OG 10th 36

advantage for a company does not mean that every attempt

at improving service will create such an advantage. Invest-

ments in service, like those in production and distribution,

(5) must be balanced against other types of investments on the

basis of direct, tangible benefits such as cost reduction and

increased revenues. If a company is already effectively on a

par with its competitors because it provides service that

avoids a damaging reputation and keeps customers from

(10) leaving at an unacceptable rate, then investment in higher

service levels may be wasted, since service is a deciding

factor for customers only in extreme situations.

This truth was not apparent to managers of one regional

bank, which failed to improve its competitive position

(15) despite its investment in reducing the time a customer had

to wait for a teller. The bank managers did not recognize

the level of customer inertia in the consumer banking

industry that arises from the inconvenience of switching

banks. Nor did they analyze their service improvement to

(20) determine whether it would attract new customers by pro-

ducing a new standard of service that would excite cus-

tomers or by proving difficult for competitors to copy. The

only merit of the improvement was that it could easily be

described to customers.

Nor did they analyze their service improvement to determine whether it would attract new customers by producing a new standard of service that would excite customers or by proving difficult for competitors to copy.

请问这句话怎么翻译呢？特别是划线部分，是修饰service还是修饰整个whether从句？就是说or by...后置，正常的语序应该是whether it would...by producing...or by proving...that would excite customers?

从全文来看，我觉得后置的解释比较容易理解，但是单纯从语法上说的话，原文的语序没有问题。所以有点困惑。

请各位nn帮忙解释一下。