Case Study: Comparing Customer Relations of Walmart and 7-Eleven

This case study examines the customer relations and service strategies of Walmart and 7-Eleven, comparing their strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities. The analysis highlights Walmart's effective pickup and delivery service, emphasis on customer safety, and use of advanced technologies. 7-Eleven is also focusing on technology like software applications and 24/7 customer service. Weaknesses include Walmart's standardized service and privacy concerns, and 7-Eleven's lack of employee privacy policies and reduced direct customer interaction. Threats involve Walmart's privacy policy and 7-Eleven's lack of customer trend awareness. Opportunities for Walmart involve leveraging technology and social media, while 7-Eleven can expand in Asian and Latin American markets and improve digital service. The study utilizes academic sources to support its findings and offers a detailed comparison of the two companies' approaches to customer relations.

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

BACKGROUND OF THE
ORGANISATIONS
 Walmart has more than 10,000 retail
stores across the world and operates in
27 countries with different names
(corporate.walmart.com 2019). As a
matter of fact, Walmart is ranked the
top in the highest revenue generating
companies around the world with a
worth of US$ 500 billion (Walmart.com
2019).
 7-Eleven has lesser market
capitalisation operating in 17
countries. Founded in 1927, 7-Eleven
still fails to maximise its market
effectively in the international platform
profoundly (corp.7-eleven.com 2019).

COMPANY STRENGTHS
 The pickup and delivery service of Walmart is
considered to be an effective approach that
the Walmart management is carried out in
order to make a good relationship with the
local customers.
 It is also important for Walmart to ensure the
security and safety of its customers that will
help the organisation to maintain ethical
business practice and retain customers
effectively (corporate.walmart.com 2017).

COMPANY STRENGTHS
 7-Eleven management is looking for utilising
advanced and popular technologies. For
instance, using software application for the
local and remote customers is undoubtedly
an important aspect for 7-Eleven to form a
better service mechanism for the customers.
 A 24/7 customer service number that is
entitled to assist the customers in anytime
(corp.7-eleven.com 2019). The purpose of the
organisation is to provide the best solution to
the customers within a quick response so that
they do not have wait for long.

COMPANY WEAKNESSES
 One of the major weaknesses
of Walmart’s customer service
practice is that the service
practice is the same in all the
stores both domestic and
international market.
 The privacy policy of Walmart
states that sharing customer
information with subsidiary
company is practiced. It is not
possible for the customers to
have knowledge regarding all
the subsidiaries of Walmart.

COMPANY WEAKNESSES
 Lack of employee privacy policy
is also considered to be a great
problem for 7-Eleven to satisfy
the expectation of the
customers.
 Putting high emphasis on the
technology makes it lack of
direct interaction with the
customers.

COMPANY THREATS
 Walmart does not have strict regulation over
its privacy policy. Based on the research of
Kumar and Reinartz (2016) it can be stated
that privacy policy is identified as one of the
important aspects for the business
organisations because it generates some sort
of satisfaction and assurance to the
customers to purchase products without
having a breach of information.

COMPANY THREATS
 Lack of imagination of the customer priorities
and market trend lead to a monotonous and
prolonged customer service practice from the
point of view of the customer (Dupre 2016).
 There is no such employee training and
development practice that the organisation is
follow in order to create an effective
customer service mechanism.

COMPANY OPPORTUNITIES
 Using the advanced technologies can help to
gain more competitive advantage in the
market (Walmart.com 2019). It can be stated
that using social media as a right platform to
grab the attention of the customers and
directly make conversation with them.

COMPANY OPPORTUNITIES
 One of the major opportunities for
the organisation is that it still has
a large market in the Asian and
Latin American region that can be
exploited highly.
 Using technology to deliver
products or making a direct
complaint acceptance wing so
that digitally all the customer
service related issues can be
resolved.

REFERENCE
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 Charoensukmongkol, P. and Sasatanun, P., 2017. Social media use for CRM and business performance satisfaction: The moderating roles
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 corp.7-eleven.com 2019. About Us - 7-Eleven Corporate. [online] Corp.7-eleven.com. Available at: https://corp.7-eleven.com/corp/about
[Accessed 28 Jul. 2019].
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