A systematic ________ program collects customer inputs and integrates them into managerial decisions.

A) quality gap analysis
B) empowerment
C) zone of tolerance
D) standards analysis
E) voice-of-customer

A voice-of-customer program is designed to collect customer inputs through various channels such as surveys, focus groups, and social media, and then integrate those inputs into managerial decisions. This helps businesses understand customer needs and preferences, improve products and services, and ultimately increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. A quality gap analysis identifies gaps between customer expectations and perceived service quality, while empowerment involves giving employees more autonomy and authority to make decisions. The zone of tolerance refers to the range of acceptable service quality, and standards analysis involves measuring performance against industry benchmarks and best practices.