It is impossible to set up any yardstick for relationship between a buyer and a seller. No two organizations can have similar set of rules for maintaining relationship. Even if on a particular occasion a situation prompted a particular behavior, it is not necessary that a similar behavior is necessary on another occasion. The time, place and group of person might be the same but behave in different way, though circumstances and situations might be identical.

To a great extent relationship depends upon the: character of contracting parties. This is thus a study of human behavior and forms part of the behavioural science. Here the contracting parties do not mean only those who are in direct contact but also include those who might be present around. No person is acting in isolation. Therefore, there is always an influence of surroundings on human behaviour.

A buyer is also a seller. A seller is also a buyer. Both could also be customers. To make the point clear let us take the example of a trader who buys goods for resale or a buyer who buys goods and then sells it after value addition. Therefore , you can not show same behaviour when you are in the role of a buyer as then your priorities are different then when you are in the role of a seller.

Let us for some time consider our own behaviour in our own house with our family members. Are we at all times act in similar manner in a given set of situation? Perhaps not! What are the factors that motivate our behaviour?

It is my sincere opinion that our senses, mental state of mind and our capacity of physical endurance to react to given situation play an important role in our behaviour as seller, buyer or customer. At no two given time perhaps we are in alike condition. Our behaviour will therefore, show different relationships. The relationship is product of our own emotions. We may be have more or less in similar given condition if we can control our emotions. This is very difficult if perhaps not impossible.

Looking purely from the viewpoint of a customer the relationship could be short time or long time. It is Primarily dependent on the objective of the customer and the supplier or vendor.. A customer will always wish for a long term relationship with the vendor. The vendor on the other hand has his own values and objectives. The whole talk about customer satisfaction or customer delight turn meaningless when all over the place we see customers not satisfied with the service level provided by the vendors. Whether it is seller’s market or buyer’s market in India generally the customer is taken for granted and his endurance is tested to breaking limit. We have live examples of customer taken for a ride all around us. The voter is customer to the Government elected by him. In return he is entitled for certain basic fulfillments of promises by the elected members of the Government. This is the guarantee clause attached to the democratic system. But where are we in customer satisfaction. What about a builder who has taken advance from persons who booked the flats and then fails to provide the flats by scheduled dates? Or if he has provided the flat then the work is not done as promised.

We talk of customer focused management. Who is the customer we are talking about? It is the ultimate user of goods and services? It is an intermediate customer like trader or value adder? Or it is the internal as also external customer? Perhaps we are referring to the ultimate customer. Who so ever it may be, there is a foundation laid to build up or develop relationship on business objectives. The business objectives are based on the return on the investment. Speaking as a matter of fact no businessman will extend any facility without charging the price to remain remunerative on the investment made. The talk about the customer focus is a mere slogan and a jargon used by management pundits. To explain the point precisely let us see some of the motives kept in mind to set objectives for customer satisfaction.

1. Personal Gains : 0ne of the parties for it’s hidden desire of some personal gain develops relationship by showing friendship, nearness and some advantage. The personal gain is so intense that the party pretend to be a well wisher of the other. In more than 60% cases innocent people fall prey to the cunnings of one party and repent later. There are several cases in Indian industry where for personal gains deals have been finalized both in public and private sectors. Some have been termed as scams other as scandals. This does nor require any further explanation.

2. Mutual Gains : The two parties In this situation joint together for mutual gain irrespective of the fact that by their personal gains the organization they serve and the ultimate customer is going to suffer. This involves a give and take policy. One is giving advantage to the other for mutual gains at the cost of their organizational interest. Both are cheats and form an unholy alliance. The organization should see through their game plan and take corrective action in time lest loose the ultimate customers. Unfortunately such mutual gain programmes are on rise in present day economic scene. Many a time dealership is awarded on consideration of mutual gains. This is very common in large variety of consumer durable, projects floated for investments in mutual funds, plantation programme etc. Where every day we read in newspapers that customers are left with hardly any avenue for relief. The principal party and agents just disappear in thin air. Very little legal remedy is available against such unholy alliances. Many eminent personalities have formed such unholy alliances for mutual gains to attract simple customers.

3. Social Gains: Alliance formed for social gains are those where society at large is the gainer. Nationalization of banks, petroleum companies, coal-mining industry are few examples of alliances formed for social gain. The objective was to ensure proper and planned growth of core, sector and save the customers and public at large from exploitation. The story is however, different as desired objectives could not be reached due to formation of alliances in Government and within organizations based on personal or mutual gains. Nowhere the focus is on customer. Many of us have experienced rude and unbearable treatment at nationalized banks while drawing our own money. We are drawing our money and not begging. I have seen a senior citizen at the bank counter virtually begging for hours to get his pension cheque encashed. It is an ordeal to get the bank draft made at the banks. However, this are easy if one enters into unholy alliance for mutual and personal gains.

4. Organizational Gains : This is the area where we should have main thrust for long-term benefit to customers. Customer focused management should be the only objective of every organisation. It is at this place that buyer, seller and customer should form a strategic alliance without taking advantage of one or the other. If they join hand and work for all round gain then the result would be great. The theory of organizational gain in many western nations, Japan and some other southeastern countries have already been recognized. These countries have long back focused their business on customer satisfaction and customer delight. Unfortunately, in India even alliance made with industrial giants and premier brand names of these countries could not show the same results. The only reason that come to my mind is that we as Indian do not have a sincere desire or managerial attitude towards customer focused business or trade. The Indian entrepreneurs perhaps still not aware of market volatility and the foreign partners have studied the Indian business mentality. Unfortunately, the economic planners and their mentor have not seen the plight of ultimate customer both in the industrial or domestic consumables. There remains a gap in programmes and implementation. This is again due to the relationship developed for personal or mutual gains. It is for this reason that Indian economy is not able to reach to a level where it should be after 51 years of independence and our rich heritage. None of our programmes and policies are really customer oriented. It is therefore, right time that management at least in Indian industry try and focus attention on the customers.

5. One Time Gains : There are situations where a relationship is made for one time gain. Both the parties join together, fulfil the task expected from each and then depart with no obligation what so ever on either side. All onetime contracts are example of such one time gain. Once the deal is concluded the relationship is severed. But do we have such one time gain contracts?

6. Permanent Gains : Such alliances are made in business world for long time gain to both the sides i.e., the buyer and seller. This is more or less lifetime alliance and therefore, permanent in nature. The buyer or customer gets goods or services from a supplier for a life time use. The seller on the other hand buildup a life time goodwill. This is based on zero defect principle. The seller ensures that after sales service is provided to the customer for the life time utility of the product, goods and services. The customer receives maximum return on his investment. A satisfied customer is perhaps the best and least costly advertiser. A dissatisfied customer is perhaps the worst enemy moving loose in the cruel world of business. Recommendation of a delightful customer is having stronger unpack on prospective customers than any amount of multimedia advertisements. A goodwill build upon satisfied customers will be more potent for growth in sales than any sales promotion gimmicks adopted by any smart salesman. Several examples of customer’s delight are available for goods and services. A customer makes sacrifice and in return he expect that he is relieved of after purchase headaches and botherations. For the sacrifices made the customer expects sound sleep in the night.

7. Promotional Gains : Such alliances are formed at the time of launching of a new products and or a company. Glorious future is projected to lure the prospective customers. Alliance is made between the launcher and brokerage agency or advertising agency. Both the partners to the alliance are gainers. The customer may or may not be the gainer.

It is therefore, clear that objectively all relationships first of all have vested interest. When we talk about the customer-focused management we implied to certain predetermined objectives as narrated above. Organizational culture, the work environment and the perception of seller about customer focus play a very important role in setting up the objective for customer satisfaction. In the business world the relationship are not platonically constructed. There has to be some motive! Holy or unholy.

The management pundits in recent past in India have been quoting and advocating for Japanese style of buyer and seller relationship. It is long lasting and rests on very well established sense of trust. Above all both parties have real price in such long-term relationship. Customer delight is there fore possible. Japan can boast about the national culture and all citizens have great patriotism. This is reflected in there business dealings. It is for this reason the war shattered country rose to a dominating economic and trading force in about thirty years. Japan can today proudly say that it has best of alliances world over. Other nationals look forward to enter in to business collaborations with Japan. India is also one such nation! Over and above personal or mutual gains a Japanese concern would also see the national and social gains. This is customer-focused management. Can we in India have same perception and fix up out strategies for customer satisfaction and elight? Unfortunately in India Japanese collaboration could not get same amount of success due to attitude and outlook of their Indian Counterpart.

Opening of economy and liberalization in trade in the country brought a sea of change in customer’s perception of buyer and seller relationship. The customer today is not only very demanding but also likes to know the relationship between the supplier of goods and services and its relationship with the manufacturer or principal and its antecedents. It is on this relationship depends the guarantee and warranty terms to which the customer is entitled. A customer expects trouble free service during the guarantee period. Thereafter it is expected that a product will last to its full productive life with minimum down time and the vendor will provide the required support service to ensure that customer is not put to trouble.

What is the scene today? There has been a wide gap between the preaching and practice. Very few organizations in the country with certainty can say that their main concern is the customer, By and large even today customers are taken for granted. The objective today also is same what it was yesterday! Just pass on the goods. Get the payment and forget the customer. It is indeed surprising to see the cases pending before the consumer courts. Some of the TV channels have also started programmes to help customers and provide some assistance in solving customer-related problems. To narrate some examples of famous brand names and their customer oriented programmes I first refer to a customer’s letter in a newspaper where after making advance payment a company could not supply a well advertised cooking range for weeks. It is only after prolonged correspondence and follow up the money was returned to the prospective customer without any interest. A friend has some time back purchased a Samsung TV set from an authorized dealer. The TV set developed some problem and it stopped showing picture. Inspite of regular complaints the TV set is still not rectified as the dealer feel that guarantee period is over and dealer’s responsibility is over. Beside, the service engineer i& over worked attending long list of complaints. The famous AIWA brand of music system came out with sales promotional scheme on its music system with supply of fifty CDs free of cost. Many of the customers are still to get all the CDs. A local dealer of computer came out with a sale promotional scheme of cash discount if an Ink Jet printer and a scanner is taken as a package. I become a victim myself when the scanner was collected back by the dealer for repairs after three days of delivery and only after scanning four or five pictures. It is now more than three weeks that a brand new scanner highly recommended by the dealer is not returned after repairs. Most-depressing part is that neither the dealer nor the service center at Delhi could provide positive reply except that they want me to bear some more time with them These are few examples of customer oriented, customer focused management by International Brands. What return is there on the investment made by the customer? The vendor is concerned with getting his money and goes for all sorts of savings by remaining understaffed and under prepared for immediately and promptly attending to the complaints.

The situation in large number of big and small public and private sectors is still worse as far as purely Indian market is concerned. What we are now witnessing is an era of takeovers, mergers and business adjustments. Survivals first than the customer is buzz word. In such a situation the customer is out of focus. Commitment is lacking and generally there is an air of doubt and mistrust. Delayed deliveries, cost-over run projects, untimely payments frequent rejections are the consequences. MNCs entry in the local market has created an atmosphere of uncertainty. Top it all the ‘Swadeshi’ slogan led to a situation of panic and every surviving industry small or big want to make a quick-buck and run away leaving the customer marooned. Be it power supply, railway amenities, air services or public distribution system, what is customer level of satisfaction compared to the price paid? How the international customer rates us in global scene? We have to admire the patience of Indian customer that against all the adverse conditions he is surving. The deaf ear given by the seller is not motivating the buyer but some how he is compelled to tag along with the market conditions hoping to get better days. We leave lot of things to luck and destiny while making financial investments. If it works we are lucky. It is destiny if things do not work. If issue relating to complaint are followed up the customer is a naggingone.

For adopting Japanese management or for customer oriented management we should first have the willingness and a determination much above the petty personal gains. It needs an attitudinal change. Looking towards present socioeconomic and political conditions such change is not foreseen in immediate future. Market forces will have to play the game with only customer in mind if India has to make global presence. There is little time in hand as we are having challenges from all sides. Small nations like Korea, Taiwan, Singapore etc. have already surpassed us. These nations are working on a vision and resultant plans. It is the right time for market players to pamper the customer. As the saying goes, the four deadly sins of corporate management-complacency, blindness, megalomania, and greed. The Chinese know the rule but Japanese observed it that business go where it is invited and stays where it is well treated. Customer is the Boss. The price is what customer pays for goods; the goodwill is what vendor receives from the customer for the value he receives from the goods. It is the value part of the goods that is very important. That is why it is said that customer is the profit everything else is overhead!.