Chapter 12 : Services and Nonprofit Organization Marketing

       Not only does Banana Republic treat their customers with care, but they also treat their employees well. They are a company that utilizes internal marketing, which is when a company is treating their employees as customers by developing systems and benefits that satisfy their needs. Yes, they may be looking for employees to purchase product, but they do this by providing the employees with all kinds of different benefits. According to a store employee, one example is their employee discount, which is an incentive for employees to purchase clothing not only in Banana Republic, but at all the Gap Inc. brands. The company also allows employees to extend this discount to spouses of employees as well as in certain cases partners (for same-sex relationships). Banana Republic and Gap Inc. are some of the few company's that actually recognize LGBT relationships (non-marriage) with their discount. Banana Republic also allows employees to take out Banana cards which allows employees the freedom to participate in regular customer sales. Banana Republic offers their employees these discounts and opportunities because they want to show their employees appreciation for what they are doing for the business. Not to mention, if employees are able to buy their clothing due to the discounts awarded to them, they are more likely to wear that clothing in store. This is a cheap marketing technique, since customers and people outside the stores will see Banana Republic clothing being worn by the employees.
 

The Banana Republic/Gap Inc. Employee Discount Policy

       As mentioned in previous posts, Banana Republic is a very customer service oriented business. One thing they are known for is their reliability and responsiveness to customers. Someone looking to buy Banana Republic clothing knows that they can walk into any of the store locations and be helped immediately. If they can’t find an item, an employee is there willing to find it or locate it at another store. They offer customers empathy when they come in looking for clothing for a specific reason and they go that extra mile to make the customer’s experience a great one. This type of service is intangible; it’s not like the product that they can buy. Banana Republic goes above and beyond just providing a core service because they really want to be seen as a business that cares for its customers.