Research suggests that customers use three types of attributes in evaluating the quality of goods and services: search, experience, and credence. This classification has several important implications for operations. For example, the most important search and experience attributes should be evaluated during design and measured during manufacturing and drive key operational controls to ensure that they are built into the good with high quality. Credence attributes stem from the nature of services, the design of the service system, and the training and expertise of the service providers.