If customer complaints are growing in number and typically handled through discounts or the personal intervention of a customer service representative, the business is doomed. In order to remain competitive in global markets, every customer problem must be anticipated and prevent before it can occur. And, if it does occur, it must be attacked by the organization as a symptom of a larger work process problem. If the root causes remain untreated, just like a weed which hasn t been systematically destroyed, the same problem is lurking in the defective work process waiting to attack another customer.
Prevention is an easy concept to understand, but very difficult to put into practice.
Prevention is causing something not to happen. Everyone of us spends personal time on prevention activities. Regular car maintenance, exercise, flossing and check-ups serve to prevent future problems. Prevention is a long term strategy struggling to survive in a corporate world obsessed with short term gain. When an organization s primary focus is next quarter s profits, every dollar tends to be viewed by management as an expense dollar.