1. This case contrasts two operations processes that affect overall quality from a customer’s point of view. What are these two operations processes and what other operation might affect the customer’s overall perception of quality? Sleek, fast and smooth, the TGV trains of France’s SNCF rail network look more like aircraft than the traditional train. They provide a service that carries passengers throughout Europe at speeds in excess of 175 mph. Inside too, the trains show the influence of air travel. Seats are wide and comfortable with space for leg-stretching relaxation. The French press described the TGV as being like ‘an airbus on rails’. SNCF also decided to emulate the airlines by buying a high-tech seat reservation and ticketing system, which they named after the Greek philosopher Socrates. That was when their problems began. Design flaws in the booking systems software, combined with inadequate training of SNCF staff, caused chaos for months after the system was introduced. Socrates refused to believe in the existence of some places. Suddenly, it refused to issue tickets for Rouen or Barcelona, insisting that neither city existed. It also failed at times to recognize the existence of several of the trains that ran between Paris and Lyon. As a result, the trains made the trip with only four passengers on board. However, these straightforward system design errors have been compounded by over-complexity of some parts of the system: the automatic ticket-vending machines often stand unused by passengers because they have given up trying to understand how to use them. The graffiti outside the Gare de Lyon station reads

‘One hour from Lille to Paris ... one hour to buy a ticket!’ Although the problems were eventually sorted out, the reputation of what was essentially a fast and efficient operation took longer to recover