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Customer relationship management: advances, dark sides, exploitation and unfairness

Published Online:April 10, 2012pp 1-19https://doi.org/10.1504/IJECRM.2012.046467

Abstract

As CRM schemes are getting increasingly sophisticated at personalising offers, there are both great benefits, but at the same time, also disadvantages that firms must consider. In this paper, CRM research is extensively reviewed with a particular focus on the advancements and their inherent dark sides. The danger of implementing CRM in a way that leads customers to believe that they are worse off requires more research. The risks of depleting customer trust are discussed and pose a significant threat to CRM. This is evident when customers perceive themselves as being exploited by firm’s CRM schemes if it is overly used and misused. Thus, advances in CRM must consider these issues of fairness and trust. Eight propositions are made about CRM’s, advances, dark sides, exploitation and unfairness.

Keywords

customer relationship management, CRM, advances, dark sides, pitfalls, exploitation, fairness, trust

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