Definition:
Perceived quality is the subjective assessment a person forms of the excellence or suitability of a product, service or brand in relation to their expectations and the available alternatives.
It is not equivalent to a technical measurement. It develops through experience and the signals available before, during and after use, so it can vary between people, contexts and points in time.
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Scope of perceived quality
Technical or objective quality refers to attributes that can be checked through specifications, standards, tests or performance indicators. Perceived quality represents the judgement a person makes from the information and experience available to them.
Expected quality is the level anticipated before the product or service is used. It develops through needs, previous experiences, price, reputation, recommendations and commercial promises. High expectations may encourage a favourable initial assessment but can also increase disappointment if the experience does not confirm them.
Satisfaction is related to these concepts but is not equivalent to them. It commonly reflects the assessment of a particular experience against expectations, while perceived quality may represent a broader judgement of the product, service or brand.
Factors influencing perceived quality
Perception combines intrinsic attributes, external signals and the context in which the assessment takes place. Common factors include:
- Performance and reliability: The ability to fulfil its purpose, maintain results and avoid errors or interruptions.
- Design and ease of use: Appearance, interaction, accessibility, packaging and other sensory or functional characteristics.
- Service and process: Support, timeframes, problem resolution and consistency across different touchpoints.
- Brand and reputation: Prior knowledge, previous experiences and opinions attributed to other people or sources.
- Price and communication: Price, presentation and commercial messages can act as signals but do not by themselves demonstrate quality.
- Expectations and alternatives: The assessment depends on needs, the context of use and the products or services used for comparison.
The weight of each factor varies according to the category and the person. A favourable signal can raise expectations without improving actual performance, while a consistent experience can gradually change an earlier perception.
How perceived quality is measured
Measurement begins by identifying which attributes are relevant to the audience and context being analysed. Surveys using comparable scales can assess particular aspects and an overall judgement. Interviews and focus groups help explain how each attribute is interpreted and the reasons behind the assessment.
Reviews, enquiries, complaints and other comments can also be analysed to identify patterns or generate an insight. These sources need to be interpreted according to their origin and representativeness: an isolated opinion or self-selected sample does not necessarily describe the wider audience.
Sales, returns, repeat purchases or abandonment can complement the analysis, but they are not direct measures of perceived quality. They are also affected by price, availability, promotion, competition and other factors.
Questions and criteria need to remain comparable when changes are observed, and results should be segmented when relevant differences exist. An overall average may conceal different experiences between audiences, channels or stages of the journey.
How perceived quality changes
Perception can change when performance, design, service, price, communication, context or reputation changes. It also develops as a person accumulates experience or gains new information.
Sustainable improvement seeks to align the actual experience with the expectations being created. Accurately communicating a verifiable improvement can help people recognise it. Experiential marketing can also make particular attributes visible through contact with the product or service.
Changing external signals alone does not guarantee a better perception. Raising the price does not demonstrate greater quality, while concealing defects, manipulating reviews or making unverifiable claims can damage trust.
Perception does not necessarily change at the same rate as the product. Previous experiences and reputation may preserve an assessment for some time, so changes in perception should be compared with the actual improvements made.