“Quality is everything.” Ian Gregg, Greggs

“The only certainty is quality. So long as regard is had to this fundamental principle, a business will grow by natural accretion as everything in nature grows under favourable and healthful conditions. To overlook these things and allow Cheap John, penny-wise-and-pound-foolish methods to creep into your Works, buying and employing the lowest priced material and labor, advising and selling machinery badly proportioned and ill-adapted to the purpose for which it is required, will inevitably lead to growing dissatisfaction of customers, declining trade, and ultimately in the decay and ruin of business.” Charles Otis, Otis Elevators

“The first part of our mission statement, ‘Make the best product’, is the raison d'être of Patagonia and the cornerstone of our business philosophy.” Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia

“We believe that quality is no longer a luxury. It is sought out by the consumer, and it is expected. For example, the Strategic-Planning Institute has been collecting data for years on the performance of thousands of companies. [Their] report has begun to show quite clearly that quality, not price, has the highest correlation with business success. In fact, the institute has found, overall, companies with high-product and service-quality reputations have on average return-on-investment rates twelve times higher than their low-quality and lower-priced competitors.” Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia

“We ought to be selling the best there is. The better the product, the less likely it is the customer will have a problem with it. A variation on the Golden Rule comes into play here: give people the kinds of things you'd like to have.” Carl Sewell, Sewell Automotive

“No matter how hard you try, there's no way to provide good service if you're selling a terrible product. It will wear out too quickly or it will break. Even the best customer service system won't save you. No matter what you do, the customer is bound to be unhappy with that kind of product.” Carl Sewell, Sewell Automotive

“Quality is a leading indicator, financial results are a lagging indicator.” Ken Allen, DHL

“Our constant focus on quality is the glue that holds our Big Yellow Machine together.” Ken Allen, DHL

“Ultimately, it's the quality of our service that keeps customers loyal, reduces costs and creates a winning culture.” Ken Allen, DHL

“Focusing on quality also pays big dividends. We've developed and widely shared a simple 1-10-100 rule. What we explain to everyone is that if they follow process and do their job correctly, it costs $1. If there's a mistake and we pick up the problem in the hub and have to return it, it might cost $10. But if the parcel gets all the way to its destination before the problem is identified and we have to return it, it could cost as much as $100. This explains why everything needs to be right first time - any errors in quality that slip through the net make a massive difference and have a huge impact on both cost and customer satisfaction.” Ken Allen, DHL

“Never skimp on quality; put your heart and soul into producing the best-quality products to present to your public. Don’t let anyone talk you out of it.” Leonard Lauder, Estée Lauder

“I learned early that being a perfectionist and providing quality was the only way to do business.” Leonard Lauder, Estée Lauder