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Speed and quality: Must they be mutually exclusive?

April 23, 2014 by Jeannie Walters — Chief Customer Experience Investigator, 360Connext

Speed vs quality: Which is more important to your customers? And what impact does each of them have on the customer experience?

Without quality, the experience may as well not exist. It doesn't take long for customers to realize you're not delivering on what was promised. Some may argue that speed is not only unnecessary to worry about — but essential NOT to focus on in any way. After all, with a focus on speed, the quality of the product or experience will suffer, and your customers will too.

I find myself among those who argue that speed to market and speed in general is essential as part of the customer experience.

To keep this in perspective, here are some of the things I make it a point to always remember:

• If customers really WANT a specific option or feature, a competitor who beats you to the punch is delivering a better experience.
• Speed is essential in service. If a customer has to wait for you to expedite the transaction, each moment of waiting can lead to frustration, anger, and increased expectations.
• Thanks to social networks, smart phones and Apple store hipsters with the cash register around their neck, we expect things to get done quickly. If things take too long, we become suspicious that company is falling behind, or altogether unable to meet our expectations.

It's not right to sell things that don't work.

I can't argue with that.

However, I don't believe quality and speed are mutually exclusive. The company who can deliver top-notch service in an expedited fashion provides the best overall experience.

So how can you deliver BOTH speed and quality to your customers?

1. Don't sacrifice quality. But don't let perfection delay what's good enough.

We often tend to tweak and bend and edit products until they are perfect…for the time they originally were expected to launch. Unfortunately, by the time they do launch they've become outdated and boring. "Good enough" is often suitable for a launch — especially for testing or when requesting feedback from your community, offering related promotions, etc.

2. Speed gets it done.

Set and encourage a deadline that is ambitious but realistic. A while back, I heard Peter W. Schutz (retired CEO of Porsche AG Worldwide) discuss his "Race Day" idea. He told the company Porsche had to win the race, even though it hadn't been done in many years. Give your company their own race day for each project. Don't let your company accept postponed deadlines and missed meetings as a normal part of your culture.

3. Welcome your customers into the process.

Customers are more excited about providing feedback when you make them part of the creation process. Invite them to participate in beta testing and product trials — not just for new technology but for all your new ideas. Make it clear how you're currently using their feedback and they will provide even more.

"There's always a third choice."

My father likes to say this a lot. It's a simple reminder to look at the world with more depth and consider the grey areas. If your team is focusing on speed or quality only, ask them to look behind Door #3.

About Jeannie Walters

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