Is your customer satisfied?
"Mutually rewarding relationships with suppliers" is one of the underlying principles of ISO 9001. See if you think this unusual approach to customer relations qualifies.
This particular supplier is a printer & copier; I'd tested them already on a few individual components for the DIY ISO 9001 Pack and been reasonably satisfied with the results. A few minor hiccups, but the owner - I'll call him Lesley - said he had reorganised, & was confident their system was working well. I was about ready to use them regularly for the bulk copying and printing.
I emailed requirements, timing, quantities. No problem, but could I let him have the files again? 'They're on the system somewhere, but just in case'.
Hmm. I made the time to do some minor updates & emailed the files, naturally including including the detailed instructions for printing, collating and binding.
In the agreed 5 days they were done. On collection, I did my usual quick QA check.
‘I can't see anything looking like the bound sample manuals, Lindsey.’ Lindsay was sure they'd be in the boxes. 'The guys know what they’re doing.' But I wanted to be sure.
Lindsay sighed. 'Did you want me to empty the boxes out for you to check?’ He dumped them out on the counter. Yes, the printed pages were there. But unbound.
Lindsay muttered under his breath, and went out the back. Binding them, he reported back shortly, wouldn't take long. Could I come back 'in 20'?
But I had an all-afternoon client meeting, and barely enough time left that morning to pick up materials and ship one to Malaysia.
I couldn’t wait then? Or what about tomorrow? No, I’d promised the customer. He sighed.
I suggested they could perhaps bind one set now for me to take, then deliver the rest later, waited while they did this, then grabbed the set and raced back to the office. Lunch was now out of the question, but at least the shipping commitment would be met.
That was before I found one of the sample manuals was missing a colour page. I picked up the phone.
‘It can’t be,' Lindsay said. 'The guys are sure they did them OK, and there’s no spare colour page anywhere, so how could that be?’
Me: ‘I have no idea. But I have the manual right here, I know what the colour page looks like, and where it should be. I think I would see it if it was there.'
Lindsay: 'Damn.'
Me: 'Indeed'.
Lindsay: 'Well, couldn't you just send it as it is?'
Me: (after counting to 3). 'No, I couldn't. It isn't what I've promised or what I expect to deliver, and I won't do that to my customer.'
A pause. Another sigh.
I let the silence lengthen.
At last: ‘When do you have to get it out?'
'In the next 30 minutes.'
'Well,' he said unenthusiastically, 'I suppose I COULD manage to bring another one over. If you’re really sure the one you have is no good.’
I counted again. (In a situation like this, I've learned it's better to do that before I speak.) Thank you, Lindsay, yes.' And I quietly added that I was disappointed at the way things had happened, particularly given that I had provided very clear written instructions of the requirements.
‘YOU’RE disappointed!' Lindsay burst out. 'How do you think *I* feel?’
It was at that precise moment, dear reader, I decided to find a new supplier.
Yes, to his credit, he did bring the other sample manuals around. As well as the missing loose colour page, which had mysteriously re-appeared. 'It was the only one wrong. All the rest were fine.'
He'd found the problem, he said. ‘They handed over the job in the middle. They KNOW they’re not supposed to do that, and I’ve told them that again’.
But what it signified to me was: this business doesn’t have an effective method, or a systematic approach, to respond to quality problems. Perhaps because of the owner: he seems too busy blaming other people to analyse what went wrong. Perhaps because of a lack of customer focus: I had to find my own solutions to each problem, and persuade them to do it, rather than being offered them.
But definitely because there is no systems approach.
Yes, things go wrong in any business or organisation at times: no system, no process and no person is perfect. But that's another very good reason why nonconformance, corrective and preventive action are part of a good quality management system.
And OK, I did manage to get the product shipped to Malaysia on time. And yes, I currently have adequate stocks of the DIY Pack. Including one sample manual that I won't and can’t ship to a customer as is, because it’s missing an essential page.
I’m guessing he expects me to take it back to him if I want it done. I’m also guessing he expects me to pay the invoice he thrust into my hand at the same time as he delivered the rest.
I haven’t done either of those things yet.
I’m looking for a new supplier.
They'll need to understand how important it is to keep your existing customers happy. And have a better system for responding to problems (ISO 9001's clause 8.3 and 8.5.2). And some way of 'monitoring customer perception of satisfaction' (see 8.2.1 and 8.4). Listening to your customers is a great place to begin!
It still astonishes me when people think that 'quality' is something really hard. At its simplest, it just means making sure that your customer gets what was agreed , to the standard and the specifications and the timing agreed between you.
The fact that so many businesses seem to struggle with this never ceases to amaze me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Tired of battling with it? The 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack' shows you how to to get ISO 9001 fast without struggle and without spending a fortune. Click here> http://www.mapwright.com.au/DIYPack.html
** Ezine editors / Site owners **Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above.
If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look. Thanks.
© Mapwright Pty Ltd
This particular supplier is a printer & copier; I'd tested them already on a few individual components for the DIY ISO 9001 Pack and been reasonably satisfied with the results. A few minor hiccups, but the owner - I'll call him Lesley - said he had reorganised, & was confident their system was working well. I was about ready to use them regularly for the bulk copying and printing.
I emailed requirements, timing, quantities. No problem, but could I let him have the files again? 'They're on the system somewhere, but just in case'.
Hmm. I made the time to do some minor updates & emailed the files, naturally including including the detailed instructions for printing, collating and binding.
In the agreed 5 days they were done. On collection, I did my usual quick QA check.
‘I can't see anything looking like the bound sample manuals, Lindsey.’ Lindsay was sure they'd be in the boxes. 'The guys know what they’re doing.' But I wanted to be sure.
Lindsay sighed. 'Did you want me to empty the boxes out for you to check?’ He dumped them out on the counter. Yes, the printed pages were there. But unbound.
Lindsay muttered under his breath, and went out the back. Binding them, he reported back shortly, wouldn't take long. Could I come back 'in 20'?
But I had an all-afternoon client meeting, and barely enough time left that morning to pick up materials and ship one to Malaysia.
I couldn’t wait then? Or what about tomorrow? No, I’d promised the customer. He sighed.
I suggested they could perhaps bind one set now for me to take, then deliver the rest later, waited while they did this, then grabbed the set and raced back to the office. Lunch was now out of the question, but at least the shipping commitment would be met.
That was before I found one of the sample manuals was missing a colour page. I picked up the phone.
‘It can’t be,' Lindsay said. 'The guys are sure they did them OK, and there’s no spare colour page anywhere, so how could that be?’
Me: ‘I have no idea. But I have the manual right here, I know what the colour page looks like, and where it should be. I think I would see it if it was there.'
Lindsay: 'Damn.'
Me: 'Indeed'.
Lindsay: 'Well, couldn't you just send it as it is?'
Me: (after counting to 3). 'No, I couldn't. It isn't what I've promised or what I expect to deliver, and I won't do that to my customer.'
A pause. Another sigh.
I let the silence lengthen.
At last: ‘When do you have to get it out?'
'In the next 30 minutes.'
'Well,' he said unenthusiastically, 'I suppose I COULD manage to bring another one over. If you’re really sure the one you have is no good.’
I counted again. (In a situation like this, I've learned it's better to do that before I speak.) Thank you, Lindsay, yes.' And I quietly added that I was disappointed at the way things had happened, particularly given that I had provided very clear written instructions of the requirements.
‘YOU’RE disappointed!' Lindsay burst out. 'How do you think *I* feel?’
It was at that precise moment, dear reader, I decided to find a new supplier.
Yes, to his credit, he did bring the other sample manuals around. As well as the missing loose colour page, which had mysteriously re-appeared. 'It was the only one wrong. All the rest were fine.'
He'd found the problem, he said. ‘They handed over the job in the middle. They KNOW they’re not supposed to do that, and I’ve told them that again’.
But what it signified to me was: this business doesn’t have an effective method, or a systematic approach, to respond to quality problems. Perhaps because of the owner: he seems too busy blaming other people to analyse what went wrong. Perhaps because of a lack of customer focus: I had to find my own solutions to each problem, and persuade them to do it, rather than being offered them.
But definitely because there is no systems approach.
Yes, things go wrong in any business or organisation at times: no system, no process and no person is perfect. But that's another very good reason why nonconformance, corrective and preventive action are part of a good quality management system.
And OK, I did manage to get the product shipped to Malaysia on time. And yes, I currently have adequate stocks of the DIY Pack. Including one sample manual that I won't and can’t ship to a customer as is, because it’s missing an essential page.
I’m guessing he expects me to take it back to him if I want it done. I’m also guessing he expects me to pay the invoice he thrust into my hand at the same time as he delivered the rest.
I haven’t done either of those things yet.
I’m looking for a new supplier.
They'll need to understand how important it is to keep your existing customers happy. And have a better system for responding to problems (ISO 9001's clause 8.3 and 8.5.2). And some way of 'monitoring customer perception of satisfaction' (see 8.2.1 and 8.4). Listening to your customers is a great place to begin!
It still astonishes me when people think that 'quality' is something really hard. At its simplest, it just means making sure that your customer gets what was agreed , to the standard and the specifications and the timing agreed between you.
The fact that so many businesses seem to struggle with this never ceases to amaze me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane Bennett is a quality management consultant, a business coach and author of the 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Need to get ISO 9001 but don't know how? Tired of battling with it? The 'DIY ISO 9001 Pack' shows you how to to get ISO 9001 fast without struggle and without spending a fortune. Click here> http://www.mapwright.com.au/DIYPack.html
** Ezine editors / Site owners **Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include my resource box as listed above.
If you do use the material please send us a note so we can take a look. Thanks.
© Mapwright Pty Ltd
posted by JaneB at 5:50 PM
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