AN ASSESSEMENT OF MARKETING CONCEPT IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

As competition between businesses geared up, if becomes imperative to turn, attention to customers needs and wants which are naturally insatiable. The marketing concept arose to challenge all other previous concept. Orjih (1998) in his book “Seminar in Banking and finance.” Concluded that marketing concept holds the key to achieving organizational goals consists in determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfaction more / effectively and efficiently than its competitions. The marketing concept is of frame of mind which the market focus, customer orientation coordinated marketing and profitability.

The marketing concepts starts with a well defined market, and the organization that determines who its markets will be, who he hopes to satisfy as concluded by Melver and Geoffrey (1980) in book “Marketing financial services. 

By customer orientation, it implies that the customer’s need is defined from customer’s view point and not from the aspect of the company. The customer’s orientation seeks to crown the customers as “king” recognizing the fact that the customers are the life blood of an organization. A business man once said that “Our aim goes beyond satisfying the customers”. Coordinating marketing entails that all the various marketing function like, advertising, marketing research, sales forces and so on due properly integrated and must be well coordinated with other departments in the company. The companies are to make profit. A company will make more profit, if it satisfies its customer’s needs better than competitors. Therefore, in applying the marketing concept, companies would produce what the customers want, and by so doing, they maximize more profit.

Several authors have stated the need to adopt the marketing concept by the business entities. Kilter (1997) in his book “marketing management analysis, planning and control”.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS

In banking industries, the quality of services rendered by the banks has been attracting critisms from people in all works of life. The government functionaries, businessmen, the media and the general public are all very critical of banking services. The complaint ranges from those of efficiency, favoritism, long delays in casting cheques or making withdrawals, tardiness in granting loans or credits, unfriendly attitude of bank workers. Even the government that owns a sizeable proportion of shares in most banks is known to constant accusation of banks for not identifying enough with nation’s aspiration. That is the reason why one time the general staff had a cause to appeal to banks to leave arm chair banking and adopt the marketing concept in carrying out banking activities. Most banks do not put their customers in the prime place as there are supposed to be. There is now keen competition and accurate competition means applying the marketing concepts. Now, are these critisms about banks justified, or are they just a mere rundown of banking industry because they are making profit in an era of economic slump?

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

From all that have been written above, it is the aim of this study to take a segment of the banking industry and study the approach of the banks to their customer.

– To evaluate the application of the marketing concept by banks as a base for rendering services to their customers.

– To determine the various ways of marketing of banking services by the banks to their customers.

– To determine the effectiveness of marketing mix in the marketing of financial services.

– To identify the problems of marketing of banking services

– To proffer solutions to the problem of marketing of financial services.

– To appraise marketing strategies and make recommendations that would be more effective in the marketing services.

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION 

– What is the amount of time spent by customers in carious banks during a normal banking transaction? 

– What is the reaction of customers as to the rendering of banks services?

– How does bank staff and customers relates one another?

– Does banks provide enough services and infrastructural facilities?

– Does banks apply marketing concepts by satisfying their customers in the way they render their services?

1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

The project is conducted with the aim of providing which to accept between null and alternative hypothesis, which is stated below.

Ho: Application of marketing concepts is not the bases for rendering effective service to bank customers by banks.

 Hi: Application of marketing concept is the bases for rendering effective services to bank customers by banks.

Ho: Time Consuming is not one of the problems in the banking services.

Hi: Time consuming is one of the problems in the banking services

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

There have been so many criticisms about the banking industry in the way they render services to their customers. They do not see their customers as the king. The researcher wants to carry out a research an what banks do and find out if they adopt the marketing concept in the conditions of the services. The researcher also want to have an empirical base either to support all the sources about the poor impression people have on the banks and to advice the banks on how to improve on their services by adopting the marketing concept. The magic formular is adopting marketing as a way of life. A business must learn to think of itself not as producing goods services, but as buying customers and doing the things which will make people we to deal with it.

1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

The scope of this study is very wide if it has to be carried out in all commercial banks in Nigeria. The study is limited, based on the fact that there is not enough time and resources to see to the whole nation. The study is limited to Enugu and the findings may not be valid for the whole banks in Nigeria, but by and large, what happens in Banks in Enugu can be said to apply to other banks.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Marketing:- Marketing is a process by which the customer and the customer’s wants are clearly identified and understood and then satisfied by the benefits of the goods or services supplied by the organizations. Chartered Institute of Marketing defined marketing as the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying consumers requirements profitability.

 Banking:- The banking act of 1979 and the bank other financial institutions act (BoFIA) 1991 SEC 25 defined banking as “The business of accepting deposit and collection of cheques and other instruments on behalf of customers, payment of cheques properly drawn by customers, providing finance to customers by way of overdrafts or loans, providing foreign exchange for individuals and corporate customers involved in manufacturing and providing expert financial advice to the customers generally” and other transactions as the commercial may, on the recommendation of the federal Gazette designate as banking business.