Customer relationship management (CRM) has once again gained prominence amongst academics and practitioners. However, there is a tremendous amount of confusion regarding its domain and meaning. This paper, explores the conceptual foundations of CRM by examining the literature on relationship marketing and other disciplines that contribute to the knowledge of CRM. A CRM process framework is proposed that builds on other relationship development process models.Customers are the focal point in the development of successful marketing strategy. Marketing strategies both influence and are influenced by consumers' affect and cognition, behavior and environment. In the banking field a unique 'Relationship' exists between the customers and the bank. But because of various reasons and apprehensions like financial burdens, risk of failure, marketing inertia etc., many banks are still following the traditional ways of marketing and only few banks are making attempts to adapt CRM.