Recession can improve customer centricity

Graham Hill recently wrote a post at Customer Think about how, even though the current rough times, companies can focus on and build customer centricity. Should companies are following his five ideals to build customer centricity, they should have a customer base to carry them through the recession. Are you?

1. Having a deep understanding of customer needs (based on customer jobs and outcomes)
2. Mass customisation of products, services & experiences
3. Dynamically reconfigurable delivery system
4. Lean business support systems
5. Customer value management across the customer portfolio

Customer service help? $15 please

With a struggling economy, many companies are trying to find the extra dollars to keep going. At The Consumerist, they tell about the latest fee at Mervyn's, a department store that's currently closing all its locations. One customer called to pay her bill over the phone, and was informed that she'd have to pay $15 for any service over the phone, whether or not she was calling to pay her bill or addressing another issue.

Even though the company is going out of business, they're still not treating their customers with much respect. What other ways have you seen customer service falter due to the current economic situation?