The Customer First Standard is achieved through assessment of a business against the criteria set out in ‘The 30 Statements’ covering three core elements: Customer Relationships, Market Awareness and People.
Our achievement of the Customer First Standard sends out a strong message to our peers, stakeholders and of course our customers, that they are at the heart of our organisation. It demonstrates that our organisation is committed to the needs of customers and is driven by making a positive difference to the customers we support.
Our customers can expect:
- their needs to be clearly diagnosed and their objectives understood, prior to any service being delivered to them
- to be given access to the full range of services available, whether delivered directly by us or another more appropriate service provider
- to be clear about what they can expect from any service we deliver to them and the timescales within which that service will be provided
- that we will continually review their needs and follow up after services have been delivered to them
- to have open access to our customer feedback and complaints procedure and that their feedback on services will be listened to and, where appropriate, will inform the development of future services
- services to be clearly targeted, relevant and appropriate for them
- our people to be appropriately trained and developed to have the necessary skills to diagnose and meet our customers’ needs
- our people to deliver an impartial and objective service operating in the best interests of customers at all times
In carrying out the assessment, a number of strengths were identified:
- Service Level Agreements are in place with key clients, these set out the service standards and timescales they can expect when dealing with Language Empire.
- In exploring how the CEO could be confident that the organisation ensures services are delivered as promised, it was clear that the company’s own bespoke software package enables a high level of monitoring and control. The system continues to evolve with improvements currently in progress.
- The CEO meets regularly with key clients to review the contract and overall performance levels. Maintaining a close relationship and providing a good level of service is seen as having been the key to this organisation’s success and growth to date.
- Supplier quality assurance is rigorous with all translators being screened, referenced and graded, both prior to being allocated their first project and on an on-going basis. Suppliers who fail to meet certain criteria, or those who receive poor client feedback ratings are ‘suspended’ pending investigation, which may lead to further training.
- Language Empire is one of the only organisations in their industry sector to provide on-site training to their clients. This win-win approach enables clients to book interpreters and translators on line. Training is also provided to the freelance suppliers who deliver services on behalf of Language Empire. Freelancers are regarded as both customers and partners by the team.
We achieved our Customer First Standard in April 2010 and this was re-certified in April 2012. We worked hard for 24 months to ensure all the requirements implemented for this standard were and are upheld, understood and integrated into working standards and corporate responsibility. This ensures that we work closely with customers to ensure their experience with the organisation is world class and meets all individual needs.
Our clients have a clear understanding of our goals and aims and are key to the success of our business practices. Again, our working standards and key performance indicators reflect the need for world class customer service. All staff members are trained and regular discussions take place with staff, to ensure the standards are kept at benchmark levels.