GTP Quality Control & Process Improvement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A travel management company notices a recurring error where hotel confirmations are sent to clients 48 hours late. Which quality improvement tool best identifies the root cause?
- Pareto chart
- Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram (Correct answer)
- Control chart
- Scatter diagram
Correct answer: Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram
A fishbone diagram systematically maps all potential causes (people, process, tools) contributing to the confirmation delay.
Question 2: In the context of GTP quality standards, what does a 'service level agreement' (SLA) primarily define?
- The commission structure between agency and supplier
- Measurable performance benchmarks a service provider must meet (Correct answer)
- The cancellation policy for group bookings
- Minimum staff qualifications for travel consulting
Correct answer: Measurable performance benchmarks a service provider must meet
An SLA establishes specific, measurable performance benchmarks that define expected service quality between parties.
Question 3: Which of the following is the BEST example of a leading indicator in travel program quality management?
- Number of traveler complaints filed last quarter
- Percentage of bookings made within policy this month (Correct answer)
- Total cost overruns for the fiscal year
- Average refund processing time over 12 months
Correct answer: Percentage of bookings made within policy this month
Leading indicators like current policy compliance rates predict future performance, unlike lagging indicators that reflect past results.
Question 4: A corporate travel program implements a 'mystery traveler' audit. What is the primary purpose of this quality control method?
- To reduce overall travel spend by identifying cheaper routes
- To evaluate real-world service delivery against stated quality standards (Correct answer)
- To negotiate better rates with preferred suppliers
- To track traveler whereabouts for duty-of-care purposes
Correct answer: To evaluate real-world service delivery against stated quality standards
Mystery traveler audits assess actual service delivery from a customer perspective to verify compliance with quality standards.
Question 5: When applying the DMAIC methodology to a travel program, what happens during the 'Measure' phase?
- Identifying the problem statement and project goals
- Collecting baseline data to quantify the current process performance (Correct answer)
- Generating and testing potential solutions
- Sustaining gains and closing the project
Correct answer: Collecting baseline data to quantify the current process performance
The Measure phase collects quantitative data to establish a performance baseline before improvements are attempted.
Question 6: A travel agency's Net Promoter Score (NPS) drops from +45 to +22 over one quarter. What is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Increase marketing spend to attract new clients
- Conduct structured follow-up interviews with detractors to identify root causes (Correct answer)
- Offer blanket discounts to all clients to recover satisfaction
- Replace front-line agents who handled the most bookings
Correct answer: Conduct structured follow-up interviews with detractors to identify root causes
Qualitative follow-up with detractors uncovers the specific service failures driving the NPS decline before solutions are designed.
Question 7: Which quality framework emphasizes continuous incremental improvement involving all employees at every level of an organization?
- Six Sigma
- Kaizen (Correct answer)
- ISO 9001
- Balanced Scorecard
Correct answer: Kaizen
Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy of continuous small improvements involving every employee, not just management or quality specialists.
GTP Quality Control & Process Improvement 2
A travel management company notices a recurring error where hotel confirmations are sent to clients 48 hours late.
Which quality improvement tool best identifies the root cause?