Customer Satisfaction & ISO

by April Lothschutz

Customer satisfaction is recognized as an important aspect of quality management systems. Sub-clause 8.2.1 of ISO 9001:2000 and ISO/TS 16949:2002 requires organizations to monitor their customer’s perception of how the organization is doing with meeting their customer’s needs and requirements and include customer satisfaction as a key measurement of the quality management system’s performance. 

Some examples of methods used to meet this requirement and monitor customer perception include:

• Customer surveys (phone, fax, e-mail, mail)
• Customer Report cards
• Customer Complaints (shouldn’t be the only way)
• Sales/Communication Logs

However, it is not enough to simply gather the information. An auditor will also investigate how the organization reviews this information and uses it to trigger decisions and changes throughout the organization. For example, if an organization sends out customer surveys and gets a rating of “3” on a scale of 1-5, is this acceptable? Is this better or worse than previous results? A common place for a company to review this information would be during a management review meeting where they might assign task teams to problem solve areas that scored a 3 or below. Lastly, make sure that the information you are collecting is useful. If not, make changes in what or how information is being collected. Learning what your customers think of you and understanding what delights them  can be a very powerful and effective tool in building a strong, long-lasting relationship between you and your customers.