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Quality, Quality, Quality - Part I

Dear Colleague,

Quality, Quality, Quality. Everyone preaches quality. All companies brag that their product or service is the best quality. After all, who in their right mind would fill their marketing brochure with a statement like, “We don’t do the best job, but we sure are nice folks?”  

Quality is very subjective. Quality of product or service is open to definition by anyone involved in the buying process. One thing is for certain, no single individual, customer or business owner can submit a cart-blanche definition of quality.

Quality is a perception based on expectations, either real or imagined, that a customer will have about you, your product or your service, its delivery or its usability.

I have identified ten key distinctions about the perceptions your customer has about quality. I’ll share the first five with you this week and the final five with you next week.

1. Historical reference: Any previous purchasing experience that your customer may have had with products or services similar to yours has a direct influence on their definition and perception of quality.

2.  Hope: Does the customer expect to save time, eliminate worry, save money, have low maintenance or be hassle free? What movie is playing in the theatre of their mind about the experience they are about to have? What are their notions about the quality of your product or service? They will hope to have a great experience. When their hopes are not met, there may be a determination of poor quality.

3.  Materials and deliverables: A customer frequently will gauge quality by visual appeal. What is their functionality and usability? Are the materials being used for their expressed and advertised purposes? Are the materials innovative and state of the art? The answers to these questions, in the mind of your customer, will reveal their perception of quality.

4.  Timeliness of delivery: Customers will frequently equate quality with promptness of delivery or lack thereof. Was the project performed on time? Was the project performed ahead of time? Timeliness also relates to communication. Customers will expect phone calls to be returned promptly, questions answered soon and correspondence acted upon in an expeditious manner. Even in the event of legitimate reasons for time delays, customers need a viable and sensible explanation of the delay.

5.  Systems and processes: Every system and procedure that you use with the customer can be perceived as relating to quality. In the case of a Builder or Remodelor these processes may be (but not limited to):

• Lead qualification
• Sales process
• Marketing impressions
• Contract closing
• Financing process
• Decorating and selection process
• Project management
• Change orders process
• Warranty resolution issues
• Punch lists process
• Follow up after the sale
• Follow up after the construction
• Follow up after the closing and move in
• Communication processes during the project
• Dress, grooming, cleanliness of personnel and project site
• ...And More.

The systematic flow of business as perceived by your customer sends a message to them about your commitment to quality. The easier the transaction is for the customer during all of the above phases, the higher the perception is of quality.

Those are the first five areas of quality and the perception of quality.  At this time next week, I'll disclose the remaining five.  In the mean time, have a wonderful week and "go sell something".

October 19, 2004

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"America's Construction Industry Motivator"