Definition of Quality

1. Why has quality become such a priority today? What are some of the “common denominators” in the definition of quality?

In the current times, quality has emerged as being an indisputable competitive force facing businesses worldwide. Companies are striving to keep the quality of their products topnotch so as to have a competitive edge in the marketplace. Products and services in the market have become standardized putting a threshold quality for new entrants and old players.

Today, customers are more informed and demand value for their money, therefore making companies prioritizing on the quality they offer.

Owing to the fact that different industries have numerous players and new entrants each day, competition has become fiercer than ever, consumers have a wide range of alternatives to choose from with the primary metric for decision making being quality. No one wants to spend their money on mediocre products and services when there are other alternatives to select from. One definition of quality is the aspect of meeting needs and proper functionality. Any product or service in the market ought to be able to fully satisfy the needs of a given consumer base in a given niche. In addition, the product ought to be functioning properly without causing consumers inconveniences which would affect their user experience. Having satisfied customers is good for business.

Fit for use, is another definition of quality, has been the longest used reference metric for determining the quality of consumer products. Products that are known to impose some degree of harm to consumers are rated as low-quality products, as this may cause consumers to incur additional costs in managing side effects.

4. Determine the extent of search quality, experience quality and credence quality for each of the following situations.

a) Buying a personal computer

In this situation, search quality is more pronounced. Considering that a computers price and value can be obtained before making a purchase, a consumer is able to look at a product and make a conclusion of whether or not it meets his specifications and whether or not its value matches the price tag on it. Having a look at the computer’s specifications such as processing speed beforehand will enable the consumer to make a purchase decision with a comprehensive understanding of the product. From an experience quality perspective, a consumer would have to purchase the computer and use it for a while before being able to deduce its performance regardless of its system specifications.

b) Applying to graduate school

Credence quality is more applicable in this situation. Often, prospective students choose schools based on their rankings and reputation, attributes that are given by other people who have either studied in these schools or have inferred their quality standings. A student is more likely to go for a more reputable and highly esteemed institution than a low ranking school. Looking at search quality, students are able to make searches beforehand on attributes such as tuition fees, the size of the faculty, the resources available to students, and also student life. This information would influence the decision of a prospective student.

c) Setting up a retirement program

A consumer setting up a retirement program would rely on credence to determine which program to go for. There is no definite way of gauging the value consumers would obtain from the retirement program, and so they would seek other people’s opinions pertaining different programs in order to pick a specific program.

d) Dining at a local restaurant

In this situation, experience quality is dominant. The fact that there are no metrics to judge the value of the meals served at the restaurant with respect to the price charged makes such a purchase to be characterized by experience quality. Consumers have to first make a purchase of meals so that they can be able to pass judgement on the value and quality of services offered. Credence quality vaguely comes into play as consumers may make purchase decisions based on recommendations from friends or even hospitality advisories on which restaurants to visit.

e) In visiting a theme park

Experience quality comes into play more when visiting a theme park. Customers are not in a position to judge the value obtained from visiting the park until they are there in person and experience the moment. To some extent, credence quality would apply when customers are not able to clearly determine the value of their visit and are dependent on other people’s opinions on whether the theme park offers value that matches its rates.

References

Branding: Search, Experience, and Credence | Travis White Communications. (2013). Retrieved from https://traviswhitecommunications.com/2013/09/02/branding-search-experience-and-credence/

Search, Experience, and Credence Attributes - TheoryBiz.com. (2018). Retrieved from http://theorybiz.com/implementing-value-pricing/how-people-buy/584-search-experience-and-credence-attributes.html