CSIA uses the International Customer Service Standard (ICSS) as the assessment framework for organisations undertaking certification. ICSS provides both a recognisable benchmark and a ‘how-to’ approach to implementation of best practice customer service management.
ICSS enables an organisation to understand how well their strategy, structure, systems, people and processes are contributing to customer success and overall organisation performance.
CSIA supports organisations to apply the ICSS framework through our certification process which consists of four key stages:
1. Self Assessment
- The organisation completes an ICSS Self Assessment Workbook. This includes providing commentary and compiling an evidence library for all 24 ICSS elements.
2. Certification Assessment
- CSIA conducts a certification assessment. This includes interviews with department leads, key stakeholders and service team delegates, with the organisation’s self assessment workbook and evidence library are central to the assessment.
3. Certification Report and Measurement
- CSIA completes ananalysis and prepares an ICSS Report for the organisation and completes ICSS measurement and scoring.
4. Report & Recognition
- CSIA provides the organisation with a comprehensive ICSS Certification Report which outlines performance for each of the ICSS attributes, including in-depth analysis of strengths, risks and opportunities for continuous improvement.
- The report includes ICSS scoring for each attribute and the organisation's formal ICSS Performance Score
- The organisation is certified to the International Customer Service Standard, and receives the Certified Customer Service Organisation status, certificate and Trustmark.
An ICSS Guest Assessor supports CSIA's ICSS Assessor to conduct the official certification assessment.
This includes:
- Preparing for the assessment by reviewing the organisation's Self Assessment Workbook
- Attending the on-site (or online) assessment
- Analysing the organisation's commentary and evidence
- Contributing to the interviews with the organisation's stakeholders
- Reviewing and providing feedback to CSIA on the DRAFT ICSS Certification Report
Things to consider
- Your role as an ICSS Guest Assessor is considered pro bono.
- CSIA will be careful not to invite you to attend an assessment with an organisation where there may be a conflict of interest (for instance with an organisation that might be your competitor, supplier or customer).
- Certification Assessments generally range from a three to five day commitment (or equivalent hours online).
- In most cases organisations undertaking assessment will ask you to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
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