1、BSI Standards PublicationBS 8477:2014Code of practice forcustomer servicePublishing and copyright informationThe BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the documentwas last issued. The British Standards Institution 2014Published by BSI Standards Limited 2014ISBN 978 0 580 805
2、43 1ICS 03.080.30; 03.100.99The following BSI references relate to the work on this document:Committee reference SVS/0Draft for comment 13/30270857 DCPublication historyFirst edition, April 2007Second (present) edition, January 2014Amendments issued since publicationDate Text affectedBS 8477:2014 BR
3、ITISH STANDARDContentsForeword iiIntroduction 11 Scope 22 Terms and definitions 23 Customer service principles 34 Customer service strategy and culture 55 Resources, people and technology 56 Customer service process 137 Performance review and improvement 19Bibliography 22Summary of pagesThis documen
4、t comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i to ii,pages 1 to 22, an inside back cover and a back cover.BRITISH STANDARD BS 8477:2014 The British Standards Institution 2014 iForewordPublishing informationThis British Standard is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence fromThe
5、British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 31 January 2014. Itwas prepared by Technical Committee SVS/0, Customer service Fundamentalprinciples. A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtainedon request to its secretary.SupersessionThis British Standard supersedes B
6、S 8477:2007, which is withdrawn.Information about this documentThis is a full revision of the standard, and introduces the following principalchanges: a restructuring and thorough update of clauses to bring the standard in linewith current customer service good practice; additional guidance for smal
7、ler organizations and sole traders providedthroughout; the introduction of a new Clause 5 focusing on resources, people andtechnology reflecting the current customer experience and the importanceof utilizing web sites and web-based systems such as social media.Use of this documentAs a code of practi
8、ce, this British Standard takes the form of guidance andrecommendations. It should not be quoted as if it were a specification andparticular care should be taken to ensure that claims of compliance are notmisleading.Any user claiming compliance with this British Standard is expected to be able tojus
9、tify any course of action that deviates from its recommendations.Presentational conventionsThe provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Itsrecommendations are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliaryverb is “should”.Commentary, explanation and general in
10、formative material is presented insmaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.The word “should” is used to express recommendations of this standard. Theword “may” is used in the text to express permissibility, e.g. as an alternative tothe primary recommendation of the clause. Th
11、e word “can” is used to expresspossibility, e.g. a consequence of an action or an event.Notes and commentaries are provided throughout the text of this standard.Notes give references and additional information that are important but do notform part of the recommendations. Commentaries give backgroun
12、d information.Contractual and legal considerationsThis publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of acontract. Users are responsible for its correct application.Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legalobligations.BRITISH STANDARDBS 8477:2014ii T
13、he British Standards Institution 2014IntroductionMeeting or execeeding customer expectations is one of the most importantcontributing factors in the running of a successful organization in any sector.This British Standard provides a means by which an organization can judge itselfand can be judged by
14、 its customers. It provides clearly identifiable and verifiablebenchmarks for good practice. It does not, therefore, deal in detail with some ofthe vital “softer” aspects of customer satisfaction that are less susceptible to thisapproach.The ongoing success and development of an organization not onl
15、y relies onproviding reliable good services to the traditional external customer, but also onthe need for all organizations to understand the expectation levels andperception of their customers.Many of the recommendations made in this British Standard are alreadycommonplace in organizations that hav
16、e a responsive customer service culture.However, where this is not the case the application of this British Standardallows organizations to:a) set in place mechanisms to ensure levels of customer service that at leastmeet the needs and reasonable expectations of customers;b) be competitive in the ma
17、rketplace;c) differentiate their services from competitors through providing andmaintaining innovative customer services;d) increase customers positive emotional experience with an organizationsservices and, through this, building and maintaining customer loyalty;e) increase customer retention;f) at
18、tract new customers through positive word of mouth;g) reduce marketing costs;h) increase service efficiency;i) reduce problem incidence rates, and therefore reduce time and costinvolved in correcting problems experienced by customers and associatedcomplaints that might need to be handled;j) maintain
19、 and improve services and accountability for public sector serviceorganizations;k) create an organization-wide customer-focused approach to developing andmaintaining quality services;l) improve the ability of customers to deal with an organization.Customer service culture involves being proactive by
20、 anticipating or exceedingcustomer needs; implementation of this British Standard might for manyorganizations be the first step in embedding this principle in all aspects of theirbusiness and operations.BRITISH STANDARD BS 8477:2014 The British Standards Institution 2014 11 ScopeThis British Standar
21、d sets out principles for establishing and maintaining aneffective customer service culture and mindset in an organization of any size,geographical location or business sector. It also provides recommendations onapplying these principles so that the organization has the capability to deliver aconsis
22、tent standard of service that meets or exceeds the expectations of itscustomers.The British Standard is applicable to organizations of all types providing goodsor services to customers in person, by phone, by post or online. It is intended tohelp the whole organization (not only staff involved direc
23、tly in deliveringcustomer service) understand its role in serving customers.NOTE In this context “organization” includes sole traders, small businesses andconsultancies, business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-customer (B2C), public orprivate companies, national and local government department and
24、 agencies, andnot-for-profit organizations. This British Standard could also be applicable to thirdparty providers and suppliers of those organizations.This British Standard does not include sales practices, although it does covercustomer interactions with sales staff.2 Terms and definitions2.1 audi
25、tsystematic, independent and documented process for obtaining evidence andevaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which specific criteria arefulfilled2.2 brandunique product, range or service identity or a specific attribute, productionprocess or service provision2.3 competencysuitably
26、trained and qualified by knowledge and practical experience, andprovided with the necessary instructions, to enable the required task(s) to becarried out correctly2.4 complaintexpression of dissatisfaction made to an organization, related to its products,services or staff, or the complaints-handling
27、 process itself, where a response orresolution is explicitly or implicitly expectedSOURCE: BS ISO 10002:2004, 3.22.5 customerorganization or person that receives a product or serviceNOTE 1 A customer can be internal or external to the organization, e.g. consumer,client, end user, retailer, beneficia
28、ry or purchaser.NOTE 2 For the purposes of this British Standard, the term “customer” includespotential customers.2.6 customer centeredestablished around the needs of the customer2.7 customer relationship management (CRM)model for managing a companys interactions with current and future customersBRI
29、TISH STANDARDBS 8477:20142 The British Standards Institution 20142.8 customer satisfactioncustomers perception of the degree to which their requirements have beenfulfilled2.9 customer serviceinteraction of the organization with the customer throughout the life cycle of aproduct2.10 customer vulnerab
30、ilitycondition in which a customer is at greater risk of misselling, exploitation orbeing put at a disadvantage in terms of accessing or using a service, or inseeking redressSOURCE: BS 18477:2010, 2.72.11 feedbackopinions, comments and expressions of interest that contribute to ongoingservice qualit
31、y2.12 key performance indicators (KPIs)metrics that are used to assess the effectiveness of a process2.13 management systemsystem to establish policy and objectives and to achieve those objectives2.14 objectivesdeliverables required to achieve strategic outcomes2.15 root cause analysismethod of prob
32、lem solving that aims to identify the underlying cause of acustomer problem or service quality issue, analyse it and fix it to improve futureservice3 Customer service principles3.1 General3.1.1 In its simplest and most effective form, good customer service should resultin the customers complete sati
33、sfaction with the product or service that theyhave received.NOTE This includes all sizes of organizations that develop products or provideservices, from a sole trader to a large company.3.1.2 Although the scale of the service might differ significantly acrossorganizations, the key elements of good s
34、ervice should remain the same.3.1.3 Customer service should include every point of contact between theorganization and its customer, including marketing information, sales contacts,web sites, social media as well as customer facing service staff.NOTE Any customer service point is a vital interface b
35、etween an organizationscustomers and its operational delivery units.3.1.4 In order to establish good customer service the organization should showcommitment and credibility to its customers and offer an experience thatachieves increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. In order to achieve this the
36、organization should demonstrate commitment to providing effective customerservice by all employees within the organization, starting with the board, chiefexecutive officer and top management.BRITISH STANDARD BS 8477:2014 The British Standards Institution 2014 33.1.5 Promises should be kept, service
37、should be delivered at times that suitcustomers and robust and reliable systems should be in place for every aspect ofan organizations transactions with its customers.3.2 Achieving consistent customer service3.2.1 The organization should provide customers with a consistent and high levelof service t
38、hat includes:a) taking ownership and action;b) understanding the needs of the customer and their expectations;c) consistency in service, approach, price and staff behaviours;d) meeting targets and expectations;e) achieving added value, rather than just doing the job;f) adopting a flexible approach t
39、hat takes the different needs of customersinto account.NOTE It might be necessary to:1) understand the emotional connection that customers want to have with theorganizations brand;2) study successful and unsuccessful organizations for indications of how theysucceed or fail with services.3.2.2 To ach
40、ieve consistent and high levels of customer service in anyenvironment the organization should be responsive, efficient and fulfil corecustomer requirements. The organization should become customer centered todifferentiate its service from that of competitors.NOTE 1 Factors that can influence the int
41、erpretation of consistent and high levelsof customer service or experiences are:a) age or generation;b) geography;c) nationality or culture;d) consistency from third parties or multiple outlets;e) emotion;f) brand loyalty.NOTE 2 Common examples of poor customer service are:1) broken promises (includ
42、ing the failure to phone back);2) remoteness of human contact;3) refusal to apologize (even when the organization has clearly made an error);4) failure to respect and empathize with the customer;5) processes and systems that are not customer friendly;6) a reluctance to welcome complaints;7) a lack o
43、f openness, honesty and directness;8) hiding behind legislation rather than solving the problem.BRITISH STANDARDBS 8477:20144 The British Standards Institution 20144 Customer service strategy and cultureCOMMENTARY ON CLAUSE 4The role of strategy and culture are crucial in achieving consistent and hi
44、gh levels ofcustomer service. Companies that differentiate their products based on goodcustomer service last longer, are more profitable, and attract the loyalty of existingand new customers.4.1 StrategyGood customer service strategy should be built around the customer and havethe attributes of repu
45、tation, performance, growth, profitability and trust at itscore.There are two questions that should be addressed before starting to prepare acustomer service strategy:a) what level of service does the organization want, or need, to achieve?b) what are competitors and other comparable businesses doin
46、g and can thatbe adapted to fit the organizations model?The organization should identify the objectives required to achieve its strategy.4.2 CultureCustomer service culture should be specific to the organization. Values should beconstantly practised and regularly reviewed by managers and staff at al
47、l levelsto ensure service is both consistent and improving. The organization should:a) understand what level of service it is that the organization wants, or needs,to achieve. The organization is not solely in the customer service businessand should use customer service as a way to help to sell and
48、service primaryrevenue generators;b) understand how to apply quality management techniques to improvequality of service, processes and measurements;c) ensure visibility of customer retention and whether new customers arebeing recommended or referred;d) encourage ideas and innovation to keep developi
49、ng and enhancingproducts and services; ande) develop measures that give continual feedback on how to improve thecustomer service model.NOTE The concept of the internal customer is an important element in developinga customer service culture.5 Resources, people and technology5.1 Resource planning5.1.1 The organization should identify the people and other resources needed topromote a high quality customer service culture and to deliver effective andefficient customer service outcomes. This assessment should take into accountthe forecast activity levels and
