Customer Rejects our Corrective Action - Mis-Labeled Product

[Golfman25]

I would love to know what the actual problem was. Then root cause could be determined.

 

[Quality_Steve]

We've came across this problem with our ASN customers in the past and occasionally still do with new customers.

What we've done to get past these issues is developed our own Customer Compliance Requirements (CCR) document that takes the book of requirements issued by a customer and sums it up to a few pages of information that actually applies to our type of business in an easy to read excel table. If a customer is picky in how they want their labels it is then clearly stated in words our shipping team can understand without any further interpretation required. This also ensures we label every order the same way for that customer. If they then come back and say we did it wrong, we can say exactly how we did it and discuss how it needs changed.

Good Luck!

 

[widetrack]

Re: Customer Rejects our CAR

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems that all of your communications are written regarding this rejection. Often these become nonproductive through misinterpretation. I find that taking the time to develop relations with the people I directly come into contact with, and speaking with them opens channels that may otherwise be closed. I am a QA Manager for an aerospace manufacturer, have been in Aerospace for 40 years. I know the customer is not always right, but his Ego doesn't want to hear that. So good relations are important. And your suppliers are your lifeline, relations there are just as important. Creating those good relationships is easier than trying to turn bad ones around.
On the other hand, In AS9100, contract risk and review is required, and is there to protect both parties.

 

[Big Jim]

Re: Customer Rejects our CAR

And don't forget that even though the customer is not always right, you want him to always be the customer. Do your best to avoid the impasse unless you can afford to lose the business.

 

[JaneB]

Re: Customer Rejects our CAR

...Ambiguity predetermines that tasks cannot be defined precisely, and that interdependencies between tasks are unknown.

To say that we have clearly demonstrated a thorough knowledge and understanding of your labeling requirements in the past and therefore dismiss the human factors caused by ambiguous practices, I feel is a mistake. These tasks not being clearly defined is a contributing factor....

But saying that and keeping my job would be mutually exclusive events!!!

As others have said, you can be entirely right, but (assuming you want to keep this customer) it's almost certainly not a good idea to say so to the customer. And as others have also said, if it was a contributing cause, it would have been wiser to have attempted to fix the unclear specs earlier on, ie, before something went wrong. (I could quote you clause number on where it says so, but won't.)

Otherwise, looking at it from the customer angle, it could look as though everything was fine until the error cropped up, at which point you (at least partially) blamed them for the error.

But look, 'real world ' issues demand suitable 'real world' solutions. Some suggestions have already been made. If I might add: as a relatively young quality professional, when I was sure/knew I was right, I'd stick to my guns come hell or high water, and refuse to budge. But take it from me as one who knows and learned, often the hard way, it's a behaviour that does not lead to 'win/win' solutions and it definitely does lead to win/lose confrontations. And those generally don't have effective results - at the very least, they leave people behind with noses out of joint. Now, you might think that might not matter, but often it does.

Ultimately, a result that's effective for everyone involved or with a stake in the issue, is always going to be preferable and a far more positive outcome. Quality people who understand that and can keep their eye on that as well as on the substantive issues and particularly not on the black and white of who's right/wrong will always be more effective in their jobs and more widely valued and respected.