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  • January 2014 (Revised November 2021)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Filene's Basement: Inside a Fired Customer's Relationship

By: Jill Avery and Susan Fournier
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:14
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Abstract

How, in a business climate in which building relationships with customers has dominated both managerial thought and marketing budgets, could Filene's Basement have fired a loyal customer, one who was formally and informally recognized as a best customer? This case allows students to reverse-engineer a fired customer's relationship with discount retailer Filene's Basement, from her perspective, to uncover the critical incidents and behaviors of each party that shaped their relationship trajectory. The company's customer relationship management (CRM) programs are analyzed to show how they influenced and encouraged unprofitable customer behavior.

Keywords

CRM; Retailing; Marketing; Consumer Behavior; Customer Relationship Management; Customer Focus and Relationships; Customer Satisfaction; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Retail Industry; United States

Citation

Avery, Jill, and Susan Fournier. "Filene's Basement: Inside a Fired Customer's Relationship." Harvard Business School Case 314-076, January 2014. (Revised November 2021.)
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About The Author

Jill J. Avery

Marketing
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Related Work

    • June 2016
    • Faculty Research

    Filene's Basement: Inside a Fired Customer's Relationship

    By: Jill Avery and Susan Fournier
    • January 2014 (Revised November 2021)
    • Faculty Research

    Filene's Basement: Inside a Fired Customer's Relationship

    By: Jill Avery and Susan Fournier
Related Work
  • Filene's Basement: Inside a Fired Customer's Relationship By: Jill Avery and Susan Fournier
  • Filene's Basement: Inside a Fired Customer's Relationship By: Jill Avery and Susan Fournier
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