Translation help please – Meaning of 「〜というが」


I am working on a translation and came across this phrase:

> 「お客様は神様」 **というが** 、客からのクレームをニーズとし、それにチャレンジしていく企業家精神は、どの時代にあっても必要である。

I am having trouble following the structure of this sentence – I follow that
起業家精神 is the subject of the predicate どの時代にあっても必要である, but I really don't
follow the first clause 「お客様は神様」 **というが**. Is this a nominalization (i.e.
would it be correct to say this as 「お客様は神様」というのが)? Another idea that crossed
my mind was that this might be a way to show a quotation/abstract idea (maybe
something like "The idea that 'the customer is god'"…).

I am at loss here and I would really appreciate any advice or insight that
would point me in the right direction.




This というが consists of the quotative particle と, the verb 言う (say), and the
connector が (as/and/although).

That part literally means "(they) say お客様は神様だ, and, ...", where "they" refers
to the general public. In this context, the author says that お客様は神様 is a
generally accepted idea, and then explains the spirit of that proverb.

Note that that "and" should be translated as "but" depending on what is said
in the latter half of the sentence.

> よく「お客様は神様」というが、それは違うと思う。  
>  People often say "the customer is god/king/always-right," _but_ I think
> that's not true.




This というが consists of the quotative particle と, the verb 言う (say), and the
connector が (as/and/although).

That part literally means "(they) say お客様は神様だ, and, ...", where "they" refers
to the general public. In this context, the author says that お客様は神様 is a
generally accepted idea, and then explains the spirit of that proverb.

Note that that "and" should be translated as "but" depending on what is said
in the latter half of the sentence.

> よく「お客様は神様」というが、それは違うと思う。  
>  People often say "the customer is god/king/always-right," _but_ I think
> that's not true.

