Responding to customer concern over rising trucking costs, the company developed GraniteXpress, the construction industry's version of an automatic teller machine. With the automated system for loading aggregate, a driver inserts the equivalent of a credit card into a terminal, keys in the type and amount of aggregate, and proceeds to the loading facility where the truck is accurately filled over an electronic scale. Granite Rock uses an annual survey that allows buyers to match up the company with its competitors. Every 3 to 5 years, more detailed surveys are conducted. Ultimate customer satisfaction is assured through a system where customers can choose not to pay for a product or service that doesn't meet expectations.
Dissatisfaction is rare, however.
Costs incurred in resolving complaints are equivalent to 0.2 percent of sales, as compared with the industry average of 2 percent. Six sigma is a statistical term indicating a defect rate of 3.4 per million.