9.2 Quality Management

📖 Main Content

Objective 1: Quality in Terms of Meeting Customer Expectations

What is Quality?

Quality means that a product or service has the features and characteristics that satisfy — or meet — what a customer expects. In simple terms, a product is "quality" if it does exactly what the customer wants it to do, at the standard they expect.

It is important to understand that quality does not always mean "the most expensive" or "the most luxurious." A budget supermarket's own-brand pasta can be "quality" if it meets the expectations of its customers (tastes fine, cooks well, is affordable). A luxury sports car can also be "quality" if it meets the very high expectations of its customers (fast, stylish, reliable).

What Do Customers Consider When Judging Quality?

Customers look at many different things when deciding whether a product or service is good quality. These include:

• Appearance — Does it look attractive and well-made?
• Reliability — Does it work consistently every time, without breaking down or failing?
• Durability — Does it last a long time without wearing out?
• Safety — Is it safe to use? Does it meet safety standards?
• Fit for purpose — Does it actually do the job it is supposed to do?
• Reputation — Is the brand trusted and well-known for making good products?
• Customer service — Are staff helpful and easy to deal with?
• After-sales service — If something goes wrong after purchase, does the business help fix it quickly?

All of these factors together shape a customer's perception of quality — that is, their overall opinion of how good the product or service is.