CHAPTER NINEDo YourCustomersSend YouEnergy?

Business flows from inputs, through processes, to outputs. In the magic of metaphors, it also loops back. When the entire flow works optimally, customers are more than passive receivers of outputs; as we said earlier, they also send energy back up the flow to providers. Customers energize well-run businesses regularly.

The clothing designer who gets his ideas from trendsetting teenagers, the fast-food chain that responds to customers’ desires for healthier fare, and the accounting firm that honors their obligations to the investment community and not just their clients—these are examples of businesses energized by their true and ultimate customers.

In this chapter, we look at a few industries that produce ...

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