As the professional body for customer service, we develop and draw on a wide range of service standards to support organisations and individuals in delivering excellent customer service experiences.
Standards are built into all Institute products and services to provide effective and consistent measures of service performance. We also promote the use of other relevant standards such as the National Occupational Standards for customer service.
Standards, benchmarking and accreditation
Our benchmarks provide you with an understanding of your current level of service, demonstrate a commitment to improving customers’ experience and ultimately can be used to develop and improve your customer service strategy. They help to identify areas for improvement, drawing on views of both your customers and employees.
Approved Centre accreditation
Approved centre accreditation is awarded to organisations that have demonstrated they are operating to The Institute’s professional qualifications framework, in accordance with our standards and quality assurance requirements.
Approved Centre accreditation is available to Trusted Advisory Network and Discovery Roadmap members implementing an Institute qualification programme.
Requirements
To verify an organisation effectively operates our professional qualifications framework, the following areas must be assessed:
- Implementation planning
- Allocation of roles and responsibilities in line with The Institute’s recommended framework
- Learning and development environment
- Assessment monitoring and quality assurance
- Engagement with The Institute and other Approved Centres
- Planning, monitoring and evaluation
How it’s achieved
Approved Centre status is achievable by following our guidance on setting up a qualifications programme, implementing effective planning and monitoring and integrating good management practices to demonstrate you meet the requirements.
Whilst implementing your plan, you will meet periodically with your Institute Client Relationship Director to review progress. Once your Client Relationship Director is satisfied you meet the accreditation requirements, they will make a recommendation to our Standards and Quality team.
Our Standards and Quality team will then review and make the final accreditation decision.
Initial approval and certification of Approved Centre status is for a period of one year. Accreditation is thereafter awarded for periods of up to two years.
TrainingMark
Institute accreditation of an in-house customer service training programme
Accreditation demonstrates that your training course meets national standards for customer service, as independently recognised by The Institute of Customer Service
As with all accreditations from The Institute, we conduct regular quality audits and review of the standards and criteria to ensure consistency and credibility of the accreditation
TrainingMark is awarded once the three key elements have been benchmarked, met and assessed.
Why is it important?
TrainingMark demonstrates the quality of your internal customer service training to customers, competitors and employees – current and potential.
It ensures you have the tools to engage with employees through increasing professional development opportunities. Ultimately, ensuring a skilled customer service team that will help improve your customers’ experiences and business performance. To find out more, get in touch here.
View the list of TrainingMark achievers here.
The three key elements to TrainingMark are:
- Meeting The Institute’s professional Nationally recognised standards
- Ensuring there are mechanisms in place to assess individual customer service competence
- Demonstrating that the programme has sufficient strategic support from senior management
Who is it for?
TrainingMark is for organisations that have, or are developing, in-house customer service or call centre training programmes.
What’s involved?
TrainingMark accreditation is achieved by benchmarking your training programme against our nationally recognised standards: first by your internal team, then by our accreditation team.
