ABSTRACT

Today, many businesses such as banks, insurance companies, and other service providers realize the importance of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and its potential to help them acquire new customers, retain existing ones and maximize their lifetime value. CRM is a sound business strategy to identify banks' most profitable customers and prospects, delivered through the various sales/service channels that banks can provide. The study is a cross-sectional. correlational survey with the main objective of examining the influence of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) on some dimensions of bank growth in Nigeria. Some selected branches of First Bank Nigeria Plc and GTBank Plc in the cities of Umuahia and Aba. In Abia state were under study. The study involved 400 respondents comprising customers, management and staff of the two banks in Umuahia and Aba, in Abia State, Nigeria. Data were collected for the study via structured questionnaire and were presented and analyzed in tables of simple percentages. The formulated hypotheses were tested using the Pearson Product Moment correlation model. SPSS Software was also used to aid in the analysis. Findings revealed that there is a direct relationship between customer relationship management (CRM) and customer loyalty, sales volume, market share and profitability as dimensions of bank growth. Hence, the study recommended that management of banks in Nigeria specifically First Bank and GTBank Plc, and indeed other commercial banks should pursue customer relationship management (CRM) programmes with vigour to achieve their business objectives. It is also recommended that banks should establish mechanisms to promptly resolve customer complaints, as well as embrace the use of IT in their service delivery.