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