Page 129 - The Handbook for Quality Management a Complete Guide to Operational Excellence

116 I n t e g r a t e d P l a n n i n g U n d e r s t a n d i n g C u s t o m e r E x p e c t a t i o n s a n d N e e d s 117

the inconvenience. CCWs should scrupulously avoid arguing or becom-
ing defensive. Every effort should be made to get the facts. If possible, an
immediate solution should be offered. If resolving the problem cannot be
accomplished on the spot, the customer should be told precisely what
steps will be taken to resolve the problem. During the resolution process
the customer should be kept informed of the status of the complaint.
Many complaints are not covered under legally binding agreements,
such as warranties. Instead, the emphasis is on maintaining good rela-
tions with the customer by honoring implicit “guarantees.” In these situ-
ations, the spirit of the understanding between the company and its
customer is more important than the letter of a legal agreement. The
message conveyed to the customer should be “You are a very important
person to us.” After all, it’s the truth.
Although it may not appear intuitive, research has shown that com-
plaints are an excellent opportunity to gain customer loyalty. Customers
who are satisfied with the way in which their complaints are handled are
more likely to patronize a firm in the future than customers who had no
complaints! Proper complaint handling, from the customer’s perspective,
usually involves receiving a courteous, quick, and fair response to the
immediate issue involved, for example, replacing a defective item. Making
certain that this happens routinely should not be left to chance. Complaint
handling, like everything else, is a process. As such, it should be designed
to accomplish its goal (a satisfied customer), tested to ensure that it is
properly designed, and continuously improved.
While complaint handling is important, it shouldn’t be forgotten that
complaints are undesirable events that should be prevented. Complaint
prevention should be an ongoing activity, which requires data collection
to understand the nature of its occurrence. As with all process data, the
statistical control chart (described in Chap. 9) is the proper tool for ana-
lysis, providing differentiation between sporadic sources of process varia-
tion and systematic causes of variation. This distinction is critical for
identifying the nature of the opportunity or threat, as well as the proper
response.
While general sales and customer service principles are often transac-
tion oriented, the customer sales and service should always be designed
and conducted with the larger concept of relationship management in
mind. Relationship management is most appropriate for those customers
who can most affect the company’s future. For many companies, the top
20 percent of customers account for a disproportionate share of the com-
pany’s sales. Contact with such customers should not be limited to sales
calls. These key accounts should be monitored to ensure that their spe-
cial needs are being addressed. The relationship should be viewed as a
partnership, with the supplier proactively offering suggestions as to how
the customer might improve their sales, quality, etc. For larger accounts,
a formal relationship management program should be considered.

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