MIT Sloan Management Review Article on You Can't Afford to Please Everyone

The internet enables companies to serve customers faster than ever, but it has also made people more impatient, often expecting an instant response. With services representing an important sector of the U.S. and other Western economies, managing those demands and enhancing quality and efficiency will be an increasingly critical component to how businesses compete. But sometimes, the best way to handle ever-higher customer expectations is to under-deliver in some areas or to certain segments so you can be right on target where it matters most. That’s what Amy R. Ward, the Rothman Family Professor of Operations Management at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, has found in her research on operational efficiency.

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Frieda Klotz is a freelance journalist and correspondent for MIT Sloan Management Review. She tweets @friedaklotz.

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