ISO 9000

1. Assuming you understand your customer's needs
It may sound obvious but one of the most common errors made when serving a customer is not understanding the entire picture. As consumers we choose to buy products or services based on several needs, but we may only articulate one or two of those needs. What are you doing to understand all your customer's needs?

2. Poor listening
Are you waiting for your cue to speak or are you attentively listening to your customer's concerns or desires?

3. Not following up in time
Are you making morning after calls or are you doing them when you get around to it? Do customers call you several times before you finally get back to them with the requested information?

4. Bad mouthing the competition
When you speak poorly of the competition, especially if you do not have first hand experience, you are turning off your potential customer. When you focus on the positive attributes of you competition and compare them to your positive attributes, your prospect is thinking positive thoughts about you.

5. Making it all about you and your product or service
My name is John Henry. I am a consultant. I am a trainer. I can do that. I can help you. I know how to fix that. I can do it, me, myself, and I. Hmmm...not so appealing is it?

6. Answering the phone when a customer is standing in front of you
The person in front of you IS your customer. The customer on the phone MAY become your customer. Deal with what you know before you move onto what you do not know.

7. Continually excusing yourself so that you can seek the answers from an expert
There is nothing wrong with needing to get the expertise of a co-worker. However, you can show your customer you value them by inviting the expert to join you, rather than continually leaving the customer waiting while you "go find out".

8. Low value on internal customers
When you put your people to the bottom of the customer service list, you are compromising the network in which you operate. Keep in mind that the tables will turn one day and you will need something from them.

9. Not knowing when and how far to bend the rules

10. Not thanking your customers
Everyone loves to be appreciated. When you thank a customer they revisit their positive experience and are apt to share it with others. Thanking a customer can be as simple as a hand shake or as elaborate as a gift.

Transition your organization to the new standards. Quality personnel in all functions and at all levels can use this guide as a blueprint for planning and auditing activities. This package of audit forms is a user-friendly tool kit for conducting internal ISO 9000 audits. Audit program managers, administrators, or anyone charged with scheduling, tracking and following internal audits can use this kit as an aid in simplifying an audit program. The material addresses problems faced by audit administrators, and offers solutions. This timesaving kit ensures a complete, consistent audit that conserves not only the auditee's time, but also the time spent by the auditor as well.

Designed for one complete audit, The ISO 9001:2000 Audit Kit contains 27 audit packets that pave the way for a streamlined internal audit for the 9001:2000 standards. Full instructions are included.

The ISO 9001:2000 Audit Kit can be used with the ISO 9001:2000 Auditors Companion: Item H1095, which is also available from ASQ Quality Press.

Control production and service provision:
- processes
- information
- instructions
- equipment
- measurements
- activities

Validate production and service provision by proving special processes, process personnel, and process equipment can produce planned results.

Identify and track your products by:
- establishing the identity of your products
- maintaining the identity of your products
- identifying the status of your products
- recording the identity of your products

Protect property supplied by customers by:
- identifying
- verifying
- safeguarding

Preserve your products and components during internal processing and final delivery.

Identify monitoring and measuring needs that should be done.
Select devices that meet your monitoring and measuring needs.
Calibrate monitoring and measuring devices.
Protect monitoring and measuring devices from unauthorized adjustment, damage, or deterioration.
Validate monitoring and measuring software before you use it and revalidate when necessary.
Use monitoring and measuring devices to ensure your products meet requirements.

There must be a plan for remedial processes to assure conformity and improve the system.

Remedial processes must be implemented to demonstrate conformance and improve the quality management system.

Monitor and measure customer satisfaction by:
- identifying ways to monitor and measure customer satisfaction
- monitor and measure customer satisfaction
- utilize customer satisfaction information

Plan and perform regular internal audits by:
- setting up an internal audit program
- developing an internal audit procedure
- planning your internal audit projects
- performing regular internal audits
- solving problems discovered during audits
- verifying that problems have been solved

Monitor and measure quality processes by:
- using suitable methods to monitor and measure your processes
- taking action when your processes fail to achieve planned results

Monitor and measure product/service characteristics by:
- verifying that product characteristics are being met
- keeping a record of product monitoring and measuring activities

Develop a procedure to control nonconforming product/service that includes defining how nonconforming products should be identified and handled.

Identify and control your nonconforming products by:
- eliminating or correcting product nonconformities
- preventing the delivery or use of nonconforming products
- avoiding the inappropriate use of nonconforming products

Re-verify nonconforming products that were corrected.

Control nonconforming products after delivery or use.

Maintain records of nonconforming products.