A key function of management is maintaining the system. This sometimes means being able to anticipate problems and either eliminating them or mitigating their impact so that service is minimally disrupted, if at all. This anticipation is should be woven into the planning process to identify what could go wrong and drafting a contingency plan for different conditions or scenarios. This is also an important element in continuous improvement by identifying what areas could be improved and crafting a plan of action to examine how to move forward through innovation or streamlining for efficiency [without compromising service quality]. This is one application of applying Deming’s wheel as shown in the lesson.

Objectives

• Assess the effectiveness of a given customer service scenario, as it relates to personal service and customer satisfaction.
• Evaluate tools used to measure achievement of customer value expectations.

Instructions

For this assignment, you will isolate a service function you are familiar with in your preferred industry segment, whether as a customer or as a worker. You will describe the function and how it affects service quality. Then, using Deming’s wheel as a model, you will craft an action plan for improving the function. You will need to present elements related to plan, do, study, act, and repeat.

For functions you are not fully familiar with, you will need to research to increase your familiarity with the function; how it is used, how it has been implemented, what are anticipated results, and what are results others have experienced. If you cannot find any material on the service function you selected, you may need to choose another function.

It is acceptable to call or visit businesses for research, but be respectful of their time. Introduce yourself as a student and the assignment of crafting together an action plan to improve a service function. If you want to take this route, be ready for potential participants to say no.

To complete your action plan essay, provide a critique of your plan. What is the strength, what is the weakness, what are the external opportunities, and what are the external threats that may hinder your plan? [A.K.A. a SWOT analysis]