Kano Model: How Does It Fit Within Lean Six Sigma and Retail?

People who know me, know that I put great emphasis on the customer. It's not simply about "customer service", which is often defined as ensuring customer satisfaction with a product or service while performing a transaction with the customer. It goes much, much deeper.

The Kano Model, named after creator Noriaki Kano, a Japanese educator, lecturer, writer and consultant in the field of quality management, gets to the heart of creating a product, service, or process that delivers the kind of customer experience that keeps the customer coming back time after time. The model's framework defines customer needs in just three categories: Dissatisfiers, Satisfiers, and Delighters.

Dissatisfiers - From the customer's perspective, items in this category are the must-have's or basic requirements to ensure happiness. They are often times expected or taken for granted and when not present, can create dire consequences for the retailer. For example, if a particular item is being promoted, there is a basic expectation that the item is in stock else the retailer risks being portrayed in a bad light on social media. Or that there is an expectation that shopping carts are available and in good working order at the entrance of the store because no one likes a cart that constantly goes left. And yet another is that after spending an hour doing your shopping, the process to check out and pay for your purchases is swift. This is where Amazon Go is raising the bar and attempting to change the landscape with their cashierless store.

Satisfiers - When the requirements of the customer are met, and the more that they are met, the greater the customer's satisfaction will be with the retail experience. Referring back to items being in stock, what if it were an item of clothing and it was available on the shelf in your size plus many others, and it came in several colors or patterns? The availability of a greater selection of the item sought after will surely satisfy.

Delighters - Also known as latent requirements. These are features or services that go beyond what is expected by the customer. Items in this space, when executed well, will develop the highest degree of customer loyalty. Years ago, I remember that it was a standard practice for a grocer to not only bag your groceries but to also help you load them into your vehicle. If this were to occur today on your next trip to the store, wouldn't you be delighted?

Customer expectations continue to rise. What might be a delighter (think Amazon Go's cashierless shopping experience) might become tomorrow's basic requirement. Keeping the Kano Model in mind, along with other aspects of Lean Six Sigma, will provide the agility needed to evolve, grow, and sustain relevance in a fast-moving economy. Most retailers are focused on the satisfiers or those items that promote good customer service. Few are willing to lead the way in delighting their customers.

So, what are you doing in the space of customer service to raise the bar on your competition?