In the eighties, Professor Noriaki Kano offered users information about the attributes of a new product, important to all of us consumers.
The Kano model:
1.. It is quality management;
2.. And a marketing technique that can be
used to measure customer satisfaction.
The kano model:
1.. Displays the attributes or characteristics of the Product.
2.. It is a tool for:
2.1.. The evaluation of new ideas.
2.2.. For the development of new Product concepts.
3.. The model offers a methodology to locate consumer responses.
4.. The model is an instrument to:
4.1.. Identify and
4.2.. Classify the characteristics and properties of the product they provide
Customer satisfaction
The model distinguishes 6 categories of qualities of quality; the first three have an influence on customer satisfaction and offers a methodology to locate consumer responses as follows:
A. Basic factors -expected basic attributes-necessary-unsatisfactory requirements-basic factors.
They are the minimum requirements that will cause customer dissatisfaction if not satisfied, but will not cause customer satisfaction if satisfied (or exceeded).
The customer views these as prerequisites and takes these for granted.
The basic attributes or characteristics are what a product must have to be successful, a customer will remain neutral in relation to the product, even if there are improved versions of these characteristics.
There are certain basic attributes of the product, which are classified as basic, intrinsic to it and which do not generate a substantial increase in customer satisfaction.
Example: if you have it ok, but if it is missing it creates a great nuisance-toilet paper in the bathroom-an air-conditioned car-clean sheets in a hotel-soap in the bathroom.
Another example: if you go to a bank, the least you expect is to find toilet paper and water; if there is, ok, but if there isn't, or it's dirty, it makes us very upset.
Regarding your account, you expect to be informed regularly, with sufficient clarity and detail. Bill.
Current is an intrinsic service to the product that has been purchased from the bank and, due to the fact that the bank informs it of the status of its account on a daily basis, the customer is not much more satisfied.
If you are highly dissatisfied that the periodicity of the information does not allow you to monitor the status of your account.
If the bank does not provide you with any statement of your account, it will irritate you and, most likely, will void or cancel your account.
B.. Enthusiasm factors -impact attributes (unexpected / surprising) -attractive-satisfying requirements-excitement factors.-exaltation are the factors that increase customer satisfaction if they are delivered but do not cause dissatisfaction if they are not delivered.
These factors surprise the customer and generate -pleasure- using these factors, a company of any kind can really distinguish itself from its competitors in a more positive way.
If you send your car to the workshop and you are going to stay on foot, but suddenly the workshop gives you an equivalent or better car, by the time yours is going to be in repair, they charge you less than you expected, they take your car to your house, clean and shiny, they take the other one away and when you go out you find a bag with chocolates and a note from the manager placing himself at order, which workshop will you go to next time?
Impact attributes are those that favorably surprise the client because they generate unexpected benefits and returns, which, in principle, they did not have.
The reduction of the characteristics of the product in its quality, functionality or the number of these will not result in customer dissatisfaction, even if the level of performance of the attribute is initially low.
It is difficult to identify these characteristics in products, since they are considered unexpected by customers and the customer's basic needs are usually identified first; sometimes these characteristics of a product are called latent needs.
The impact attributes represent hidden and unknown wishes, new facets of use and application, aspects of personalization of the product to the customer (customization).
If a certain impact attribute provides an attractive competitive advantage, many competitors will try to imitate the pioneer and, in a short time, what yesterday provided a clear advantage will today become a performance attribute and even a basic characteristic.
At the bank, the impact attributes can be the granting of a personal loan in 24 hours or, recently, the consultation of the account statement on the internet. These attributes group characteristics and qualities of the product that are not expressed in most cases by the customer.
C. Performance factors-performance attributes-one dimension-one-dimensional requirements-performance factors-performance / linear.
Factors that cause satisfaction; if the performance is high.
They cause discontent if the performance is low.
These factors are typically connected to explicit customer needs and wants and a company should try to be competitive here.
Performance: so much more performance, so much greater satisfaction.
In the bank's checking account, the interest rate on a time deposit is a performance attribute. The higher the interest, the more satisfaction it generates for the customer.
In the same bank, expect diligent attention, and a pleasant atmosphere; if he succeeds, he feels happy, if he does not succeed, he causes disappointment.
It makes us happy if we have it, and unhappy if we don't.
If they attend us quickly at the bank, we like it, but if we have to wait an hour, it bothers us.
If you go to a hardware store, you expect them to treat you courteously, to hear your complaint, if you have one, and to try to find a way out for you.
They are presented in one dimension. They are identified as those characteristics and functions that the customer expects, and that allow them to access better use, greater use, greater profitability of the purpose for which the product they buy is dedicated.
The straight line in the diagram is located in the area reserved for performance attributes, to show that there is a great deal of proportionality between the performance level of that attribute and the satisfaction it produces.
These characteristics are directly related to customer satisfaction.
D. Indifferent qualities
Customer does not pay attention to features
E. Questionable qualities it is not clear if this quality is expected by the client
F. Inverse qualities
This product characteristic, conversely, was what the customer expected.
Steps of the model: process.
To identify the basic factors, enthusiasm and performance, as well as the three additional qualities or factors, the following questionnaire is developed:
1.. For each product feature a couple of questions are asked which the customer can answer in one of five different ways.
2.. The first question refers to the customer's reaction on whether the product has this characteristic (functional question).
3.. The second question is asked to the customer's reaction on whether the product does not show this characteristic (dysfunctional question).
4.. Combining the answers, all the qualities can be classified within the six factors.
Conclusions of the model:
Until recently the motto was - customer satisfaction -, with this model, today a satisfied customer expects more; you have to surprise and delight him.
The model raises: the client:
1.. Requires (base quality).
2.. Expect or require (performance quality).
3.. Discover (quality of exaltation).
The model remembers: the customer is the most important thing, you have to take care of him and do not lose him.
The purpose is to reinforce the specifications and thus obtain a performance on the needs and qualities of the product to cause greater customer satisfaction.
