By Clare Naden
We all know what a difference good customer service can make, and organizations that skimp on this can pay a heavy price. In an era where change is the norm and customer expectations are growing, service is already tipped as a valuable sales tool for better financial outcomes. New ISO standards have just been published to help.
ISO 23592, “Service excellence—Principles and model,” outlines the terminology, principles, and model that make up excellent service. It is complemented by a new technical specification, ISO/TS 24082, which offers guidance on designing excellent service to achieve outstanding customer experiences.
According to Cansu Tumay, manager of the ISO committee that developed the standard, many organizations may think or claim they are customer-focused, but they fail to see how truly comprehensive that focus must be.
“In today’s competitive marketplace, it is not just about having one area of the business, such as frontline staff, focusing on service, but about integrating service into every element of organizational culture and processes,” Tumay says.
“Those that go beyond what they think customers expect towards delivering outstanding experiences will truly flourish,” she continues.
ISO 23592 and ISO/TS 24082 were developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 312, “Excellence in service,” whose secretariat is held by DIN, ISO’s member for Germany. They can be purchased from your national ISO member or the ISO Store.
About the author
Clare Naden is news and communications specialist at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
This article first appeared on the ISO website and is published here with permission.