In the course of my career I’ve taken many classes and seminars. One such course was an introduction to the subject of quality, wherein we learned about the Kano Model of Quality (header image from the link), among other things. Not only was it a fascinating concept among the multitude of quality-related topics presented, but it impacted my thinking about customer perception of a product (or service) that really influenced my thinking about what I did.
OVERVIEW
Essentially, there are three levels of quality in any good or service.
First, things that are expected to be present as a default. Their presence does not increase satisfaction because they are expected as a baseline. Their absence, however, can decrease satisfaction and sometimes make you downright irritable when they’re not there. An example:
- You check into a hotel room. You expect the lights and TV, not to mention the sink, shower, and toilet, to be functional, everything clean, the bed made with new sheets, fresh towels, soaps and shampoo present, and so on. The presence of these things doesn’t increase your satisfaction – because these are expected as a matter of course.
Second, things whose presence is “the more, the better”:
- A complimentary breakfast buffet at the hotel that includes basic breakfast stuff. The bigger the selection, and perhaps the longer the hours they’re open, the more pleased you are.
Third, things that you didn’t know you wanted until you see them – called surprise and delight features in automotive-land:
- One time, having been given a Lincoln Towncar to drive to visit a supplier for a weekend, I was amazed to find twin sun visors. One folded down and was movable as they usually are, but there was a second just-fold-down one once you deployed the first. This was actually very useful as I was driving on curvy roads towards the sun on that trip and, having two sun visors, I avoided having to shift the visor back and forth as I drove. Cool!
The idea that there could be such different levels of quality was a new thing to me. As I said, that course really altered my view.
ANOTHER QUALITY LESSON
People value predictability & stability over the absolute level of quality. For example, consider the example of McDonalds burgers. Now MHO is that it’s a pretty crappy burger, but at least it’s consistent. I can go into a McDonalds in Portland ME, or one in Phoenix AZ, or one local to me or just about anywhere (had a quarter pounder near the Dead Sea several years ago – same thing), and within some margin of variation I know what I’m getting.
Conversely, there are a couple of restaurants I’ve been to repeatedly where the levels of food quality and service vary widely from visit to visit. I’m reluctant to go to them, certainly not to bring friends or guests – not because I haven’t had great food there, but because I don’t know what will happen each time I go in the door. And while I’d not invite someone to a meal at Mcdonald’s, I’ll deliberately choose a place where I know what I’m getting, even if the absolute level of quality/service is less than I’ve had at other, sometimes better, but definitely more variable, places.
Again, people crave stability and predictability far more than they value the actual level of quality.
AS APPLIED TO SOCIETY
(Based on Surak’s comment, I’ve removed the Kissinger meme.)
I’d been mulling this over for quite some time, and this article on American Thinker, TIA: This Is Africa? No, This Is America – American Thinker, promoted my thought process. A similar experience happened to me in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where one morning, there was no hot water for a shower. Later that day, we saw a sign on the front door saying that the boiler was out and might – might – be up and running the next day. Turns out it was the day after that when it was finally working again. My then-fiancée and now-wife shrugged it off, saying This is Russia.
So consider this video from London:
In most modern cities, at least until recently, in most areas of said cities, it’s been a reasonable assumption that such a thing wouldn’t occur. But we now see, in many cities in both America and Europe – formerly safe and predictable locations – massive crime waves. We see smash-and-grab robberies filmed by people as they watch criminals walk in, load up on the store’s stock, and then waltz out. In many instances, security does nothing; indeed, very often, security cannot do anything.
A recent report on theft of fire hydrants in LA for the scrap metal value:
Example after example after example is splashed on the internet daily – of crimes in places that used to be a low crime, people now being punched in the face randomly, break-ins in places that used not to have them… the list is legion of a clear and visible corrosion of the fabric and morality of our society. Knife attacks. Mob attacks. This would have been unthinkable and astonishing even a decade ago in most areas:
As would seeing this (San Jose, CA, date unknown):
THE EXPECTED
I have told my kids, repeatedly, to be grateful for what we have:
- A home
- Electricity, running water, sanitation, heat and AC
- Food in the fridge
- A quiet neighborhood
- Medical care available 24-7
- Nobody shooting at us or attempting to stab us when we go out
- At least a semblance of the Rule of Law
- Et cetera
With little thought to what it took for us to get to having the above.
CHAOS – LEADS TO STRONGMEN
So what happens when that baseline of civilizational expectations crumbles?
Tucker Carlson Admits What Politician Truly Scares Him
It will be easy, with a chaotic environment, for someone to come along promising order… and the “benevolent hand” of Socialism. Promising order and stability, at the price of freedom and a chance at increasing prosperity. After months if not years of utter chaos and desperation, how many will willingly make that trade?
My bet? A whole lot of people will.
CHAOS AND UNCERTAINTY
And destabilization, chaos, and desperation is what they want. Fertile loam with which to implement Socialistopia.
Understand that all of what’s coming – whether economic collapse, banking crises, food shortages, WW3, Jabpocalypse, high crime, etc., are being deliberately engineered to create that chaotic and desperation-laden loam. Your life, your family’s lives, and even your country’s survival do not factor into their pursuit of a one-world Socialist paradise on Earth.
Plan accordingly.
And boy, did I nail the prediction or what:
