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What does Quality of Service really mean?

The following are examples of good quality service work that may not be obvious at first glance when comparing or understanding repairs:

1. Properly test unit; verify full extent of problem, verify repairs.
2. Address any intermittent problems with proper testing procedures
3. Repair the source(s) of the problem.
4. Identify auxiliary issues, such as: wear or cracking, incorrect or missing hardware or components, noises, vibrations, incorrect speeds or other adjustments.
5. Use correct hardware, or correct replacement parts instead of aftermarket; often inferior parts without authorization or knowledge from the customer.
6. Clean or properly lubricate surfaces, complex joints or mechanisms and properly clean or torque fasteners.
7. Avoid introduction of contamination, e,g dirt falling into critical areas during repair.
8. Identify or treat corrosion, or prevent it following a repair.
9. Proper preparation of gasket or o-ring surfaces and replace them.
10. Warm up the equipment before changing fluids in order that contaminents be in solution.
11. Perform proper adjustments according to manufacturers specifications
12. Recommend important procedures, inspections, services and properly verify worthiness of equipment to customer.
13. Properly document repairs
14. Communicate; discuss; address customers concerns

Performing all of these tasks correctly requires additional time, experience, skill, access to information, access to parts, and carefulness.

Proper repairs can sometimes take several times what it appears the job can take if done care free. On the surface, two different repair shops may appear to do the same thing, even list the same items being serviced, but an entirely different quality of repair is possible; and very hard to judge without a keen eye or knowledge of who you are dealing with and what their abilities and style are.

The difference is Quality.

Lack of these qualities often leads to higher costs; for example the following situations:
1. Increase of wear, friction, damage during service, not evident at first glance, causing reduced service life.
2. Increase in returns, annoyance and cost for the same problem, or flat out inability to resolve the problem or address the root cause.
3. Higher labor hours charged due to inefficient repair procedures or lack of skill, information, or training, or accidental damages.