Not happy, Jane

After upgrading my computer recently, I spent some time getting it all running smoothly again. My internal administration includes a register of software and activation keys. So you'd think it would be reasonably quick & easy to reinstall, yes? (Hmm, can I hear you laughing?)

Most software reinstalled without a hitch, but with a few exceptions. The hitches included Passphrase Keeper (PPK) (a wonderful program that safely stores that multitude of
passwords we all need), the well-known compression utility, WinZip, & a large well-known supplier's.

I downloaded the latest versions of Winzip and PPK, and could use them, but only as evaluation versions. Within one day of my emails, both were registered & fully functional again, thanks to the exceedingly rapid & personal response from both firms. Free upgrade to Passphrase Keeper. Winzip offered the previous version free, or a discount on the latest. Since I bought it in 1996, with free upgrades ever since, paying for the latest version felt very fair.

Wish I could say the same with the other program I've been using for some financials. Let's call it 'SlowIt'. The reinstall process was cumbersome, ill-designed, time-consuming and frustrating.

I had to locate the original disk (from 4 years ago!) and install that and then register it. Which meant phoning them for a code. And only then could I install the later upgrade on top.

Major problem: the upgrade wouldn't install, and kept aborting.

And only one of the 5 separate people I had to talk to (because of course, none of them would wait on the 'help' line) sounded in the least bit interested. I finally gave up, after having spent close to half a day on installing, uninstalling, reinstalling, not to mention waiting on the
call line, and their 'solution': the problem had to be at my end, so I was to phone (again!!) for technical support. At $4.50 per minute.

And all this for legal software, that I've already paid for.

The point? My experience with the strongly customer-focused companies was excellent. It wasn't just their products, it was also the people involved, and the fact that someone had thought through the process, and made it work smoothly.

And so I'll not just keep supporting their products, but I'll tell others, readily buy something else from them, and also sent them unsolicited testimonials, telling them how happy I was.

And SlowIt? I've decided to ditch that program -it's always been problematic - and find an alternative.

I wonder if you have thought recently about what your customers' experience really is? And even better, if you've done anything about it? (And I don't mean those silly 'tick the box here' forms that none of us ever do.

I've written about customer satisfaction before, probably will again. The ISO 9001 Standard makes it a primary focus - it's as fundamental as that.

The Standard says you must have effective arrangements to communicate with your customers, including customer feedback & complaints. You also have to 'monitor information relating to
customer perception as to whether [your organisation] has met customer requirements'. Simply put, know or find out, what they think. Did they get what they wanted?

I wish I had a dollar for every person who's told me that 9001 makes you have customer satisfaction surveys. It doesn't.

And I promise you, the phrase 'customer satisfaction survey' does not appear anywhere in it. But you DO need to know if your customers perceive you as having met their requirements.

Because if you haven't, at the very least you'll lose customers.

At worst, you could lose much more.

I'm looking forward to a trouble-free, non-IT dominated period ahead.

Hope yours is good also.

Do customers really value ISO 9000?

A couple of articles caught my attention in a recent ISO Management Systems magazine* (OK, I know I need a life, but I found it interesting).

The first presented the results of one of the few surveys carried out by a professional market research organisation to find out what consumers know (or care) about ISO 9000. The survey was done in the UK, which has perhaps the most mature usage of the ISO 9000 series worldwide.

A summary of key findings:

'More than 1/4 (26%) of the general adult population was already aware of the standards. Knowledge was concentrated among working people.

Results suggest positive attitudes towards ISO 9000 and companies certified to the standard. They tend to perceive products and services associated with ISO 9000 as being of higher quality. In particular:

• Consumers are more likely to contact a company if it uses 'ISO 9000' in the labelling and marking of products/services
  
• Consumers possess greater levels of trust and confidence in 'ISO 9000' products and services
  
• The labelling of products or services with a logo denoting 'ISO 9000' is likely to cause consumers to prefer them.'

One interesting finding was that it would be 'beneficial for companies having certification to promote increased public awareness of ISO 9000, because increased levels of consumer awareness should improve levels of confidence and trust in their products and services'.

In other words: if you have it, use it. Tell your customers and prospects you have it AND wherever possible educate them in what that means: particularly the benefits for them.

But do note that if you are certified, you can only use your certification in accordance with its permitted use. For example, you cannot claim a product is 'ISO 9000' certified. You can claim
it has been made by a company certified to ISO 9000. Check with your certifier (auditor) if you are unsure.

What's the difference? Well, most standards are product standards - specifying what a product must have, do or be. ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are the exceptions: both are generic standards that apply to business management systems, not products. So they apply to the business itself - the system that a business uses to manage itself by, to produce its products or services. Whereas a product standard applies only to what a business makes or products: its products.

And your certifier will be (quite rightly) distinctly unhappy if you claim something that isn't true: ie, claim that your wonderful widget products are certified, if they aren't. Among other things you would be misleading the public.

I'll tell you about the other one another time. May all your business be good business.

*Reference: Do consumers really care about ISO 9001 certification? J Tannock & Henry Brown, Nottingham University Business School, published in ISO Management Systems, May-June 2006 edition, Vol 6 #3