A while back, when I was a Trainer at work, I used a statistic to show the impact of a quality product.
"When a customer purchases ANY product, there is an assumption of quality to that product. If the product performs as it should, how may people do they brag to about it?"
"Answer: maybe 3. But only if asked."
I would then ask the class if they could name the makers of no less than 2 kitchen appliances that NEVER gave them any problems. Almost none of them could.
"Why? Because they were doing their job and therefore were mostly ignored."
"Now, if you have nothing but problems with the same appliance, or if it dies an early and ignoble death, who hears about it?"
"Answer: anyone and everyone you come in contact with...usually around 12 people on average."
Now that I've set the stage, I recently heard (but have yet to verify...so don't hold me to this) that with the explosion of personal electronic media available (in the few years since I left Training) that the "who hears about the JUNK" numbers have climbed to OVER 40 on average. Between "free" long distance plans on cell phones, Blechberry's, e-mail, blogs, Twit-ers, and other "keeping in touch" systems, the number of people who can hear you bitch has shot up beyond the manufacturers wildest nightmares.
There has to be a lesson in there.
Quality (should) happens.
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