A new, formal certification scheme for in-house training programmes applicable to companies across all sectors has been introduced by the UK’s professional body for customer service personnel.
The Institute of Customer Services’ TrainingMark accreditation has so far been achieved by organisations such as Ford Retail, Santander, Virgin Media and the British Council. Ford Retail was awarded the logo for its £1.2 million ‘Moments of Truth’ initiative, which was aimed at helping the company provide the best customer service it could, for example.
The accreditation scheme is aimed at large organisations with established customer service or contact centre training courses or at organisations developing large training programmes. It is also targeted at specialist service providers that deliver multiple customer service training events.
The Institute’s chief executive Jo Causon said: "Accreditation by the UK’s professional body for customer service is a valuable endorsement of an employer’s internal training. It’s also a powerful statement for any organisation to make to customers and competitors because it demonstrates an unwavering commitment to deliver customer service of the highest quality."
The independent endorsement provided by the scheme likewise helped to provide staff with a ‘feel-good’ factor about their employers’ development programmes, which boosted individual motivation, job satisfaction and commitment, she added.
Another benefit is the opportunity provided to organisations to measure and benchmark tailored courses against national standards and to receive independent feedback on their performance, Causon said.
