We all have our favorite store that we shop at and there are various reasons as to why we always choose to shop at those stores. Whether it’s great prices, friendly staff, or just the fact that they always have what you’re looking for, these are all due to the fact that quality control has been put in place to draw you, the consumer, in to buy their products.
When we find these desired products, we expect them to be in the best condition possible. We don’t even think twice about choosing that product because, having bought it so many times, we trust the fact that it will always be the same great quality product that we get. This is due to quality control and it is always being demonstrated in stores, restaurants, and even within the inner workings of people hired in businesses.
Our expectations are what keeps companies working so hard to keep us satisfied. They have to think of the most productive and cost-effective ways to get their products to us.
Quality control can also be seen on a more intimate level. When we go into the workplace we don’t act the same way as we would if we were spending time with our peers in a social sense. We control our emotions in different ways that we react to situations so that we come off as more professional and we remain consistent in our performance in the work place.
Whatever the case, quality control is expected and is regarded as important in our lives. This idea keeps our lives consistent and perhaps we are now dependent on consistency to ensure that we, as consumers, are receiving the biggest bang for our buck. As we saw in class with the M&M example, the packaging of the candy ensured us it would weigh a certain amount but when we actually weighed the packages individually we found slight variations. Without the exact weights, we assume quality control is doing its job and we are getting what we pay for . It sets our minds at ease.
One of the benefits of technology is knowing that quality control will be easier to keep up with, reducing the headache for companies. The biggest perk of keeping customers happy is giving them one less call to complain about some mundane defect.
You know, I was thinking last week about how much we take quality control for granted. We buy and consume hundreds of products and never give a second thought to the process.
On another note, it is interesting to note how much more difficult it is to ensure a consistent and quality product when you are selling perishable items. For example, over the last few weeks, we have gone through quite a few bags of California mandarins. I noticed that there were consistently a few rotten fruits in each of the bags. Is there any way the company could be improving their quality control in order to cut down the number of rotten mandarins? Maybe it is not so simple. Like you said, we have grown accustomed to having high quality products and our expectations continually grow.
When you were talking about quality control on an intimate level about how employees act more professional in the workplace. There have been numerous times where I have gone into the tanning salon near my apartment and the employees act like they are at home with their friends. When I walk in they continue their conversation about the prior weekend until they say “hold on I have ANOTHER customer”. Honestly, I know it’s a tanning salon (so what should I expect), however there are so many other competitors in the area. If I don’t get the quality they advertise about with their “tanning experts” then I can very easily go somewhere else. I think that a lot of service industries need to make sure they are on top of their quality control making sure their customers get the service they deserve.
Working in retail we are constantly reminded about quality control and what is important to our customers. We have to attend a numerous amount of meetings to learn about how we should act and we are trained on what types of questions you should ask to make sure that the customer leaves happy and satisfied with their purchase. There are a whole bunch of things that we do to make sure that our customers are repeating ones and are loyal. Our managers are constantly on our backs to make sure we are doing our job. There are times when I feel annoyed but when it comes down to it, if I’m more conscious about how I treat my customers I can make sure that they have a satisfying and painless experience. I know I hate going into a store and expect to be treated one way and end up getting the cold shoulder.
One thing you stated that stand it is the fact how we take quality control of the brands we consume for granted. I agree with that statement a lot. We, the citizens of U.S., are really spoiled by the quality of our products and the fact that we can get them at the prices we do. I mean, look at it this way, Nike makes a quality product, yet other companies try to make knock off Nike shoes, which obviously are not as durable as Nike products. The standard of quality in the Nike example is just one company that we take for granted and buy their products. Unfortunately, many other countries are not so lucky.
I completely agree with the previous comments, we go take quality control for granted. It is been such a big part of society, that we just assume it is a norm. I do not think we should take this for granted at all. I understand that companies are doing all they can to ensure there are no complaints about their products, but in some way it is misleading. Just like our activity in class, I feel like everything can be over or understated. Keeping this in mind, I wonder if we are paying the right amount for our goods and services. Hmm..?
I definitely agree with the previous comments. As a society we do take a lot for granted especially when it comes to quaity management. There are so many processes in place to assure that things are going to be of the highest qualllity available to consumers. Although when the processes fall apart the quality suffers. Companies say a lot but when it comes down to processes and production and doing things as they say they will doesn’t mean that they will always abide by what they say. Not only in the retail industry but in any industry I think this is the case. The m&m activity really did a good job of pointing this out. The packages said it should be a certain amount but when the reality is that some were more and some were less. I think we should just remember that even though we might be paying the same amount to get two things of equal qualty that it may actually not be of equal quality.
While I think that quality control can be taken for granted, I also feel that sometimes I should give it more thought, but for different reasons. I am extremely trusting in the quality of my products almost to the point of being naive. I like to believe that a company truly cares about me rather than a profit; That they are willing to go above and beyond to ensure my health and safety. Companies have done such a great job with this because of quality control, which is why I am so appalled when I find a product to be less than satisfactory.