We deal with pricing issues from a customer as well as from a management perspective. For example, we study how price complexity is perceived by customers, how price fairness affects customers’ buying decisions, and how customers choose between tariffs. On the other hand, we analyse why suppliers offer price discounts to some of their business clients, which type of pricing best supports the introduction of new products (in cooperation with researchers of the European Business School), and how pricing can be optimized in multi-channel distribution systems.

Selected publications

• Luoma, J., Falk, T., Totzek, D., Tikkanen, H., Mrozek, A. (2018), Big Splash, No Waves? Cognitive Mechanisms Driving Incumbent Firms’ Responses to Low-Price Market Entry Strategies, Strategic Management Journal, 39, 5, 1388-1410.

• Homburg, Ch., Totzek, D., Krämer, M. (2014), How Price Complexity Takes its Toll: The Neglected Role of a Simplicity Bias and Fairness in Price Evaluations, Journal of Business Research, 67, 6, 1114-1122.
• Homburg, Ch., Totzek, D. (2011, Hrsg.), Preismanagement auf Business-to-Business-Märkten, Wiesbaden. (in German)
• Homburg, Ch., Koschate, N., Totzek, D. (2010), How Price Increases Affect Future Purchases: The Role of Mental Budgeting, Income, and Framing, Psychology & Marketing, 27, 1, 36-53.

Services Marketing is another central research area at the Chair of Marketing and Services. We examine, for example, reasons that induce clients to adopt innovative services. Furthermore, we deal with the characteristics of knowledge-intense services, so called Professional Services, and shed light on different aspects of the employee-customer-interaction in a Professional Services context.

Selected publications

• Totzek, D., Maar, D. (2016), Professionelle Dienstleistungen: Zentrale Charakteristika und Managementherausforderungen, in: Corsten, H., Roth, S. (Eds.), Handbuch Dienstleistungsmanagement, München, 461-479. (in German)

In the field of Customer Relationship Management we work, among other topics, on questions that relate to the management of customer portfolios and to the preferential treatment of customers. Currently, we explore whether short-term investments in customer relations such as discounts pay off in the long run.

Selected publications

• Homburg, Ch., Steiner, V., Totzek, D. (2009), Managing Dynamics in a Customer Portfolio, Journal of Marketing, 73, 5, 70-89.
• Homburg, Ch., Droll, M., Totzek, D. (2008), Customer Prioritization: Does It Pay Off, and How Should It Be Implemented?, Journal of Marketing, 72, 5, 110-130.

We are particularly interested in relationships between companies across different areas of marketing (e.g., pricing, relationship marketing, services research). In this context, we are especially addressing the specificities of pricing in business-to-business markets. For instance, we currently investigate the economic and customer-related outcomes of price negotiations and explore the design of complex contracts between business partners.

Selected publications

• Hofer, K. M., Niehoff-Hoeckner, L. M., Totzek, D. (2018), Organizing and Implementing Export Pricing: Performance Effects and Moderating Factors, Journal of International Marketing, forthcoming.
• Homburg, Ch., Totzek, D. (2011, Hrsg.), Preismanagement auf Business-to-Business-Märkten, Wiesbaden. (in German)
• Totzek, D., Alavi, S. (2010), Professionalisierung des Preismanagements auf Business-to-Business-Märkten: Die Rolle der Marktorientierung und der Unternehmenskultur, zfbf, 62, 8, 533-562. (in German)