Customer Service Excellence® is primarily aimed at public bodies, providing them with the tools to drive truly customer-focused services. However no restrictions have been imposed on eligibility and the standard can therefore be readily applied in the commercial world where companies need to consistently review their approach and ensure it is truly focused around their customers.

1. Why CSE? Taking the first
Steps

2. Contents
• Background & Introduction to the Standard
• Key Concepts of CSE
• Overview of the Standard
• Assessment Process
• Next Steps
• Accredited Organisations
• Benefits of working with the Standard
• The Costs

3. Background & Introduction
• Standard has been in existence since 2008, replaced the Charter Mark
• Currently held by 2000 organisations
• Mainly public sector based organisations.
• Though produced with the active involvement of government, it is generic
by design and applicable to any sector organisation dealing with
customers.

4. Key Concepts in CSE
• Generating customer insight through
segmentation and customer journey mapping
• Using customer insight and the involvement of
customers to design and improve services
• Building customer focus into the whole
organisation from the top, and using it to
recruit, develop and evaluate staff
• Specific survey questions about the key drivers
of customer satisfaction: service delivery,
timeliness, information, access and customer
service

5. The CSE Standard
• Structure of standard - 5 Criteria, 57 elements

6. The Assessment Process -
your next steps…
• Register your interest with emqc
• Assemble a team
• Agree the Corporate approach
• Gather and filter evidence

7. Self Assessment
Customer Service Excellence Standard
Criterion 1 - Customer Insight
1.1 Customer Identification
GUIDANCE
Ref Show Me (Hard Evidence) Ref Tell Me (See On Site) Self Ass Assessor Assessor Comments
1.1.1 We have an in-depth
understanding of the
characteristics of our current and
potential customer groups based
on recent and reliable
information.
A profile of the organisation’s
main customer groups and their
characteristics. Details of how
these groups were segmented
and classified. Details on the
frequency and reliability of the
research to identify customer
groups.
Non Compliance Partial Compliant
1.1.2 We have developed
customer insight about our
customer groups to better
understand their needs and
preferences.
Compliant Partial Compliant
1.1.3 We make particular efforts
to identify hard to reach and
disadvantaged groups and
individuals and have developed
our services in response to their
specific needs.
Compliant Best Practice
1.2 Engagement & Consultation
GUIDANCE
Show Me (Hard Evidence) Tell Me (See On Site) Assessor Comments
Ref
Ref
Non Compliance Partial Compliant
1.3 Customer Satisfaction

8. Pre-assessment
Meeting between assessor and application
team :
• Evidence gap analysis of entire application
• Highlights strengths and weaknesses in
evidence and practice
• Applicant first time success rate is a very
high proportion a 100% following pre-
assessment (if apply for full assessment
within 6 months)

9. Evidence

10. Full Assessment Visit
•Emphasis on observation of service delivery, discussion with
customers, partners, staff and management (NOT only reviewing
documentary evidence)
•Assessment reflects Self Assessment, findings from Desk based
documentary review
•Assessor approach
•Flexible to allow evidence to be presented

11. Feedback
• Full report with comments for each theme of each
element on:
• acceptability of evidence
• identification of where further evidence is
required for full compliance
• where fully compliant, pointers as to how to
improve further
Assessment feedback includes:-
Assessor recommendations

12. Rolling Programme
CSE
standard
Element
Element Rolling Programmed
Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3
1.1.1 Understanding of customer groups X
1.1.2 Customer insight X
1.1.3 Hard to reach & disadvantaged focus X
1.2.1 Engage and involve customers X
1.2.2 Service improvement through consultation X
1.2.3 Review customer engagement X
1.3.1 Measure customer satisfaction accurately X
1.3.2 Publicise satisfaction levels & improvements X
1.3.3 Specific satisfaction questions X
1.3.4 Setting customer satisfaction targets X
1.3.5 Improved customer journeys X
Elements sampled 4 4 3

13. The Cost
The cost for an assessment is determined on an individual basis.
It depends upon a number of factors including;
• The number of staff delivering services
• The number of sites that the delivery takes place over
• Client complexity
• Variation in the activities and working practices

14. Accredited Organisations

15. Benefits for CSE Accredietd
Organisations
• Develop a customer focused culture
• Improve efficiencies
• Higher levels of satisfaction
• Improve employee morale through delighting
customers
• A platform to develop a fully customer focused
organisation
• Enhances credibility and builds reputation
• Reinforces brand positioning

16. What accredited organisations say
• Executive Director “Customer Service Excellence certification provided a real
boost to the workforce. Our customers know what standards we aim to achieve and
our staff want to constantly exceed these standards”
• Head Teacher “The award acts as an independent benchmark against which we
can evaluate our service. It helps us better understand what we do, how we do it
and how we can be better”
• Head of Fire & Rescue Service “The process has led to significant improvements
to Increasing Customer Focus, improved consultation with users, improved staff
morale, developed better internal processes, developed a more effective service
delivery, improved complaints handling, delivered more cost effective services – the
culture of the service is now proactive, energetic and inspiring”
• Chief Executive “The confidence we have gained from the standard is infectious”

17. Contact Us
www.emqc.co.uk/cse
info@emqc.co.uk
0845 3048600