Marketing's new paradigms: What's really happening out there

Marketing has been defined by some as the art of getting and keeping customers. Much of marketing has been cast around the “getting” problem. We have neglected the “keeping” problem. Keeping requires some thought; it goes beyond what the customer service department does. It gets into how to satisfy the customer, how to get the customer to be a frequent buyer, and how to form links with customers that create exit barriers that make it more expensive to switch than stay. These things must be thought through because the first defense of any company is to keep its customers. Defection is the worst thing that can happen.