Improving customer service is no longer a matter of choice - the future of an organization depends on it. That is the premise of Denis Walker"s book. Drawing on his personal experience as a manager involved in the dramatic transformation of British Airways, he sets out a model for planning, implementing and maintaining a service improvement programme designed to create competitive advantage. The first part of the book introduces key concepts and offers a template for auditing the service "health" of any organization. The second part provides a framework for improvement, with examples from a range of business and public-sector activities. The third part tells the story of British Airways from 1983 to 1989 and explains how "putting the customer first" helped to turn a slow-moving bureaucracy into a competitive and customer-responsive organization. The book concludes by demonstrating the benefits of such a programme - for customers, for staff and managers and for all other stake-holders.