A customer-based definition of quality

What does the word quality mean to you? For most people, quality is associated with the idea of a product or service that’s well done, looks good, and does its job well. We think of a quality product as one that lasts, holds up well under use, and doesn’t require constant repair. A quality product or service should meet a high standard in many areas, such as form, features, reliability, and usability.

Most people use the word quality to mean “having a high degree of excellence,” but like beauty, quality is in the eye of the beholder. If a consumer’s desire is to have basic transportation at a low price, he would buy a Toyota rather than a Lexus. The Toyota may be a lesser grade of car, but is it of lower quality than the Lexus? That’s up to the consumer to decide. The definition of quality changes over time. The Ford Model T was once thought of as a quality product, but if a dealership sold it today, it would be in the same quality class as the Yugo. Consumers’ quality standards for cars have changed over time, just like they have for other products.

As products and services evolve, consumer expectations tend to increase so that yesterday’s quality product becomes tomorrow’s junk. What do these facts mean to your business? Quality, in the eyes of a business, revolves around meeting customer expectations — expectations that may be stated or implied. Repeat business is probably the most basic measure of quality, because customers vote on the quality of your product or service with their pocketbooks. But unlike political elections, your customers vote daily, and new opposing candidates appear just as often to try to win your customers’ votes.

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