What is meant by customer-defined quality?

Customer-defined quality refers to the concept that quality is determined by the customer's expectations, needs, and experiences rather than solely by the organization's internal metrics or standards. It emphasizes the importance of understanding what customers value and designing products or services to meet their desires.

When organizations adopt this approach, they create systems and processes that are responsive to customer feedback and actively seek to improve quality performance at every level. This means engaging employees in the quality improvement process, ensuring that everyone understands the customer perspective, and aligning operations to deliver what the customer perceives as valuable.

This customer-centric view contrasts with others that focus on internal measures, such as those that rely solely on an organization’s standards or internal processes without considering external feedback. By prioritizing the customer’s voice, organizations can drive better satisfaction and loyalty, leading to a more successful operation overall.