Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The Best Way to Get Customer Feedback With Six Sigma

By Craig Calvin

In any Six Sigma project that you take on, it is necessary to hear the customer's voice. Change is not possible unless you can ascertain the needs of the customer.

During the Measure phase, the most important step is collecting the data. This is because all the proceeding actions depend upon this. Some things that need to be taken into consideration are the cost of such a process, the time involved in the process, etc..

Telephone surveys are one method of collecting data. The data is based on samples gathered from a larger population. When performed correctly, the samples can be generalized for the whole population. Although telephone survey can prove expensive, they are also very valuable. There is also possibility of wrong answers being given because of strict interaction.

Mail surveys can be less expensive while still getting good information. Depending on how well the questions are created and posed, they can provide a good base for desirable results. The drawback is the amount of time it can take to receive answers back through the mail, the results are not immediate.

Online and in person focus groups can be very effective, but equally costly. The data collected in this way is very valuable. You can have a larger dialogue as well as larger amount of quality information given. The moderator must be able to distinguish any sense of unhappiness among the group, if there is any. Online chats are good because you can have a variety of people, from different locations joining in the discussion. - 16089

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