The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance, Second Edition

Eliminating Quality Problems

Steve made an appointment with the car dealership to have the light on his passenger side door fixed. He called Sally, who worked with him and lived nearby, to ask for a ride to work the next day. She agreed but said that they must leave by 7:00 because she had an important meeting to attend.

When Steve arrived at the dealership the next morning, he found that six people were ahead of him in line. None of them was happy, but two were particularly upset because they were returning with problems that had not been fixed correctly the first time. It seemed the person who normally checked in the cars was sick and his replacement could not find the necessary forms. At 7:30, a half hour later than he had promised, Steve ...