| In our ongoing research we have uncovered the ten | | | | product or service will conform to the customer's |
| statistical predictors of satisfaction in any | | | | specifications and requirements and will perform as |
| customer-supplier relationship, for any product or | | | | promised without exception. Any parents who have |
| service. This article is apart on a ten part series | | | | opened and assembled toys for their kids on |
| explaining each of the ten satisfaction predictors | | | | Christmas morning knows what this means when it |
| including: Quality, Value, Timeliness, Ease of Access, | | | | doesn't go right. |
| Efficiency, Environment, Teamwork, Commitment, Self | | | | Right the first time means that new car model doesn't |
| Management, and Innovation. | | | | get recalled, the software installs perfectly and works |
| Quality seems to be ubiquitous term used to describe | | | | immediately with no further calls to technical support, |
| everything under the sun, but our satisfaction research | | | | the waitress gets the entire table's order correct or |
| goes deeper. When 'quality' is separated from the | | | | the money budgeted by the city council for the |
| other nine domains of satisfaction it stands alone, with | | | | municipal project is exactly the amount of money that |
| three distinctly identifiable subcharacteristics, with the | | | | gets spent. |
| first described here. | | | | Customers like to deal with suppliers who deliver what |
| In the mind of the customer, 'quality' means 'compared | | | | they promise the first time, without having to return to |
| with the best'. The quality of any product or service is | | | | exchange their product, buy an add on accessory, or |
| being compared with the best that the customer has | | | | return it for a refund. |
| personally experienced or that he has ever heard of. | | | | The third sub-characteristic of Quality, when it comes |
| A golf course, for instance, might be very good, but | | | | to customer satisfaction in the mind of the customer, |
| the golfer will be comparing it with Pebble Beach on | | | | deals with the supplier's front line personnel. These are |
| California's coast or | | | | the people that deal directly with the customer. |
| Augusta, site of the world famous Masters | | | | According to customer expectations from multiple |
| tournament. In the mind of the golfer, these might | | | | surveys in many industries worldwide, a high quality |
| represent the upper limits of the quality standard and | | | | front line service person is one that is a subject matter |
| receive a '10', and any other golf course would | | | | expert, who can explain and answer questions |
| necessarily receive a lower score for quality by | | | | regarding the product or service, and not only know |
| comparison, even if it scored a 9.75. | | | | about their own area, but have general systems |
| A particular hotel might have great quality, but in the | | | | knowledge of all other aspects of their company's |
| back of his mind the customer is comparing it with the | | | | operations as well. |
| Ritz Carlton in Palm Springs or the Waldorf Astoria in | | | | This might mean not only knowing the specification so |
| New York City. | | | | of the product itself, but where in the store other |
| The customer might be enjoying a really great bowl of | | | | products can be found, what other services other |
| clam chowder, but it will have to outclass the soup he | | | | departments offer or even something as simple as |
| had in Ogunquit Maine last summer, that set the | | | | knowing store hours or directions to another branch. |
| standard for a 10 in his mind. If he does find a better | | | | The quality expectation of the customer is that front |
| bowl of clam chowder however, and it becomes the | | | | line personnel are well trained and can provide the |
| benchmark for quality, the old one will still enjoy the | | | | customerwith the support they need, regardless of |
| favored number two spot, perhaps at a 9.8 on a scale | | | | who they interface with at the supplier's company. |
| of 1 to 10. | | | | These three sub-characteristics are highly correlated |
| Those with discerning taste constantly explore the | | | | with customer perceptions and evaluations of quality |
| upper limits of quality in every aspect of their lives. | | | | from our research. |
| Aggressive suppliers of products and services who | | | | 1) Quality compared with the customer's internal |
| want to enjoy the highest levels of return and | | | | benchmark. |
| recommend from their customers, will be smart to | | | | 2) Error free, defect free and right the first time. |
| benchmark the competition in detail, to continuously | | | | 3) Front line personnel who are subject matter experts |
| push each satisfaction dimension higher. | | | | and have general systems knowledge. |
| The second sub-characteristic of 'Quality', when it | | | | Organizations who need to improve customer |
| comes to customer satisfaction behavior refers to | | | | satisfaction should have intimate understanding of |
| error and defect free delivery of a product or service. | | | | these aspects of their product and service delivery |
| 'Right the first time' according to customers, is a very | | | | system. |
| important definition of quality and means that the | | | | |