The quality of the product is a product that meets the needs and expectations of the customers.
If you sell $ 50,000 luxury car the needs and expectations of the customers is different than if you sell an economy cars designed to provide reliable transportation at the lowest price. It is important to determine what your quality level will be and then manage the products and the expectations of the customers accordingly.
When we built a home we found that there are large differences in the expectations of customers when it comes to the finish on painted drywall in our house. We have customers who come to the final walk through with the lights that they wanted to hold at a right angle to the wall to ensure that no seams are visible. Also, they would feel the wall for rough spots.
To produce the finish on a painted wall to match the finish on an automobile the cost will be so high we will never sell a house. The question is, what is good enough to meet the customer needs and then set the expectations to that level without losing customers or pricing of your product from the market. We investigated and found that the most specifications defined the thickness of the paint and quality in technical terms our customers will never understand not to mention our painter. After working hard we find an industry standard. This standard if no defect coud be found from six feet under normal the wall acceptable.
We added this standard to our home owner’s manual along with many other standards from scratches in wood floor to the performance of the furnace in extreme weather conditions. By this, we establish a level of quality not only for our customer but from our trade contractor, suppliers and employees. Look at your products and set standards in terms meaningful to your customer that you can reach 100% of the time. Then use this standard to sell and warranty your product.