Customer focus- a over view with respect to ISO Krishna Kumar

Customer focus Focus ‘Focus’ gives the organisation the power to not only perform well but also to excel. Child use a magnifying glass to burn paper…..heat energy of the sun, which is bearable in cold day…is not as weak as it appears, but unfocused, once focused under converging lens burns paper. this is not due to lens but concentration of energy. Similarly divergent energy of the orgn can be focused to achieve a desired goal.

Customer focus orientation A customer is the most important visitor in our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. he is not interruption in our work. he is the purpose of it. He is not outsider on our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so…..Mahatma Gandhi. A true visionary Gandhi ji ..put this thought a century before. and is relevant even today. the significance about this is he preached for acquiring of weaving skill by mass,also propagated customer focus as need for the cottage industries.

Customer focus The iso 2000 version also embraced customer focus & which is achieved by ensuring the following: Meeting customer & regulatory requirements. Assuring conformance of product quality consistently. Exceeding customer expectations by constantly enhancing quality levels.

Organisational aspects To identify and understand the customers. To determine their requirements and expectations. To establish the means of meeting and exceeding these requirements and expectations. Today's competitive environment, developing true customer focus is necessity for survival. they can source elsewhere… partnership with customer by providing solution to their needs, ..expectation and desires…e.g. paan Walla (beetle leaf)….50 odd permutation and combination. hotel maintain data base….to ensure patronage of the customer..

A rule for all organisation “Little things that make you know customer better are significant, not trivial, So attention to these make all the difference”

Key to customer focus The ability to anticipate the needs of: Existing loyal customer. Potential customer Dissatisfied customer Competitor loyal customer.

Our Customer The customer is any one on whom our product has an effect. External customer. Internal customer are user of our “In- process Out puts". They add value to the inputs received and after value addition, passes it on to the next stage, which becomes their internal customers. Traditionally customer were external to organisation, today it includes even our staff ….it could be consumer, client, end user,retailer,beneficiary, purchaser etc.

Understanding the customer “Our customer is the reason for the existence of our organisation.” It is for us as a supplier to understand : Who are our customers. What are their needs and expectation/aspiration. How do we meet these needs & expectation. How do we exceed these needs & expectations. Answers to the above should be determined on a continuous basis.

Understanding the customer To meet the requirements ,organisation should ensure that: We never break the promise. We never promise more than what we can do. We give them a little more than they require or expect. We never under estimate competition

Understanding the customer A customer has certain rights which every organisation must essentially accept and honour. They are right to: Proper & adequate education. Complete ,correct & honest information. Health and safety Select products as per choice To be heard. Enjoy the products purchased. Re- dressal in case of dissatisfaction.

Customer requirements-needs & expectations Determination of these attributes is extremely important, as they are the goals that the organisation is to meet and exceed. Stated needs: customer stated needs are vital & require to be met the products. They are required for design and development, production &assessment for basic functioning of the product.

Customer requirements-needs & expectations Implied needs: Corresponds to known and required needs of the product .Essential & require to be met. It is require for the safe and satisfactory performance of the product. Expectation: additional attributes wished to be built, desired never stated. They are adds on ,required to pull new customer

Customer requirements-needs & expectations Delight: absolutely unexpected, pleasing tangible or untangible,free accompaniments They are surprises for delighting customers.

Determining the needs Complete and detailed information. Adequate for the purpose. Clear . Measurable. Tolerance of acceptable & achievable levels. Specify methods of measurement & test.

Determining the expectation Make sure they are understood from customer’s view point. May be based on the following attributes: PERFORMANCE FEATURES CONFORMANCE RELIABILITY DURABILITY SERVICEABILITY AESTHETICS PERCEPTION

Meeting Customer needs and expectation “Keep your customer coming back and not your products.” The entire purpose of focusing on the customer is to ensure that to meet & exceed customer need & expectation Develop customer & goals approach :to achieve customer satisfaction & customer driven organisation.

Meeting Regulatory requirements “ An organisation that does not follow regulatory requirements cannot be expected to follow voluntary requirements in the true spirit”. Organisation should determine, follow, monitor and endeavor to improve all regulatory requirements in letter and spirit.

Meeting society requirements Protecting the environment. Conserving the resources Avoiding wastage in any form.

CUSTOMER Delight Exceeding customer expectation…for competitive edge. WOW factor. OUCH factor: undesirable occurrence. Recovery of ouch situation Ouch condition is remembered for long time.. Recovery of ouch condition strengthens customer belief in an orgn commitment to customer satisfaction delight.

Customer perception of Quality “Product Quality is customer perception related”. Deliver what ever you promise, do not promise more than you can deliver. Provide help ,support,& care for the customer. Accept faults and endeavor to avoid repeating them. Display your knowledge with humility.

Customer Complaints Customer complaints are opportunities to convert dissatisfied customer into satisfied customer. Complain is attended to at highest priority & with full sincerity. Complain is handled at all levels, in professional & trained manner. In the past there was a un written rule that one dissatisfied customer will inform 5 of his friends, but now 500 or 5000 friends.

Customer satisfaction Fulfillment of requirements and expectation of the customer. Enhancing the level of satisfaction ensures customer retention. Measurement of customer satisfaction is not most important activity to ensure customer satisfaction since it is sort of post mortem Customer retention is through proactive & reflective handling of the problem.

Customer care & support Sweden is the first country to monitor customer satisfaction in a national level. Customer care instills a feeling of confidence in customer that organisation values them. Product quality may not be consistent. some unavoidable reason…competitor qlty increases. competitor may play foul.