Executive Housekeeping Today - July 2008 - (Page 5)

Recently, a friend of mine traveled to India and was fortunate enough to stay in a five-star New Delhi hotel. However, he says that besides the exceptionally pampered landscaping, the outside of the building was not awe-inspiring by any means. Furthermore, upon entering the lobby of the hotel, he was again a bit disappointed. Instead of the lavish marble, mirrors, and grand chandeliers that are typically found in a hotel of five-star caliber, my friend found an attractive and clean, but quite understated setting. Shortly after arriving, my friend was beginning to think that this was an average hotel with a misleading five-star label. However, those feelings changed after he stayed a couple of nights. Initial impressions quickly dissipated, and what he discovered can be described in only one word: quality. After just a few days, the hotel’s five-star quality shone through—from the understated way it was furnished and appointed to its modern plumbing fixtures, the electronics in the guest rooms, and the way the staff provided personal, quality service. To my friend’s surprise, instead of spending large sums of money on eyepopping marble and mirrors, this hotel was invested in quality. r Quality in the 21st Century by Jolynn Kennedy trained and attentive. These hotels are also expensive to stay in. But today, the cost of a product or service does not necessarily reflect its quality. As a matter of fact, in one study conducted by Joseph Moses Juran, author and management consultant known as an “evangelist” when it comes to defining quality and quality management, cost is not really even mentioned. According to the Juran study: • End customers indicated that a product or service is quality if it meets or exceeds their expectations. • Manufacturers reported that if a product conforms to specific design, specifications, and requirements with minimal defects, it is a quality product. • When asked about specific products, the majority of the respondents indicated that a quality product has something that adds value that similar products do not have. • When questioned further about the correlation between product value and quality, respondents noted that a quality product is the best combination of price and features. Therefore, according to these results, North American customers define or perceive quality products as having such values as no defects, practical design and use, and reasonable price. or European product; • Poor quality when compared to a U.S. or European product; • A cheap copy of another manufacturer’s product; or, • Low-tech with few practical features. Since these humble beginnings, Japanese manufacturers have become leaders in developing innovative, competitively priced, quality products. Today, “made in Japan” rarely implies poor quality. Instead, these products are now often viewed as innovative, trustworthy, reliable, and of solid construction. In many industries, and for many consumers, these Japanese offerings are frequently used as a benchmark to evaluate the quality of comparable products from around the world. By the 1980s, the Japanese forced many manufacturers, including those in the United States and some European countries, to take a serious look at the manufacturing process and how manufacturers define quality. Japanese manufacturers recognized at that time that buyers are better educated and do not necessarily select products or perceive them as quality products just because they are expensive or—especially since we are now in a global economy—because of where they are made. These customer purchasing habits of looking beyond a price tag or a product’s origin has become common in many U.S. industries. For example, we see this same distinction in the Jan/San industry. No longer is a floor machine, vacuum cleaner, or carpet extractor perceived to be high quality simply because of how much the equipment costs. Instead, cleaning professionals and housekeeping administrators now look for the quality “essentials” when selecting cleaning (continued on page 10) July 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 5 Quality Defined In recent years, it has become harder to provide a clear definition for quality. A few decades back, it was easier to define, mostly because of the product or service’s price tag. To many customers, expense was an indication of higher quality. For example, the Waldorf Astoria in New York and Chicago’s Hilton are commonly recognized as quality properties. These hotels are lavishly appointed with elegant furnishings, and the staff is well- Impact on the Jan/San Industry Japanese manufacturers can most likely be credited for defining quality as we know it today in North America. Thirty years ago, the phrase “made in Japan” often insinuated that a product was poorly manufactured and of low quality. At that time, a Japanese product was often viewed as: • Not being equivalent to a U.S.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - July 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - July 2008 Contents Executive Corner Inspecting a Different Way Quality in the 21st Century Frugal Housekeeper How Eliminating Nuisance Animals Can Increase Quality Healthcare Goes Green Feature Article IHW Product Information The Green Scene 2008 Call to Convention 2008 Convention Information Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members CEH/REH Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside I.E.H.A. What I.E.H.A. Has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - July 2008

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