Enhancing Customer Satisfaction - 5.2 Customer Focus

[M Greenaway]

Here's a thought.

Would it enhance your customers satisfaction if you go out of business due to having to sell you product at a loss ?

I think not !

 

[gpainter]

The key word in this subclause is "AIM". Pretty wide open word and can probably be tied back to the QP. This can also be tied to 7.2.1 d) e.g. customer requires 57" +/- 1" but we as an organization decide to put a tighter tolerance +/- .5", this can also tie in with 8.1 c).

 

[Michael T]

Call me a pessimist...

M Greenaway said:

Here's a thought.

Would it enhance your customers satisfaction if you go out of business due to having to sell you product at a loss ?

I think not !

Hi Martin...

For the most part, unless you are their single source supplier, I don't think the customer will give a da*n one way or another whether you go out of business. Generally (I know I'm making a broad generalization here) customers don't care what happens to your business - whether or not your making a profit - as long as they get their stuff as cheaply as possible.

I think that mindset is changing somewhat - but we've got a looooong way to go.

JMHO...

Cheers!

 

[M Greenaway]

But if they lose you as a supplier then they will have to go to the next person who is not so cheap.

Good companies look at long term supplier development, and reducing overall costs - not just price.

But thats another story.

 

[Michael T]

M Greenaway said:

But if they lose you as a supplier then they will have to go to the next person who is not so cheap.

Good companies look at long term supplier development, and reducing overall costs - not just price.

But thats another story.

Agreed....

But the operative word here is "good", and as you say - that is another story. I've worked at enough companies where the primary concern is price. Service, reliability, quality, longevity, performance, etc. all mean very little to the people with their hands on the purse strings.

When complaints are made from the shop floor about having to replace the widgets purchased from company ABC three times as often as those made by LMN company - the people making the decisions don't care. All they are interested in is the balance sheet this month or this quarter. If you're really lucky - they are looking at annual figures and you may be able to make a case there - only if you tie in manpower costs to replace the cheaper widgets and the downtime incurred as a result.

Cheers!