<b>Malcolm Pitcher argues that the up front defects policy of electrical giant Philips offers a lesson to all housebuilders. Tell your customers what to expect and you will get happier punters</b><br><b>I&amp;’m writing this article staring at my brand new Philips Flat Panel LCD Monitor. What a wonder of modern science it is. And wow! Just look at all that extra desk space! I&amp;’m sure that it&amp;’s just the thing that your typical space conscious new home buyer would want to own for the home office.</b><br><b>Amazing as it might be, this wonder of modern science has defects built into it, defects which, because of the manufacturing process, cannot be avoided.</b><br><b>Sound familiar? Housebuilders talk about the fact that because they build outside in all weathers using a variety of materials and trades, defects are inevitable. That&amp;’s a fair enough statement but here we have a company building things in dust-free robot driven factories also stating that defects are inevitable.</b><br><b>buyer education</b><br>What Philips does so well is to educate the buyer into what to expect. My perception as a consumer of a high tech product is that it will work first time and it will be perfect. But in the case of LCD monitors …