Customer Service Excellence

Investors in People Scotland can now offer a route to Customer Service Excellence certification. While continuously supporting your Investors in People review we can now signpost you to Centre for Assessment Ltd to complete your Customer Service Excellence assessment. Building on the legacy of Charter Mark, Customer Service Excellence is the government's new national standard for customer service provision and offers services a practical tool for driving customer focused change within their organisation.

At the heart of Customer Service Excellence is the fundamental question: what does the customer hope from the services you offer? None of us can be sure how we are performing without consultation and feedback from users. Customer Service Excellence tests in great depth those areas that research has indicated are a priority for your customers, with particular focus on delivery, timescales, information, professionalism and staff attitude. It also places emphasis on developing customer insight, understanding the user's experience and robust measurement of service satisfaction.

 

What do you get from it?

• Use the diagnostic tool to look at your organisation from a customer perspective.
• Develop team and individual skills and build a truely customer focused culture.
• Independant validation and formal certification of customer service excellence.
• 12 months free consultation when you commit to a Customer Service Excellent assessment!
  

To find our more about Customer Service Excellence you can download an information flyer. If you would like to discuss Customer Service Excellence or to apply for an assessment, you can contact Investors in People Scotland on 0131 625 0158 or email us at: enquiries@iipscotland.co.uk. Please note that assessment forms are initially co-ordinated by the Centre for Assessment Limited who will then pass the information to Investors in People Scotland.

 

Why introduce a new standard?

In 2005, Cabinet Office Ministers commissioned an independant review of the Charter Mark scheme and invited Bernard Herdan, then Chief Executive of the Passport Service, to lead this work. Mr Herdan's report, "The Customer Voice in Transforming Services" was published in June 2006 following a detailed review. It recommended that a new customer service standard, based on the key drivers of satisfaction, should be developed to replace Charter Mark. In December 2006, the Government accepted the recommendations.

 

What does this mean for existing Charter Mark holders?

As Charter Mark certification lasts for there years the scheme will officially close on 30 June 2011. Since the new standard contains new concepts which will require additional evidence, Charter Mark holders will not automatically be moved to the new standard.

Transitional arrangements for Charter Mark holders wishing to move to the new standard have been agreed with certification bodies.

If you are an existing holder and have not yet been contacted about transition, please contact us now to discuss your future plans.