>'Customers can blame themselves.' I agree. I don't fault IBM for the above anecdote - it's what the customer agreed to and in a way it was surely in the cust

>'Customers can blame themselves.' I agree. I don't fault IBM for the above anecdote - it's what the customer agreed to and in a way it was surely in the customer's best in best interest. The organization in question had long since stopped rewarding or investing in any sort of homegrown excellence. Sadly, it's the same cycle all the way through - neglecting internal investment until you have no choice but to continue paying your minders on their terms.