Adaptive customer relationship management contingency model under disruptive events

Purpose: Given that few studies examine how disruptive events affect customer relationships during and after the event, this study examines the resilience of companies in Puerto Rico, their underlying vulnerabilities, and how they deployed customer relationship management (CRM) resilience strategies during and after Hurricane Maria. Design/methodology/approach: The study analyzed data gathered from qualitative focus groups composed of 41 firms via an exploratory approach. Participants were business owners and managers of enterprises in Puerto Rico. Findings: All companies faced critical government infrastructure failures that affected their CRM activities. Firms implemented one or more CRM resilience strategies in response to the natural disaster. Accordingly, a comprehensive, adaptive CRM contingency model was postulated using marketing crisis management strategies discussed in the literature, existing resilience models and research studies in marketing resilience. The adaptive CRM contingency model operationalizes all processes at the business-logic level via the event-driven process chain (EPC) language, thus making it easier to understand and employ. Originality/value: This study presents a unique model that shows the value of CRM and its capacity to evolve under disruptive environments that affect company–customer relationships. The operationalization of the model allows practitioners, policymakers and academic researchers to better understand how CRM is not only a suitable tool for managing business continuity after a natural disaster but also a mitigating technique for responding to new customer needs and expectations.