of the Deming ideas for about 10 years, lived
through the time of "impostors" such as Hammer and seen many people
destroyed by the system, it is interesting to see the old mans' ideas being
"re-packaged" in another guise.
Having read a number of articles and books on this subject, it is apparent
that non of the customer retention "gurus" appear to have a substantial
answer to the question "just HOW do I improve customer retention?"
I have asked for Operational Definitions and data. The answers I have found
so far have solicited the same response from me. As Mr. Burns would say ..
Fiddle Faddle !
I would be interested to read the thoughts of the massed ranks of the
Denizens. Can I write this topic off as a fad ?
I continue to search for knowledge in everything I do. I have found no
deeper seam to "mine" than the one I found in 1999 when I first attended
Henry Neaves' 2-day seminar.
I am desperate to develop my mind and to improve the environment I provide
for those who work for me. I would appreciate help with my quest.

Regards
Steve T
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