Customer retention also will be strongly influenced by customer satisfaction with the organization's services. Parasuraman et al. (1991, p. 133) explained that, where customers have an ongoing need or desire for a service, the gaining and retaining of customers is referred to as "relationship marketing." Such "true customers" become invaluable "word of mouth" advocates for a service, their loyalty often meaning more long-term profits for the service provider than would be obtained from several short-term and less loyal customers. Armstrong (1991, p. 60) sees customer retention as the yardstick to measure and improve quality, claiming that customers should be viewed as "potential disciples for life.