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Whenever a company begins to look at quality from the customer's perspective, a whole new world of opportunity and customer satisfaction can open up. But don’t be too confident just yet. Because these potential revelations can also shine a spotlight on the proverbial can of worms. Consider these key areas:
1. Commit to it
The right attitude is really a good foundation to start with. No one likes change for its own sake, and many don’t like it at all, but recognizing that change is necessary will help your organization thrive. Everyone needs to be emotionally and mentally on board to implement and continually evaluate new or newly implemented quality processes.
2. Track mistakes
Whether due to inconsistent communication or simply errors in procedures, mistakes are a reality in today’s business world.
The key is to recognize non-conformances before they become a major problem. Knowing when and how they happen, and being able to correct them quickly and seamlessly, is critical to making your customers less angry. Mistakes undoubtedly impact your customers. Incorrect shipping addresses, mislabeling, or suppliers who simply do not take your customers as seriously as you do will keep your complaint department on its toes. Just make sure you have implemented a digital complaint management system that fits your business.
3. Identify non-conformities
Enter, stage right, the best solution to identify an NC before it becomes a larger problem.
A reliable CAPA Management process for capturing product or service quality defects and their initial identification is essential for any organization as part of a comprehensive quality management program. This could be, for example, simpler, cleaner designs that reduce the occurrence of defects in a product, or in a service-oriented industry, simply introducing a more functional and user-friendly phone service. Good enough is no longer good enough in the eyes of your customers.
4. Target behaviors
Quality assurance is a noble goal, whether it is perceived as such or not. In some ways, this leads back to commitment, but more than that, the behavior of management and staff in day-to-day operations can seriously influence your customers’ decision to stay with you or turn to your competitors.
Attitude is king. That's why it’s really important not to focus on shortcomings, but to have the attitude of a company that is committed to its employees and its customers to achieve the best for everyone.
5. Monitors are mirrors
Let’s get this straight. Quality monitoring is not a reproach. Instead, replace it with performance management, training, and top-level communication focused on achieving the best outcome for customers.
Try something different. Involve your team and they may find their own ways to monitor quality. The importance of quality will become second nature to people who are engaged and connected. The impact on your customers will be tangible.
6. Build customer feedback in
This can be scary for many organizations. Imagine that people can voluntarily tell you what they think. That’s crazy, isn't it?
Not that crazy. Otherwise, how would you know what the opinion of your company is out there? Your employees will probably see the feverish look in your eyes and run to the nearest fire escape if you ask them. Take a deep breath and implement a process for letting your customers have their say. It could be enlightening.
7. You and your systems
Have you taken a look at the way you manage your QMS, lately?
Do you even have the right quality processes in place to move your company forward on this issue?
Using software solutions with advanced analytics can lead a company not only into headache-free compliance but also into the brave new world of great customer service.
If a company is serious about its efforts to give quality assurance the attention it deserves, the first step seems to be to deploy a set of processes and monitoring capabilities. Whether you are a manufacturer, distributor, or service provider, you need to put your quality assurance to the test, not to mandate perfection or unrealistic expectations, but to improve it. Improvement for your customers is the ultimate goal. Without your customers, you have no business.