An Evolution in Customer Orientation

Abstract

Customer demand a century ago was basically determined by what was being produced in factories. Mass production had arrived, courtesy of the Industrial Revolution, and strong demand for those products rendered unnecessary any form of focus on whether customer were in fact pleased with these products. Today the competition for customers is much greater and most blue-collar workers have traded up to white collars by earning their money in the service industry. Citing the global economy as a culprit, it has become more and more difficult to maintain a high degree of competitive differentiation for specific products on offer, or to be the consistent low-price supplier, for that matter. In our economic environment, labor, raw materials and other means of production are in ready supply to most producers. Successful companies know how to combine a competitively priced and good product with customer satisfaction. It has become increasingly difficult to remain successful in the long term if one excels in only one of the following areas.