New National Standard keys into the "voice of the customer

 Customer service excellence is the key to success, according to public and private sector organisations signing up to a new national standard. The Institute of Customer Service landmark formula, ICS ServiceMark, has a direct impact on profits and helps to put customers at the heart of business and town hall strategies.

Providing world-class customer service in the current climate is increasingly the difference between success and failure, says Jo Causon, chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service. Long-term, it will make growth and stability more achievable.

Engaging voice of the customer

Dozens of organisations have applied for ServiceMark accreditation, which offers a unique insight because the ‘voice of the customer’ is taken into consideration.

It helps organisations to identify where improvements are needed, develop action plans for customer service and raise performance and delivery standards. Organisations that achieve accreditation can display the distinguishing mark of service from the Institute - the professional body for customer service.

“Measuring what your customers think of you, acting on those results and placing the customer at the centre of your business will make the discernable difference,” says Jo Causon. “For consumers it is a sign these organisations really do put the customer first – and failing to meet customer expectations is not an option in a recession.”

Jo adds: “ServiceMark shows organisations of all sizes, in any industry, how good they are in customer service and areas where they need to improve and continually get right, to ensure they retain business by giving customers what they want.”

The Customer Engagement Club launch comes as organisations across all industry sectors and including the public sector  are reviewing and updating their customer strategies. Developing mutually beneficial relationships is being increasingly recognised by these organisations  as pivotal to their long term health, and the Customer Engagement Club is designed to provide all the tools necessary for success. Engagement Club members will be in pole position when it comes to reaping the business benefits of putting customer insight and needs at the heart of their engagement and experience strategies

Not easy to achieve

Achieving the ServiceMark standard is not easy – every organisation has to pass rigorous internal and external assessments - including a measurement of customer satisfaction.

ICS ServiceMark was launched earlier this year. So far the Royal Bank of Scotland, Scottish Water, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Transform Sandwell are among those organisations that have already made their mark. Many more are working towards the accreditation.

Scottish Water aims to become Scotland’s most valued and trusted business and sees the ServiceMark as central to that goal.

Customer service director Peter Farrer says: “ServiceMark is a perfect fit for our customer service strategy and sets benchmark standards and values that align with our vision. 

“Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and it’s vital that they have confidence in our ongoing commitment to provide the highest levels of customer experience and satisfaction.”

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is one of the first public sector organisations to achieve the national award and sees it as an opportunity to ensure the success of its leisure services.

Customer-centric approach

Leisure unit manager Kevin Hadfield says: "Working towards ICS ServiceMark has pushed the service hard to raise the bar on the quality of service that our customers receive. This customer-centric approach is one of the key reasons why both user numbers and income levels continue to improve at the East Riding’s leisure facilities.

“The bottom line for the leisure unit is that to be a successful organisation we must use customer needs as the starting point, develop propositions around them and go beyond what they expect.  The Institute of Customer Service is now a key partner for us to continue to strive forward and maximise our resources."

Transform Sandwell, the strategic partnership between British Telecom and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, is also among the standard’s early successes. 

Tom Davies, citizen engagement manager, says: “The ServiceMark process has been hugely beneficial in highlighting not only areas for improvement, but also telling us where we are doing well.

“The real benefit is the holistic view it takes of the organisation. Using the feedback we gathered through this process from our internal and external customers, suppliers, partners and stakeholders has already helped shape future improvements to our service. We look forward to building on this achievement over the next 12 months.”

ICS ServiceMark has three key components:

•  Self-assessment by using the online diagnostic tool ICS ServCheck 
•  Customer feedback, obtained through the Institute’s UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) or an organisations' own customer satisfaction measurement 
•  Independent assessment by a third-party assessor

The Institute model is based on the premise that, to achieve world-class service delivery, three dimensions must be embraced simultaneously: strategy and culture; people; processes. Incorporated within the model are over 60 requirements which have a clear focus on world-class excellence in customer service.

The first organisation to receive the ServiceMark accreditation was RBS Group Customer Relations, in a pilot scheme at the end of 2008.

For more information about the Institute of Customer Service or ServiceMark go towww.instituteofcustomerservice.com/ICS%20ServiceMark.aspx