Whether the Employee Commitment to Implementation of the CRM System Contributes to Customer Loyalty? Empirical Analysis of a Successful CRM Implementation in the Auto Industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

This paper aims at exploring whether employee commitment to CRM implementation and their satisfaction is a prerequisite for customer satisfaction. We made an empirical analysis of successful implementation of the CRM system in one of the largest domestic consortium in BiH which is also one of the domestic pioneers in CRM implementation. In order to explore both sides of the coin, we investigated customer and employee satisfaction. The research was conducted via two online questionnaires designed for both groups of respondents. The final samples included 46 employees and 214 customers. The research findings indicate that the employees did not have any major problems in getting used to the new system (CRM system) or in communicating with customers. It is evident that the employees involved in the CRM implementation understand the process and that they are dedicated to the CRM success, but most of them (96 %) believe that a successful implementation would not be possible without external expert involvement. This indicates that a lack of vision, leadership, and training of employees often results in failed implementation. On the other hand, customers are satisfied with services and communication with employees during the sales and post-sales processes. However, regarding the customer loyalty, as many as 49 % of respondents said that they would not leave the company while 35 % might leave, whereas 17 % of the surveyed customers said that they intend to leave the company. These 35 % of customers should not be lost and it is essential to investigate the causes of customer reluctance. In this regard, we provided concrete recommendations.