Customers’ Friend Certification of Service Performance

Customers’ Friend is a customer experience certification program developed and managed by ICERTIAS, an independent organization based in Switzerland. The program is designed to recognize companies that meet defined performance benchmarks in customer-facing service delivery. Customers’ Friend certification is based on structured evaluation criteria and aims to provide consumers, businesses, and markets with a transparent and verifiable reference point for customer experience quality.

Purpose and Origins

The certification was introduced in 2014 as part of ICERTIAS’s broader efforts to bring greater clarity and structure to how service-related performance is evaluated and communicated. The program was created to address a common challenge: customer service is often difficult to assess before purchase, especially in competitive or complex markets.

Customers' Friend seeks to offer a standardized framework for evaluating publicly observable service-related outcomes. It is designed to support informed decision-making and create greater visibility around how organizations engage with customers through measurable and verifiable actions.

Evaluation Methodology

The Customers’ Friend certification process is structured into several key phases:

1. Nomination
Companies may enter the assessment process through nomination by consumers, industry stakeholders, or ICERTIAS itself. Nomination does not imply certification, but it serves as the starting point for evaluation.

2. Data Collection
The evaluation is primarily based on secondary research, using publicly available sources such as consumer review platforms, regulatory data, digital channels, and media coverage related to customer experience. In specific cases, organizations may provide additional documentation to support scoring, provided that the data is independently verifiable and relevant to the evaluation scope.

3. Scoring Model
Companies are evaluated across defined customer-facing dimensions such as responsiveness, support quality, clarity of communication, reputation indicators, and customer interaction patterns. Each category is scored on a scale from 1.0 to 5.0. A minimum average score is required for certification.

4. Recognition Tiers
Certified companies may qualify for different recognition tiers based on their final composite score. These tiers are intended to provide consistent reference points, with no promotional or value-laden naming. Tiers are descriptive and directly linked to score ranges.

5. Expert Review
Final evaluation outcomes are reviewed by ICERTIAS analysts to confirm alignment with scoring rules, ensure methodological consistency, and validate the customer experience relevance of all data inputs.

Certificate and Verification

Each Customers’ Friend certificate includes a unique digital certification code that links to a verification page hosted on the official Customers’ Friend website. The verification page includes:

• The certificate holder’s name
• Recognition tier
• Evaluation year
• Evaluation scope and criteria summary
• Certification status

This system allows anyone to independently confirm the validity of a certificate and better understand what the certification represents in terms of customer experience performance.

Visual Identity and Application

The Customers’ Friend visual system includes both physical and digital formats for recognition:
 

• Classic Format
  Displays the full medal with recognition tier. Suitable for print applications, retail packaging, event materials, and high-visibility placements.
   
• Core Format
  A simplified version of the emblem, optimized for digital environments with limited space, such as mobile applications or digital banners.
   

The design of the medal incorporates a red heart symbol and a human figure positioned at the center. These elements are intended to visually represent customer focus and the human aspect of service delivery, while remaining neutral and culturally inclusive. The gold and black framing elements improve contrast and legibility across different formats and backgrounds.

All certified organizations receive official usage guidelines that define where and how the visual elements may be displayed. These guidelines are structured to ensure consistent representation, proper attribution, and linkage to the verification system when applicable.
 

Value for Stakeholders

For Consumers
Customers’ Friend provides a public reference point to help identify companies that meet defined service performance benchmarks. The certification is intended to reduce uncertainty in decision-making by offering traceable, verifiable signals based on consistent methodology.

For Businesses
Certified companies receive structured recognition of how they perform in key customer-facing areas. The certification can support brand positioning, increase transparency in service communication, and provide teams with a framework for continuous improvement aligned with customer expectations.

For Markets
Customers’ Friend contributes to broader visibility of service standards by applying a consistent model that enables comparability across industries. The presence of such benchmarks can support more informed customer choices and increase transparency in how customer experience is evaluated and communicated.
 

Understanding the Certification Scope

Customers’ Friend is a customer experience–focused certification program administered by ICERTIAS. It evaluates companies based solely on observable and verifiable service performance indicators, including responsiveness, clarity of communication, complaint resolution, and post-sale support consistency. Assessments are based on publicly available evidence and structured scoring criteria applied to the specific country and timeframe indicated on the certificate.

This certification does not assess product quality or safety, technical performance, environmental impact, labor conditions, ESG factors, sustainability claims, or financial results. It does not certify compliance with legal obligations or industry regulations beyond customer-facing practices, nor does it constitute a public or governmental endorsement.

Use of the Customers’ Friend mark is subject to official guidelines and must remain within the certified scope. Misuse or presentation beyond the verified evaluation may be considered misleading under applicable consumer protection laws.