A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration, School of Management

Research Studies Project Report (M.B.A.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001

Telecommunication industry in Pakistan as well as in Thailand is in the process of deregulation and privatization. After the deregulation, many companies will enter into this traditionally monopolistic market. In order to cope with the future muti-operator market scenario, keeping pace with only technological advancement is not enough as the competitors are now a days able to bridge the technological gap in matter of days. Similarly companies cannot compete on prices also in this sector is rapidly becoming a commodity market. The only way the companies can gain competitive advantage is their customer relations. This research study investigates as to what the two companies - Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd. and Telephone Organization of Thailand - have done or are planning to do in terms of Customer Relationship Management in order to survive in the future competitive environment. The CRM initiatives of the two organizations have been assessed and compared in the light of a strategic CRM framework. Special attention has been paid to the working of the Customer Services Centers I Offices, services offered and problems faced by them. It has been found in this research study that the cun-ent status of CRM initiatives is not much different in the two organizations. Both the organizations have realized the importance of the subject in order to gain competitive advantage in the future and have started working on it. However, the pace of the work is not satisfactory in both the organizations. One of the reasons for this slow pace of work is the respective government interference and bureaucratic working environment of the two organizations.