In Search of Quality

Have you ever actively searched for Quality? What does Quality mean to you? And how would you know when Quality is right in front of you?

The reason I am writing about Quality is my friend, Betsy Gray Talbot at Married with Luggage, shared a link on FaceBook called “ReThink Quality =  The Quality Hunters“.   Finnair is looking for four people to travel for 61 days to various parts of the world in search of quality. Those four people will have to blog and tweet about their various daily encounters and experiences. And I’m hoping that I will be asked to be one of those four people.

So over the last few days, I have been thinking about what Quality means to me.

I have never thought to go in search of it but to me, Quality means above and beyond excellence. I have seen it, experienced it, and have appreciated it so much that that type of Quality has left an inherent impression on me that even years later, I still remember what those experiences felt like. Quality comes in many ways and not all are from face to face encounters. Some of them come from behind the scenes services that you never see, in just a gesture or in the beauty of a place.

Once I was standing in the lobby of a hotel with a group of people and we were discussing going out. But I had to run back to my room to drop off a shopping bag. One of the bellman overheard this and immediately offered to take my bag up to my room. That was impressive but what made this small gesture one of excellence, he addressed me by my name and I had only been at this hotel a day. Excellent Quality. In fact, everything about this hotel and their service was above and beyond excellence.

Quality also comes in other forms. It can come in the beauty of a place. I lived in India, one of the poorest countries in the world at that time. But the beauty of the countryside, the people, and their temples made a lasting impression on me.  Though the country is poor and their people are poor according to our standards then and now, they do understand customer service and welcome you to their country from the passing smile on a face, to a helping hand, to the grandeur of their biggest tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal.

Then there is the type of Quality where you are a part of a captured audience. Recently, I was on a 12 hour flight and just getting over a cold. Once in the air, I promptly fell asleep for a few hours. Unbeknownst to me while I slumbered, the flight attendants silently walked up and down the aisle, quite frequently and quietly, checking on their passengers’ comfort. As I was waking up, the flight attendant asked me if I would like a drink or my meal since I missed their regular cart service. I didn’t have to use my call bell or go to the galley to ask. This flight was all about our comfort and attentively taking care of our needs even though their primary focus was on our safety.

I may not get asked to be one of the four Quality Hunters or even get an interview, but thinking about Quality and what it means to me has brought back a lot of great memories. Those memories have brought a smile to my face and an appreciation as well that always needed nudge to make sure my customer service I provide to my own clients is above and beyond excellence. 

But if I am asked to be one of the four, I am all theirs for 61 days. And then I can cross off Number 30 on my list.