Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore marketing analysis by developing a customer loyalty approach for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the service sector, based on customer relationship management (CRM) in the context of an emerging economy. Design/methodology/approach: This study analyzes different models of CRM in the literature and defines a loyalty approach for SMEs in the service sector. It is characterized as exploratory research, with a qualitative approach. A systematic review of the literature is undertaken as the starting point for achieving the main objective of the study. Findings: The need to develop a framework for an approach to customer loyalty for SMEs based on CRM and to make it operational. Research limitations/implications: It is a qualitative and exploratory study, applied only to a company’s two main clients. Practical implications: The contribution of this study is that it offers SMEs consistent guidelines on how best to conduct relationship management with their customers by using a systemic methodology that can be adapted to the requirements of more effective interaction between a company and its customers. It also provides coherence to the purpose of meeting customers’ needs. This is an action strategy that focuses especially on the use of tools, such as SERVQUAL, Kano and SWOT analysis, and thereby increases the competitive profile of organizations in this sector. Originality/value: This study is a new approach to customer loyalty for SMEs in the service sector, which integrates elements of CRM strategy and implementation.

This paper aims to analyze the opinion of tourists about airlines’ service in a developing country. For this, the study proposes to make a comparative analysis of two evaluation models (SERVQUAL and SERVPERF) to investigate the factors that influence the formation of perceived quality in airline services, using statistical techniques such as Cluster Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling. Although the results were not the same, the result of both analyzes indicated two common dimensions (tangibles and empathy) that influence the customer’s perception of the airline service quality. The main conclusion of this study is that the two analyzes are convergent for the study sample. The SERVQUAL and cluster analysis allow airline managers to identify and prioritize gaps in service delivery according to criticality, aiming at the allocation of efficient resources by the airline. The SERVPERF and SEM provide statistical evidence of the impact of different dimensions of service quality on customer satisfaction, highlighting the direct relationship between satisfaction and dimensions. Considering how customers evaluate the service provided by airlines, particularly regarding the service they receive from airport employees, this study has relevance for decisions taken by airline managers to develop quality services, and provide guidelines for improvements in airline services.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) stand out in the economy of countries, since they act as a source of income and employment for the population, social cohesion, market diversification, in addition to contributing to poverty reduction. Currently, companies around the world have faced the consequences of the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, mainly SMEs. The demand for initiatives that contribute to increasing the productivity of SMEs is related to their importance for the countries’ economy. One of the factors to increase the competitive capacity of SMEs is to encourage quality and compliance certification through the ISO 9001. This paper proposes a methodology for assessing the main difficulties faced by SMEs in implementing ISO 9001:2015 requirements. This research is exploratory and qualitative. A case study was carried out in two Brazilian enterprises. The results indicate that the barriers associated with the implementation of the requirements are mainly associated with leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making and risk management. This study provides important conclusions for managers of SMEs in implementing the requirements of the ISO 9001:2015.

Changes in the global scenario of healthcare segment have influenced the organizational dynamics. The patients have more options of service providers, and regulatory agencies have demanded the maximization of service quality, improvement of performance indexes, and expansion of service offerings. The purpose of this study is to identify which variables affect client loyalty in relation to the services provided by medicals and dentals clinics, analyzing how these measures can be used to group patients to identify the variables that are decisive for such classification. So, this study evaluated loyalty of the patients through 21 indicators. Data multivariate analysis was used to identify latent factors, to verify how customers could be classified and to identify the most relevant variables. Two latent factors were identified; three clusters by grouping them into loyalty levels and eight indicators. The determinants of satisfaction, brand value, affective commitment, loyalty intent and perceived value were the most relevant for classification. This study contributes to the analysis of the influence of determinants on loyalty intentions. The classification function can be used in health segments to predict patient behavior, and can guide managers in adapting important factors to patient loyalty.

There is growing interest in evaluating the quality of services provided. This has allowed government program and policy makers to identify bottlenecks and highlight requirements that lead to the optimization of public resources. Furthermore, the supply of public health services tends to be precarious in developing countries due to increased demand and diminished resources. Thus, this paper proposes an integrated approach to the Kano Model and the Balanced Scorecard perspectives for improving public hospital services. The investigation was carried out in a Brazilian public hospital. The hospital is known as a regional reference center in several medical specialties and one of the pioneers in total quality programs in public hospitals in the country. This study is original because it developed a new approach that integrates the BSC and the Kano Model for the context of health services. The association between these methodologies is useful for strategic planning and a better understanding by managers of the aspects that most impact patient satisfaction in the public hospital. This approach allows hospital public managers to assess the program’s internal efforts to combat neglected diseases and improve patient adherence indicators for treatment. The assessments can also be used as monitoring tools and parameters so that decision makers can make improvements in public health actions.