The One-Size-Fits-One Product
FIn the old days--about three or four years ago--we consumers asked the companies we did business with for higher quality and greater responsiveness.  They did not let us down. FToday, however, responsiveness and quality no longer guarantee that consumers will be loyal to those we do business with.  Aware that companies will give us what we want, we’re asking for more, and that “more” is flexibility.
FWe want them to give us what we want, not what they want to give us.
FFlexibility means we’re looking for companies to treat us as individuals and not like members of the herd. FGary Heil & Tom Parker, “One Size No Longer Fits All,” Information Week, 27 Feb 95, p. 112
Reference:  Gary Heil, Tom Parker, & Rick Tate, Leadership And The Customer Revolution, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1995

At one time we were satisfied with a one-size-fits-all product or service; now we want businesses to bend to our will.
On a rational level, this means we’re more insistent that a product meet our special needs.
Information and new technology are at the heart of the move toward customizing service.

Reference:  James Cash, “Listen to Your Customers,” Information Week, 27-Feb-95, p. 108

Customers today expect greater variety and customization, more sophisticated product features, and better service.  In response, savvy marketers are shifting from a traditional “make and sell” approach to a knowledge-intensive “sense-and-service” strategy.