Philip Kotler and marketing, or how to improve the quality of services

What does service and product quality mean in marketing?

Why is it so important and what does it actually mean? Does high quality always result in increased production costs? And finally – how to really improve the quality of the services offered and how does it affect the company’s image?

Get it done well or just get it done? And even if we choose to have it done well, what’s next? Simple rules that were written down in the 1990s by Philip Kotler, an American economist, and honorary professor of the Department of International Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, considered one of the best specialists in the field of marketing, may be helpful. He formulated comments on the marketing strategy of global quality that are still valid today. We decided to present four of them to you today.

Quality is not only a product or service

Quality must be reflected in every activity of a company, not only in its products. This means that the mere fact of offering a quality product or service is not enough. Quality should apply to all side and supporting activities. It is also the quality of advertising related to our product and the person promoting a given service. Quality can also be seen in the customer service itself and in the delivery system. External communication carried out in accordance with correct marketing principles is also a reflection of quality. This also includes contact with the customer at the post-sales stage, or similarly after the service stage. When a given project is completed, however, openness and due care also take place when something goes wrong, e.g. in the complaint or returns process.

Quality also requires high-class partners

The suppliers we work with should also be quality in their own right. The products or services that we obtain from them and then offer to our customers must be reliable. Reliability in the selection of subcontractors significantly affects our credibility and the level of trust our clients have in us. Therefore, a company that values quality should search for and reach the best possible suppliers and sellers. We cannot forget that in some way they are also part of our company, so they shape its image and influence the quality of the services offered by the company.

Building quality is a multi-stage process.

Quality can always be improved

It’s good, but can it be even better? Always. This also applies to quality. If we want to offer the highest quality possible, we must not only achieve it, but also maintain it and then… perfect it! For this purpose, the universal rule of comparing yourself to the best will be useful. That is, the best in your industry. It is worth comparing our results with the competition and observing and thus learning from them. It may also be valuable to learn about their history and professional paths. There’s a reason why we read (auto)biographies of people who have achieved success or who, for some reason, arouse our admiration or respect. So let’s get to work. Round up! But keep one important thing in mind. Comparing ourselves to others can also be a trap that leads us to the type of thinking such as “I will never be as good as them” or “It worked for them, so it has to work for me too.” It is worth remembering that copying or imitating someone else’s marketing strategy will not always bring the desired effect. Ultimately, we cannot say why a given company has chosen a certain type of communication and whether it will work again.
That’s why competition analysis should be done carefully. Let’s take into account not only the effects of our colleagues’ actions, but also many other factors that determined their strategy of action, which are not visible at first glance. This includes, for example, the target of their services, brand recognition on the market, or the budget which we can determine based on such things as the range of advertising activities. Only a thorough analysis, in which we are not guided by the idea that “if it works for them, it must be effective,” reveals the advantages and disadvantages of a given strategy. After all, not all that glitters is gold.

See also: Marketing and PR – why would you pay when you can do it yourself!

Quality doesn’t cost more

Most people think that quality involves additional costs and energy. There are such cases, but it is not a rule. It is said that “quality improves by learning, by doing things right the first time.” Which actually saves our and the client’s time. How is it possible? A product made well reduces the likelihood of complaints. A service performed well reduces the likelihood of customer dissatisfaction. Therefore, we save time on repairing and we don’t need to rebuild a lost good reputation. The same will happen with additional energy reserves. Quality does not generate additional difficulties, if anything generates difficulties, it’s most likely the lack of quality.

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