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Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe customers' perception of customer support service related to the core service in telecomminucations customer relationships. The customers' perceptions of the support-service stem from their contacts with the support service and are related to the importance for the relationship with the telecommunications provider. Design/methodology/approach - The study used a modified version of Switching Path Analysis Technique (SPAT) in its analysis to create the necessary data for carrying out a dynamic analysis - in other words customers' experiences of the customer-support service over time in their relationship with the service provider. The modification, called the SPAT mechanism, only focused on the difference between driving and non-driving factors related to the relationship strength. Findings - From the service perspective it was found that some of the customers in the present study were particularly focused on the customer-support, which made it dominate the relationships. At that special time, their telecommunications service predominantly comprised customer support, which was more important than the core service. At other times, when the support-service focus was not as strong, the priority was likely to be different. Consequently, the composition of the telecommunications service and the core service is according to customers' expressions dynamic and only the customer perspective has the authority to define it. Research limitations/implications - Research on service has been going on for several decades, and thus offers a great variety of findings from cross-sectional studies. Therefore, the present study's presentation of only one kind of service could be considered limited. Originality/value - The paper provides useful information on customers' perception of customer support service related to the core service in telecommunications customer relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies in the telecom industry - and in many other consumer markets - have introduced customer or loyalty clubs over a number of years. Customer clubs have been used as a loyalty-building measure following the deregulation of telecom markets in Europe. They were introduced as a strategic instrument intended to foster customer retention and to contribute to increased sales and profitability. These clubs are the most recognizable part of many CRM strategies. Their short- and long-term effects on loyalty are not obvious, however. The aim of this article is to explore the effects of the customer club on customer relationships in telecommunications by presenting results from two qualitative studies, which are quantified and reported in terms of responses to the club. The results of this empirical study in a Swedish telecom company reveal that the majority of customer-club members do not perceive their membership as adding value or contributing to higher commitment and improved loyalty. Nevertheless, there are differences between non-members and members regarding their perceptions of the service provider. The target group of club members has significantly higher satisfaction with the company than the non-member customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]