Reporting a Case Study on Customer Relationship Management as a Customer Retention Tool: OK Zimbabwe Limited

This study examined Customer Relationship Management as a customer retention tool at OK
Zimbabwe Limited in Bulawayo Metropolitan Province. The study investigated why organisations
should care about existing customers. The mixed research design was used to enable an in-depth
qualitative establishment of Customer Relationship Management as a customer retention tool.
Convenience and purposive sampling techniques were employed in the selection of a sample of 91
respondents out of a target population of 303 potential respondents. A questionnaire and an interview
guide were used for data collection. Customers responded to an online survey questionnaire while
managers and marketing officers participated in interviews. Thematic analysis of data revealed that
poor implementation of Customer Relationship Management contributed to loss of market share,
growth and profitability. Till operators lack the basic knowledge about the purpose of Customer
Relationship Management whilst managers had a theoretical idea but lacked application. The results
further revealed that the absence of Customer Service Managers made it difficult for the branches to
handle or manage customer issues at branch level. OK Zimbabwe Limited still lags behind in terms of
technology and relies on manual documents. The study recommends that OK Zimbabwe Limited
sources enough machinery, operates normal working hours for all employees, network management,
provides training facilities for all employees including managers, decentralises procurement,
maintenance, decentralises information and technology department into Southern and Northern
regions to reduce workload at head office.