Understanding Customer Requirements: Development of Metrics
The following outline describes a method for extracting different types
of customer requirements from survey information. It is based on the research
and publications of Dr. Noriaki Kano. The methodology for developing customer
requirement metrics was reported by Dr. Eva Chen in 1992.
Kano Model
The background of this method is the research published a the leading customer satisfaction researcher, Dr. Noriaki Kano, who is a member of the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers, the sponsors of the Deming Prize.
Dr. Kano demonstrates that blindly fulfilling customer requirements has
risk associated with it if the product/service provider is not aware that
there are different types of customer requirement. Without this understanding
and measurement, providers risk:
- Providing superfluous quality
- Wowing the customer in one area, and driving them to competitors in
another
- Focusing only on what customers say, and not what they think
This model of customer requirements directs the product/service provider to pay attention to two dimensions and three types of customer requirement.
The first dimension is need fulfillment. Measure the degree to which the customers' requirements are fulfilled. The dimensions ranges, naturally, from completely unfulfilled to completely fulfilled.
The second dimensions is the customers' subjective response to the first dimension. It is the dependent variable of customer satisfaction. This may range from "irate" to "delighted" (insert your own antonyms here).
This model of customer satisfaction predicts that the degree of customer
satisfaction is dependent upon the degree of fulfillment, but is different
for different types of customer expectations.
Expected
Expected requirements are those that are so obvious to the customer that they do not state requirements overtly. They are normally very obviously essential to the customer that stating these requirements is a bit silly. When these requirements are not met, the customer says nothing, and probably doesn't even notice. When these features or services are not present, the customer complaints. Continually improving on meeting these kinds of needs will not elicit customer loyalty or delight.
Example: Telephone dialtone. If it is slow in coming or missing, customers are not happy. When it is present, the customer does not notice, much less become loyal to the provider.
Normal
Sometimes referred to as "fundamental" quality. Customers overtly
state these needs and are quite cognizant of them. When these needs are
met, customers are satisfied, when they are not met, customers are dissatisfied.
For many types of requirements in this category, it is possible to deliver
more than customer requirements and generate additional perceived benefit.
Example: Price, performance, delivery.
Delightful
Customers have needs that they are not aware of. These are referred to
as "latent" needs. They are real, but not yet in the customers'
awareness. If these needs are not met by a provider, there is no customer
response. They are not dissatisfied, because the need is unknown to them.
If a provider understands such a need and fulfills it, the customer is
rapidly delighted. Some articles describe this kind of need fulfillment
as having "attractive" quality. It delights and excites customers
and inspires loyalty.
Example: A simple example is the 3M Post-It. The need for such a
note posting tool has long been present, but was not articulated until
the product existed. It met a latent need, generated great enthusiasm,
and became wildly successful.
Measurement
A company needs to discriminate between these types of need in order to offer successful products and services and to avoid risks associated with having a weakness on one type of quality that detracts from a strength in another.
The basic tool is a two-sided question. The same question is asked in the positive and in the negative case. Example
- Positive question: How do you feel if our product has feature X?
- Negative question: How do you feel if our product does not have feature X?
The respondent is presented with four choices in response to these two
questions:
- I like it
- It is normally that way (that feature is expected).
- I don't care.
- I don't like it.
Tallying answers
Surveys are tabulated. Features of products and services that represent
one of these three dimensions will have high counts according to the following
table:
| Negative Question Answers | |||||
| Positive Question Answers |
Like | Normal | Don't Care | Don't Like | |
| Like | Delightful | Delightful | Normal | ||
| Normal | Expected | ||||
| Don't Care | Expected | ||||
| Don't Like | |||||