Anyone who owns a cell phone knows the agony of a dropped call. Did you know that
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A baseline technician for Verizon Wireless checks boxes of cell phones wired to his computer used to check reception in different areas and also competition's reception and signal as he drives about Sacramento territory.
In addition to a tear-down analysis that looks for weaknesses in a phone's hardware and components, the device is tested for its ability to withstand temperature extremes, vibration, and stress. Beyond these physical tests, Verizon uses two approaches to assess a phone's capability to receive cellular signals and clearly communicate to the caller. First, Verizon hires 98 test personnel who drive $300,000 specially equipped vans more than 1 million miles a year to measure network performance using prospective new cell phones. They make more than 3 million voice call attempts and 16 million data tests annually. The tests check the coverage of the network as well as the capability of the cell phones to pick up the signals and clearly communicate to the caller. Second, Verizon uses Mr. Head, a robotic mannequin, who has a recorded voice and is electronically equipped with a rubber ear that evaluates how well the phone's mouthpiece transmits certain phonetics. Mr. Head utters what sounds like gibberish; however, it actually covers the range of sounds in normal speech patterns. Other systems monitor the tests and summarize results. Some phones spend so much time in the test phase that ultimately they never make it to the market. Clearly, in those cases, the cost of poor quality to the manufacturer is very high.
Along with testing the quality of its hardware and wireless service, Verizon also provides extensive training to its customer service representatives. Quality checks are done through company executives visiting retail stores and each of its 34 customer service center operations. With its focus on quality in operations, products, services, and technology, it is not surprising that Verizon Wireless has built a great reputation with its customer base and has also been recognized through several best wireless service awards.
What are some potential impacts of the costs of quality related to Verizon's extensive testing procedures, including impacts on manufacturers whose phones are not selected by Verizon to be sold to its customers?
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Related Book For
Understanding Basic Statistics
ISBN: 9781111827021
6th Edition
Authors: Charles Henry Brase, Corrinne Pellillo Brase
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