Question 1

The willingness and speed with which service personnel attend to customers is called

Accepted Answer

Responsiveness refers to the willingness and speed with which service personnel attend to customers, indicating how quickly and efficiently a company can address customer needs and inquiries.

Question 2

Every time Suzanne took her auto in for servicing, she was appalled at the appearance of the waiting room. The floor never looked clean. There were stains where previous customers had spilt coffee and soda on the chairs. There were always old newspapers and magazines scattered on the furniture and floor. She often thought that she didn't even want to sit or be in the waiting room. Suzanne is concerned with the repair company's __________.

Accepted Answer

Suzanne's concern is with the "tangibles" aspect of the service, which refers to the physical evidence of the service, including the cleanliness and appearance of the waiting room.

Question 3

Convenience and time are important to Marie so when she bought her new SUV she bought from a dealership that was not only close to her work but also would provide a loaner vehicle while her vehicle was being serviced. __________ is important to Marie.

Accepted Answer

Marie values the convenience of having a loaner vehicle during service, which relates to serviceability, the ease and speed with which a product can be serviced.

Question 4

Any costs that a company incurs because it has produced less than perfect quality output, or costs that it incurs to prevent less than perfect quality output, are referred to as costs of

Accepted Answer

Costs of quality refer to all costs that a company incurs related to ensuring or improving the quality of its products or services, including costs due to producing less than perfect quality output and costs incurred to prevent such issues.

Question 5

In trying to assess its overall costs, the NoWobble Chair Company should include estimates of the costs to scrap defective chairs or rework the chairs that don't have to be scrapped but weren't perfect. These costs are referred to as the

Accepted Answer

These costs are part of the costs of quality, which include all costs incurred over the product life cycle to prevent defects, or the costs resulting from defects. This includes costs for scrap, rework, and other quality-related costs.

Question 6

Which of the following costs are incurred to assess the quality of the product that has been manufactured or the service that has been provided?

Accepted Answer

Appraisal costs are expenses tied to inspecting and testing materials, parts, and products to ensure they meet quality standards. These costs are directly related to the assessment of product quality after it has been manufactured or the service has been provided, unlike prevention costs which aim to prevent defects before they happen, or internal and external failure costs, which are associated with defects that occur before or after delivery to the customer, respectively. Labor costs are a general expense not specifically tied to quality assessment.

Question 7

Bill and Jim were trying to decide where to eat. Bill suggested Lou's BBQ, but Jim said he had heard the service was terrible and the quality of the food was not consistent. Jim's comment is an example of __________ for Lou's BBQ.

Accepted Answer

Jim's comment reflects dissatisfaction from customers or potential customers due to perceived or actual shortcomings in the product or service, which is an example of external-failure costs. These costs are associated with defects that are found after the product or service reaches the customer.

Question 8

A consumer who purchases the product or service output of an organization is referred to as a/an

Accepted Answer

An external customer is someone who purchases the product or service output of an organization, as opposed to internal customers who are employees or stakeholders within the company.

Question 9

Which of the following is an external customer of Wal-Mart?

Accepted Answer

External customers are those who purchase products or services from a business. In this case, a shopper at Wal-Mart is an external customer because they buy goods from the store.

Question 10

In total quality management terms, the next worker or next department in a process that uses the output of a prior stage is called a/an

Accepted Answer

In total quality management, an internal customer is the next worker or department that uses the output from a previous stage in the process.

Question 11

According to our textbook, if total quality management is to successfully pervade all levels of an organization, management must develop an organizational __________ in which all workers are committed to the philosophy.

Accepted Answer

Total Quality Management (TQM) requires an organizational culture where every employee is committed to quality principles, emphasizing the importance of a shared set of beliefs and practices that support continuous improvement and customer satisfaction.

Question 12

A central theme of the total quality management approach is that __________ employees should be brought into the decision-making and problem-solving process.

Accepted Answer

Total Quality Management (TQM) emphasizes the involvement of all employees in the decision-making and problem-solving processes to improve the organization's quality, productivity, and performance.

Question 13

Companies frequently compare their product or service against an industry leader. This is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Benchmarking is the process where a company compares its products or services against those of industry leaders to identify areas for improvement and set performance standards.

Question 14

A fundamental principle of total quality management is that everyone in an organization should be focused on making continuous improvement. The process of continuous improvement is referred to as

Accepted Answer

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "change for better" or "continuous improvement." It is a philosophy that focuses on the continuous improvement of processes in manufacturing, engineering, and business management.

Question 15

A work team that meets regularly to identify, analyze, and solve problems related to its work area is called a/an

Accepted Answer

A quality circle is a group of workers who meet regularly to identify, analyze, and solve problems related to their work area, aiming to improve the quality of products or services. This concept is part of participatory management and continuous improvement practices.

Question 16

Steven belongs to a small group of supervisors and employees from the same work area who meet regularly to identify, analyze, and solve production and quality problems. This type of group is called a/an

Accepted Answer

Quality circles are small groups of employees who meet regularly to identify, analyze, and solve production and quality problems. They are a form of participative management and are designed to improve the quality of the product or service, and the efficiency of the work process.

Question 17

A temporary team assigned to solve a special or nonrecurring problem is referred to as a/an

Accepted Answer

A special-purpose team is specifically formed for a limited duration to address a specific goal or solve a particular problem, after which it is usually disbanded. This term accurately describes a temporary team assigned to solve a special or nonrecurring problem.

Question 18

Meagan Smith is a member of a group of employees pulled from different departments in an attempt to solve a nonrecurring problem. Meagan is a member of a/an

Accepted Answer

A special-purpose team is formed to address a specific, nonrecurring problem by bringing together employees from various departments, which matches the scenario described for Meagan Smith.

Question 19

Perhaps the most prominent quality philosopher was __________, an American who was considered the father of quality control in Japan.

Accepted Answer

W. Edwards Deming is widely recognized as the father of quality control in Japan, where his teachings and methodologies had a profound impact on post-war industrial recovery and improvement.

Question 20

Which of the following statements regarding Deming's quality management views is not true?

Accepted Answer

Deming's quality management principles emphasize improving quality to reduce costs and increase productivity, which in turn can lead to increased market share and profitability. However, they do not inherently suggest that the number of jobs decreases; rather, the focus is on improving processes and outcomes.

Quiz 16: Productivity and Quality in Operations