Although important research has been conducted around CCMS (e.g. Technical Assistance Research Program, 1979), most models are not comprehensive enough, and understate the importance of some steps that have been demonstrated to be crucial to the process through experience with TQM and QFD methodologies. Therefore, a model for CCMS that integrates practice-tested methodologies such as QFD, problem solving and failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) was developed.
The seven steps of the CCMS model, based on the Deming cycle, are all traceable to a TQM methodology (QFD, FMEA or 8Ds). These steps are:
document the voice of the customer (VOC);
translate VOC into customer needs and problems;
analyze and solve the problem;
exploit customer needs;
update FMEA to avoid recurrence;
share solutions with affected customer; and
update system performance measurements (Figure 1).
Three important indicators for measuring the CCMS success are proposed:
time to respond to a customer complaint, from receiving it to giving an answer to the affected customer;
percentage of closed cases out of complaints received; and
evaluation of service level.
Although service level is affected by many variables other than CCMS, it can provide a reference for the general improvement status of the company through its service strategies.
Case study: LatinAir
In order to provide an example of the application, possibilities and limitations of our proposed CCMS model, we present a project developed for a major Latin American transportation company. In order to keep things confidential, we will refer to it as “LatinAir”. Numbers, figures, dates and exact verbalizations have also been modified slightly for the same purpose. The improvement team assigned to this project, and integrated by LatinAir personnel and the authors, will be referred as “LA Team”.
With the intention of making this process easier to understand for LatinAir personnel, a Microscoft Excel document was developed with five linked worksheets. Worksheet 1 includes voice and customer needs (CNs), as well as the problem definition and its causes. Worksheet 2 is an FMEA format. Worksheet 3 is a matrix that relates CNs with processes. Worksheet 4 is an automatically generated apology letter for the customer. Finally, Worksheet 5 is a diagram that shows unmet needs. These worksheets simplified the work and served as a useful validation tool. They also allowed LatinAir personnel to easily modify and adopt the tool to their needs and language as they mastered the process.