From Satisfaction to Strategy: How Generative AI Reinforces Customer-Centric Business and Redefines Workforce Skills

In an era marked by technological acceleration, customer satisfaction remains a key driver of competitive differentiation. This paper revisits the strategic role of customer-centricity in modern businesses and expands upon it through the lens of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). While traditional approaches to customer relationship management emphasize human insight and service quality, emerging AI technologies—such as large language models, recommendation engines, and conversational assistants—enable new modes of interaction, personalization, and feedback analysis. Drawing on a case study of the German food delivery startup Oh!Salad, the study explores how GenAI can enhance customer satisfaction and reshape marketing and service strategies. Furthermore, the paper examines the evolving skillsets required by employees operating in AI-augmented environments, arguing that organizations must not only embrace technical innovation but also cultivate adaptive, collaborative, and ethical capabilities among their workforce. This interdisciplinary investigation bridges marketing strategy, organizational development, and workforce transformation in the age of generative AI.