What will I learn on this module?
The module will encourage you to think about the relationships that companies have with their customers over a period of time, rather than view each customer purchase as an individual ‘transaction’. Given the increasing use of online business models and consumer savviness of how to move between suppliers, the importance of managing the customer experience has never been higher. With this in mind you will address the following:
• Customer Journey Mapping: You will also be introduced to the principles of managing the customer decision making journey and the company-customer touchpoints that occur prior, during and post-consumption.
• Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty: You will consider how customer satisfaction is defined and measured in practice and reflect on the relationship between satisfaction and customer loyalty (incorporating the use of loyalty schemes). This will include appreciating relevant metrics such as net promoter scores.
• Customer Feedback and Complaint Handling: You will consider how organisations should respond to negative scenarios with a view to retaining customers and limiting reputational damage.
• Introduction to Database Marketing: As part of understanding customer relationships, you will be introduced to the principles of using a database to manage the customer relationship.
How will I learn on this module?
You will be supported by a Teaching and Learning Plan (TLP) which outlines the formal sessions, and provides details of independent study/learning to support your in-class work. Contact time will be split across formal lectures, seminars and webinars:
• The lecture contact time will aim to introduce the core principles of CX, satisfaction, loyalty and relationship marketing across both B2B and B2C contexts. We will adopt an interactive approach to debate theories and apply them to practical scenarios;
• Seminars will offer students the chance to apply their learning to relevant case studies and learn to reflective critically where appropriate on academic papers;
• Webinars will provide you with the latest industry developments and help you prepare further for the summative assessment.
Directed learning will focus on pre-reading, activity based learning through specially designed seminar exercises and the use of Blackboard. Independent learning will be based upon your own initiative in further exploring and researching areas of interest – suggestions for this reading will be providing via the digital reading list and will incorporate both academic and industry resources.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
You will be supported throughout this module by both a module tutor and the wider teaching team. These staff will be responsible for guiding your engagement and learning on this module. Seminar tutors and lecturers will provide you with academic guidance in class and via email where appropriate. All relevant instructions and notes for lectures and seminars will be accessible to you online and through mobile via the e-Learning Portal (eLP). The final aspect of the direct contact support is a 1-hour weekly webinar, where students can link with the module tutor and other members of the teaching team to engage in question and answer sessions on the module materials and assessment brief.
Where possible, the teaching team will aim to invite external guest speakers into the module, which will give you practical insights on how the concepts covered in this module apply to real-life business situations.
Panopto recordings will be made available for each step of the assessment process.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
• Gain an understanding of the management of the customer experience and apply the central concepts of relationship marketing to a range of marketing contexts. [MLO1]
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• Utilise appropriate technological applications to analyse and present customer relationship management strategies. [MLO2]
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• Develop an appreciation of issues surrounding customer privacy in the context of CRM and database marketing. [MLO3]
How will I be assessed?
Formative assessment: will be provided in seminars (focusing on set tasks) and webinars (with specific focus on the assessment activities).
Summative assessment: The assessment will be structured as follows:
- Development of a published vlog to critically assess the CRM activities of a selected case organisation (30%, mid-semester). This will address MLO1 and MLO2.
- A 2,000 word business report which provides recommendations for how the case organisation can enhance their CRM capability and improve the customer experience (70%, end of semester). This will address MLO1, MLO2 and MLO3.
Pre-requisite(s)
None
Co-requisite(s)
None
Module abstract
Whilst many marketers focus their efforts upon acquiring new customers, this module will address a crucial complementary issue: how to
retain and develop customers over time. Once an organisation has a new customer, they have opportunities to deliver a positive customer
experience, increase their knowledge of the customer over time and ultimately build customer loyalty. This requires organisations to consider
appropriate ways of delivering customer satisfaction in a cost-effective manner, building insightful customer databases, rewarding loyal
customers and collating and responding to customer feedback. Should these things be done successfully, organisations can benefit from
satisfied customers who spread positive word of mouth and ignore the approaches of competitors. In this module, you’ll apply the above ideas
to real organisations, developing practical ideas for how companies can deliver a high-quality customer experience across both online and
offline business models.
Course info
UCAS Code N555
Credits 20
Level of Study Undergraduate
Mode of Study 3 years Full Time or 4 years with a placement (sandwich)/study abroad
Department Newcastle Business School
Location City Campus, Northumbria University
City Newcastle
Start September 2025
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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