The Quality Chain - Holiday to Santa Eulalia
Up to the point that the holiday-makers entered their pool-side apartment everything had operated smoothly. Was the failure a failure, could it have been anticipated and controlled? Is the holiday firm to blame. Why should they be blamed? Can they control every eventuality? Clearly in the case of aircraft matenance or the administering of drugs to a patient or anaesthetic in a surgical operation - every eventuality must be anticipated.
- The tickets arrive on time with full information about flights and supplementary offers of well-organised, value-for-money airport car parking.
- The short queue at check-in is not an pleasant experience, smiling check-in staff handle the baby's buggy and the place the holiday guitar in a special trolley for more careful loading onto the aircraft. They offer non-smoking seats.
- The aircraft leaves on time. There is enough leg-room and the flight magazines are clean. The in-flight music system and head-phones work. Cabin crew are prompt with refreshments. They don't pour the coffee in your lap, they bring juice for the baby and the in-flight meal is tasty - good value for the price of the holiday.
- At Menora airport, the bags arrive promptly without tears and the airport reps. offer a good, non-fawning welcome and guide you to you coach which will speed you on to the resort.
- Customers were satisfied, the holiday is living up to specification and its perceived value for money. The Chief Resort representative has ensured that the Menorcean coach firm has scheduled coaches properly and that all coaches are cleaned. Each component in the chain has made its contribution to the quality specification.
- The holiday maker knows nothing of the last minute fixes, the arguments on the way, the Faxes sent at the last minute nor the fact that two or three key members of staff have Montezumas revenge. The others cover for their absence.
- At the end of the holiday with no complaints other than
- sunburn, noisy yobbos in the swimming pool,
- the stupid music flowing over the still evening air from the Beach disco and
- a fag-end found in a spoonful of prawn Cocktail.
- On the home-bound flight the customer fills in the ubiquitous feedback questionnaire so ably designed and researched by the Quality Assurance Manager. Their verdict? "Good holiday but no, we will not be going back to the Buena Vista Villas in Santa Eulalia del Rio".
- The Quality Manager now has to ensure that feedback gets down the line to the civic authorities, the site owners, the brochure copy writers and may need to offer a letter of acknowledgement to the holiday maker.
- The auditors of quality (the questionnaire is just one device for monitoring) will try to help the organisation to improve and change to minimise the problems and their effects for future customers.
BOLA is maintained and developed by Chris Jarvis