CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT AND SALES PERFORMANCE IN ITEM7 RESTAURANTS, ILORIN, KWARA STATE

In today’s business environment, relationship building is very essential for firms’ survival, efficiency, performance, and competitiveness, this is because the growth of any business lies in the level of patronage of customers as regards their products. The aim was to investigate customer relationship management and sales performance in Item7 restaurants in Ilorin. The objectives were to (i) determine how complaint handling affects the Level of Sales performance in Item7 restaurants; (ii) examine how Repeated purchase rate influence the sales performance in Item7 restaurants; (iii) examine the effect of customer service and support on Increase Performance of sales of Item7 restaurants; and (iv) evaluate the effect of customer satisfaction on sales performance of Item7 restaurants. A quantitative methods approach was employed, utilizing surveys to gather insights from staff of Items 7 within Ilorin metropolis. The questionnaire was physically administered to 60 employees of Items in Unilorin, Oke-odo and Tipper Garage branches and the data was analysed using regression. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between complaint handling and improved sales performance. Also, a strong correlation between repeated purchase rate and sales performance of Item7 restaurants was established. Furthermore, it was revealed that adequate customer service and support services substantially increase the performance of sales of Item7 restaurants. Lastly, it was revealed that customer satisfaction has significant effect on sales performance of Item7 restaurants. The study concluded that effective complaint management systems and exceptional customer service are crucial drivers of increased customer loyalty and enhanced sales. Recommendations include improving staff training, establishing a robust complaint handling process, implementing customer loyalty programs, and leveraging technology for real-time feedback.