Service quality kaizen blitz: the road to improving customer satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose of the paper : The purpose of this paper was to demonstrate that university faculty may rapidly deploy valuable ideas derived from academic research to assist in business improvement. Methodology : Participatory action research. Findings : This project determined that, at the retail level, ISO registered companies do not support the customer satisfaction measures required by the ISO quality standard. The researchers also found that developing a process map would yield a mechanism for capturing the voice of the customer within a few weeks using kaizen blitz. Research limitations : The research was limited to one retail unit of a large national U.S.A. firm. Research and managerial implications : The implications for replicating this research are almost limitless in a country as large as the U.S.A. Company success, economic vitality, and job growth are highly dependent on knowledge of customer requirements such as those revealed by this action research. Originality/value of the paper : The value of this paper is one of scope: academics may assist businesses of any size.