CUSTOMER PREFERENCES IN SELECTING A SUPPLIER IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STRENGTHENING OF SUPPLIER-CUSTOMER RELATIONS

The basic prerequisite for building long-term relationships between suppliers and customers is the convenience of cooperation for all participating subjects. The benefits arising in relation to the sacrifices incurred, however, can always be assessed only by the recipient, based on the subjective perception of the value obtained. From the supplier's perspective, this means that the solution it offers needs to be most consistent with the preferences of the customer. However, the perceived value in markets with highly commoditized products is often affected by factors that the supplier have no chance to reveal, and thereby accommodate the range of its services and products, without establishing closer relationships with its customers. It is therefore very important for suppliers to identify the parameters of products and services supplied and other factors that the customers find important when selecting a supplier and how and why their preferences change over time. It is the initial step for the effective operation of the company in relation to the customers, strengthening relationships and improving the performance of the supplier as well as that of the entire value network. The aim of the quantitative research in body shops was therefore to identify the parameters of products and services supplied and other factors that the customers find important and whether their preferences differ. Based on the factor and cluster analyses, factors were first identified that influence the customers when selecting a supplier on the monitored market, and consequently the customers were segmented according to their preferences.