For a competitive edge in services, invest in the right people and processes

• Main Author: Singapore Management University
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2011
• Subjects: Business Administration, Management, and Operations; Business Intelligence; Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/pers/322; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1329&context=pers

Steve Jobs can teach us a thing or two about customer loyalty. Though Apple products have sometimes fallen short of expectations, Apple customers think nothing of standing in line for hours just to get their hands on the company's latest. According to Valarie Zeithaml, a David S Van Pelt Family distinguished professor of marketing at the University of North Carolina, recent financials show that Apple is achieving US$4,406 per annum sales per square foot – far higher than brands such as the US$3,000 per annum sales per square foot of premier global jeweller Tiffany and US$1,700 per annum sales per square foot of leading luxury lifestyle handbags and accessories brand Coach.