An exploratory investigation of the relationship between the achievement of ISO 9000 quality standards and the level of customer service provided by manufacturing companies in the Durban area

Abstract

During the past 20 years, marketing in industrialized countries has evolved towards Relationship Marketing placing more attention on customer loyalty. To achieve this new objective, increased interest has been placed on delivering quality customer service. In parallel, the notion of quality has evolved toward total quality, now considering every aspect in the company. Following this evolution, new quality tools have been developed, such as the ISO 9000 standards.