This article focuses on the key relationship marketing tools of customer
service, loyalty/rewards programs, brand/store community,
personalization and customization, and their relationship with customer
retention. The relationship between customer service, loyalty/rewards
programs, customization, personalization, brand/store community and
customer retention were examined via an empirical investigation of 450
loyalty/reward program members of three retail stores in Malaysia. The
administration of the survey was personally administered but
self-completed. Four of the five relationship marketing tools, namely,
customer service, loyalty/rewards programs, brand/store community and
personalization, had a significant positive relationship with customer
retention. The findings provided valuable insights into the loyalty
program management practices of retail stores in a developing country
context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]