Abstract

This study aims at investigating the role of marketing intelligence in maintaining and building customer’s relationships in Jordanian banks. More specifically, to measure the effect of marketing intelligence on maintaining and building current and new customer’s relationships. The quantitative design has been built in the study methodology such as descriptive and hypothesis testing methods. A self-administrated questionnaire has been developed as data generation instrument. Using the convenient sample, 110 questionnaires were distributed to executives of marketing, customer relationships, information systems, and customer services who work in Jordanian banks’ headquarters. Only 85 questionnaires were returned with response rate 77%. The study concludes that there is significant positive effect for MI on maintaining and building both current and new customer relationships. However, MI practices in Jordanian banks tend to get a new customer rather than to retain an existing one. Moreover, Jordanian banks have potentials to upgrade their marketing intelligence systems in order to achieve competitive advantages based on customer relationship approach. The study provides important lessons in applying marketing intelligence in maintaining and building customer relationships for practitioners or executives in banking industry.

Conclusions and future studies

Jordanian banks employ MI to build relationships with new customers rather than maintain relationships with current customers. Therefore, MI practices in Jordanian banks tend to get new customers rather than to retain current customers. Consequently, Jordanian banks have to consider the quality of long-term customer relationship as top priority of their relational approach.

The current study has some limitations; the study field has been limited to banking industry as service industry. Geographically, the study is limited to Jordan as an example of Arab and developing countries. The study methodology is limited to quantitative approach of analysis.

In light of the study limitations, some recommendations can be proposed for future studies. The current study has been limited to banking industry, accordingly, in future research, extended studies are needed to investigate other service industries such as health care and telecommunication industries. More tools and techniques can be investigated to improve customer relationship practices. Methodologically, the current study employed quantitative design of the research, accordingly, future studies can adopt other approaches of qualitative studies to investigate different aspects of marketing intelligence and customer relationships.