Concerned About Quality? 3 Simple Steps to Get Good Again

As a small business owner you take time to train employees, create perfect products and look into new services you can offer. But how often do you quality test your business? These three simple steps will help you assess how well your business is meeting the high expectations you set for yourself.

1.Define what “good quality” means for you. How should your product function, appear, taste? Document your core procedures, using photos and videos if possible. For services, do your employees need to clean up after a job? Are there steps you need to take to ensure their safety or the quality of their work? Educate your employees on what constitutes a good quality product or service. Empower them to bring any concerns to your attention. Quality should be everyone’s responsibility!

2.Conduct pop-up audits. Schedule time to periodically check the quality of your products or services. If you’re a service provider, make time to check in occasionally at different phases of a job to see how the team is working. If you sell products, check occasionally that they meet your definition of “good quality.”

3.Ask customers for reviews. Ask your customers about their experience with your business. Send an email asking for feedback. Make a follow-up call after completing a job. Hang a suggestion box in your shop. Post an online survey for your Facebook followers. Being tuned-in to your customers will prevent missed sales opportunities.

Basic quality assurance is this simple. Don’t overlook it! It’s easier to find and fix a problem early than to repair customer relationships once the damage is done.