Empirical Rationalism and Other Oxymora
The Situational Meaning of “Quality”
“Quality” is such a loaded word. Often when customers complain about poor quality, I believe that they are really saying that the price/quality ratio does not meet their expectations. What they bought was not actually defective, but rather that they expected more for the amount that they paid. This problem ties directly into PPM1 — delivering the desired product or service. You need to understand what the customer wants and then look at the appropriate price for that experience. With understanding that quality expectations are a product/service attribute, you can begin to look at developing your products, services and internal procedures accordingly.
There is another interesting trend that is compounding this problem – consumer choice is not always congruent with affluence or purchasing power. (This trend was identified in Trading Up and Treasure Hunt by Silverstein). Consumers are trading up and trading down in their purchasing habits – ever notice how many Lexus’, BMWs and Mercedes there are in a Costco parking lot; or the student with salvation army clothes and $200 sunglasses; or the guy in a Men’s Wearhouse suit and a Rolex (well, maybe that guy is just a jackass)? No longer are you targeting a certain segment, but rather a certain segment looking for a particular experience. The meaning of “Quality” is situationally dependent in the mind of the customer.
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