摘要：Purpose The creation of customer value is allegedly at the centre of relationships between service recipients and service providers (in general, such as financial service organisation, and commercial banks in particular). Design/methodology/approach The article combines archival research with 75 semi-structured interviews with senior managers in nine European markets to ascertain the role of customer value creation in the strategic response of banks to external innovation. Findings All countries recorded a shift from a supply-oriented strategic stance to the development of skills to retain customers and even becoming a one-stop financial service institution for their customers. However, greater emphasis on customer profitability was seldom followed by recognition of the key capabilities required for high customer value creation. This is as a response to most interviewees failing to provide an articulated account of how to achieve that profitability. Research in this article, therefore, suggested the predominance of supplied oriented strategies amongst European financial services and thus, contributes to a discussion central to the marketing of financial services, relationship banking and total quality management (TQM) in financial firms. Originality/value This article explores how customer orientation has come about, the role of information and communication technologies in that process and whether, on balance, customer orientation is a reality in retail finance.
