Putting the customer first

How many times in the past have we heard of the strategy of “putting the customer first” [James Smith aims for change plan by 1 January]? It just seems like every time there are changes in the organization’s hierarchy the new person thinks he is reinventing the wheel. Spending more than 30 years at the Baron, I’d lost track of the number of times these words were uttered by one of the company’s top executives. It’s hard to imagine that in the current economic climate there are any businesses that would not claim that customer satisfaction is the top priority. ■