'Quality Is Job One'

Recently, the auto and tire industries have been in a highly publicized crisis management situation because of serious product quality issues. The reputations of Firestone/Bridgestone, Ford and Mitsubishi are in serious disarray as new findings continue to make headlines: deaths because of tire tread defects; the recall of 6.5 million tires; suspect suspension systems and other product quality defects; poor product complaint handling plus the coverup of consumer complaints. The list of negatives coming out of the recent congressional hearings is by no means at an end.

What happened? Did these well-known and well-respected companies lose sight of the fact that the most valuable asset any business can have is the loyalty of its customers? It can cost up to l2 times more to replace a customer than it does to satisfy, serve and retain an existing relationship. What happened to the importance of preserving one’s brand image?

In Our Own Back Yard
The sad saga of revelations in the auto and tire industries should cause us all to review our own commitment to quality and customer relationships. Are we in the building materials and construction industry truly walking the talk ourselves? Perhaps it is time to review the alpha and omega quality process of producing building materials, selling those products and building homes. The home building and remodeling industries have their own list of consumer complaints relating to quality construction in various sectors of the country.

In l984, President Ronald Reagan designated October as "Quality Month," which he said he hoped would signal "to the American people the importance of top quality in all we do." The then-president explained, "Our forefathers were fine craftsmen. They were committed to quality and teamwork. They taught us that teams of skilled workers, motivated and with the opportunity to contribute, can turn out products of the highest excellence. It is up to us to recommit ourselves to that spirit today."

Our commitment that "Quality Is Job One" at BMC West relates not only to management’s attention, but also to all of our employees. Our commitment is to hire and retain quality people, provide continuing education and training, sell quality products and provide quality service to our customers on a sustained basis. We intend to walk the talk. We welcome your comments and input. Quality is everyone’s responsibility and business.