Question 1:

"Relationship Marketing is a new marketing paradigm which challenges the straight-jacket marketing mix approach." Evaluate this statement and illustrate with examples.

Question 2:

"A loyalty scheme is the most useful tool to build long-term customer loyalty but it can only be successful under some conditions." Critically discuss this statement by using empirical evidence.

Question 3:

"In many industries and markets, alliances and partnerships have been used by companies to enhance their competitive advantage." Assess whether alliances and partnerships represent a viable strategy by using examples from the hospitality and travel industries.

Question 4:

"Businesses seek to achieve customer retention and maximize their share of wallet within their existing customer portfolios. Nevertheless, the quest for customer retention is more a journey than a destination." Discuss the significance of a customer retention strategy for a firm in the tourism industry.

Question 5:

"Service failures are bound to happen in any service businesses and therefore, these business entities should have a service recovery plan to maintain customer loyalty." How far does service failure and recovery influence customer loyalty?