If you sell a $50,000 luxury car the needs and expectations of the customers is far different than if you sell an economy car designed to provide reliable transportation at the lowest possible price. It is important to define what your quality level will be and then manage the product and the expectations of the customer accordingly.
When we built homes we discovered that there was a huge variation in the expectations of the customers when it came to the finish on the painted drywall in our homes. We had customers who came to the final walk through with lights that they wanted to hold at right angles to the wall to make sure no seams were visible. They would also feel the wall for rough spots.
To produce the finish on a painted wall to match the finish on an automobile the cost would be so high we would never sell a house. The question is what is good enough to meet the needs of the customer and then set expectations to that level without either losing customers or pricing your product out of the market. We researched and found most specifications defined the thickness of the paint and quality in technical terms our consumer would never understand not to mention our painters. After much work we found an industry standard. This standard was if no defect could be found from six feet under normal the wall was acceptable.
We added this standard to our home owner’s manual along with many other standards from scratches in wood floor to the performance of the furnace in extreme weather. By doing so we established a level of quality not only for our customers but from our trade contractors, vendors and employees.
Take a look at your product and define standard in terms meaningful to your customers that you can achieve 100% of the time. Then use this standard to sell and warrantee your product.
All original content ©Thomas Robinson 2010
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