The Customer: A battered Child

“Get closer to your customer – or else”; “If we don’t take care of our customers, somebody else will”; “With us you’re number one”. Phrases, phrases, and more phrases. Not a single word in the marketing world has been more abused than the term ‘customer satisfaction’. It’s hip to deliver satisfaction; it fills conference rooms, goes down darn well at cocktail parties, and is the favourite topic in any marketing magazine.

It’s been on the international scene for quite a while – and with good reason. Locally, however, it lagged far behind. Every now and then it came up again, but never gaining momentum.