An American auto manufacturer has been having trouble with the quality of one of their car parts. Testing parts and fixing defects was costing a great deal of money. The company president, hearing that a Japanese auto manufacturer is developing a reputation for quality production, flies to Japan with the part and starts negotiating with the Japanese president through an interpreter.
The negotations are going fine until the American president brings up the issue of quality. "We're going to want a sample delivery of 100 parts, and we want only 1 part in 20 to be bad." The translator gives this message to the Japanese president. The president scowls and proceeds to start arguing with and berating the negotiator. After a hasty conversation the translator turns and tells the American president that the term is unacceptable.
The American president responds with a compromise, "Alright, I will accept 1 in 10 parts being bad, and that is my final offer." The translator hesitates a bit before telling the Japanese president. The Japanese president scowls again and looks at the American for a long time before slouching forward and signalling that he accepts. They sign the contract
The American president flies back to the states, knowing that he got a really good deal out of the Japanese president. Six months later, the shipment from Japan arrives in the form of one big box, one small box and a small, delicately written note.
The note, written in English, reads : "We have completed your order. I want you to know we had trouble meeting the quality requirement you set forth. I don't know why you wanted 10 bad units, but for your convenience they have been packaged separately"
I always see the story as a parable on the value of quality in manufacturing. Do it right the first time, and you won't have to pay to fix it later.
Not the funniest way I can tell it, but the specifics can be filled in by the teller