Housing management and the creation of customer value

Creating customer value is the greatest challenge facing profit and non- profit landlords nowadays. By offering valuable products landlords can distinguish themselves from competitors in the housing market. In marketing literature two meanings exist for the phrase "customer value": value of a customer and value for the customer. As a matter of fact, this distinction refers to the traditional contrast between exchange value and the utility value of housing. One meaning is the value of a customer for the landlord. The customer as tenant is seen as an asset; as a potential source of income representing a certain value. The second meaning is value for the customer, created by the landlord by offering a bundle or package of qualities. Both forms of customer value are connected to each other. This paper deals with creating customer value in the second meaning. One of the ways to create superior value for a tenant is by extending the traditional product 'housing' with additional services. For this reason landlords in the Netherlands are developing all kinds of additional services, such as health care services, comfort services, safety and security services etc. The value adding potential of additional services must however not be overestimated. This article focuses on the possibilities and limitations of additional services to provide additional value to the traditional product of landlords: 'housing' (DOGGE, 2003).