Customers' Friend
Excellence in Customer and Client Relations
ICERTIAS’ aspiration is to award Customers’ Friend medals to companies that invariably offer experiences of the utmost calibre.
In the Customers’ Friend programme we seek out companies, products and services that are so impressive that they are the choice consumers would recommend to their friends and colleagues. Companies, products and services that join the Customers’ Friend programme whose credentials meet the strict criteria of the Customers’ Friend certification process are then at liberty to use the Customers’ Friend medal.
Meticulous Methodology
In order to be eligible for a red diamond medal, companies, products, and services nominated under the ICERTIAS Customers’ Friend programme, undergo a strict selection process that includes a number of complex checks by our organisation as well as consumers themselves.
Application
The initial step in obtaining the Customers’ Friend certification is the submission of an application. An application for a company, product, or service can be submitted by a consumer or by the company itself.
Inspection
We inspect each potential candidate with a particular focus on the company’s relationship with its customers. Inspection includes qualitative secondary research on factors such as the quality of the company’s relationship with its employees and customers, the company’s financial indicators and its reputation, which includes the public image of its owners and directors. Should the nominated company meet all the certification criteria, it is then invited to accept and sign the Customers’ Friend Charter (Declaration) and join the Customers’ Friend certification programme. Each company that becomes a member of the Customers’ Friend programme is then eligible to use the gold-detailed, red pentagonal diamond that is the Customers’ Friend medal in their promotional activity. The diamond “ICERTIAS Customers’ Friend - Because It’s You We Care About” medal can be used exclusively in the promotional activity of a company that is a legal entity. However, it cannot be used for the promotional purposes of specific products or services of the company.
Products and Services
Each Customers’ Friend-certified company may nominate its own selected products or services for further evaluation and certification. Through the Customers’ Friend web questionnaire users (clients) evaluate a nominated product or service using a five-point rating scale: from one (worst) to five (best), signifying the relationship quality. Companies whose products or services receive five red diamonds from the majority of survey respondents (consumers) are then eligible to use the five-diamond “Customers’ Friend - Award of Excellence” label in their promotional activity.
Outstanding Certification
For Those Voted No. 1
Within the Customers’ Friend scheme there are circumstances where it is possible for brands to receive exceptional certification. This occurs when they are voted best in a specified independent consumer research category - No. 1 in category.
As a result of this – they receive the maximum rating of five red diamonds for best in quality, best in user experience and best in customer support. Thanks to such an accolade and special status given by the consumers themselves, we take it upon ourselves to invite outstanding companies to join the ICERTIAS Customers’ Friend programme. However, even these outstanding companies must concur with and sign the Customers’ Friend Declaration should they wish to join and use the Customers’ Friend medal. Upon signing the Customers’ Friend Declaration, these companies are also eligible to use the Customers’ Friend - Award of Excellence label for products and services nominated best in their respective categories.
