Customer Focus All Ways.

A retail chain revamps its design and there is much back-slapping and pronouncement.

Sarah Doyle, marketing director of Eat says, "We are very excited to be unveiling EAT.’s new look which we feel reflects the core principles on which our brand was originally founded. It is modern and stylish, yet also has a natural, simple and handcrafted feel, which reflects the essence of our food. The new design marks the start of a new stage of growth and expansion for the business."

All very nice, but there's no mention there of improved service or better customer experience. Indeed, there's virtually no mention of the customer at all and even though this is taken from a design magazine, I think that's unforgiveable.

Blinkered broadcasting isn't limited to advertising and if you're not mentioning your customer front and centre, then you run the risk of appearing to belong to the old school of marketing by message. You also run the risk of forgetting what your job is.

Addendum: That said, I do think it's a little harsh of the article to refer to "The new Strand flagship store, with inferiors by Stiff and Trevillion."

They're not that bad.

Start Making Sense.

So, British Airways serve in-flight croissants. It's hardly a deal-clincher is it? And not just because we all know what fast-food croissants inevitably taste like. But when they go on to describe a light breakfast in such ridiculously overblown and patronising language, you have to wonder if they got the memo about treating customers as sentient human beings.

Guilt-free friend indeed. Too fly to serve more like.