Quality testing for technical service providers
From the very first contact up to after-sales support – the service quality offered by an organisation plays a vital role for customers. This is particularly true if both the initial work and the subsequent services are carried out by one and the same company. Customers naturally prefer to use technical providers who can offer the best-possible advice and support for all the installation, maintenance and repair aspects of machinery and equipment.
Certified Service & Installation Quality from TÜV NORD can provide an important signpost when it comes to the aspect of advice and support. Successful certification demonstrates that both the technical installation and the subsequent services are of excellent quality. This means that companies who decide for certified service & installation quality from TÜV NORD find it easier to gain new customers and also retain their current client base.
Benefits of certified service & installation quality
- Indicators are provided for best-possible development of efficient service and installation management
- Effectiveness of service and installation management optimised through regular audits
- Excellent service can become a unique selling point
- Certified Service and Installation Quality helps with marketing
- Valuable information for company management for strategic decision making based on audit feedback from the field
The main aspects of service and installation quality: content of the certification
Technical services are generally standardised. This means that it is not easy for technical service providers to stand out from the competition. Many providers are also very close to one another when it comes to price.
But you can impress customers with the service quality you offer: reliability of supply, demonstrable attention to safety aspects when installing machinery and equipment, polite employees with a high level of technical expertise, well-functioning communication between the customer and your company, understanding the wishes and interests of customers and general reliability. All of this is a sign of excellent installation and service and is therefore included in the audit which leads to the certification.
The criteria list for certification of service and installation quality includes the following elements:
- Requirements for management activities: service strategies, service culture, planning, resources
- Requirements for the operative areas: qualification of employees, infrastructure, working equipment, evidences regarding testing of the assembly and installation etc.
- Professional complaint handling: Does the complaint handing system function effectively?
- Specifications for the technical prerequisites and standards
- Customer surveys are carried out every two years in order to verify the installation and service quality
Your path to the certificate leads through the following stages:
1. Joint preparation
First you will receive the criteria list for use as a basis for the audit. Together we will then develop the technical part of the audit concerning the installation aspect of your technical service quality.
2. Audit phase
The service and installation quality is assessed by means of process-oriented document reviews, an on-site audit, random sample inspections of your installations and a customer survey. The document review can be included in the on-site audit. The on-site audit is performed according to the top down principle, in other words the subject of customer satisfaction and complaint management is considered at various levels of the hierarchy, and viewed from their different perspectives.
In addition to the audit as such, the certification is based on a meaningful customer survey. The survey must not be more than one year old and must have been carried out by an independent institute. If no such customer survey is available, TÜV NORD can carry it out for you (online, by telephone or by post). The scope of the survey depends on your customer structure and the number of customers, and the survey themes are agreed with you beforehand. However, it is always guaranteed that our customer surveys contain meaningful results in areas such as “Recommendation to others” and “Willingness to use again” (customer loyalty).
3. Management Summary
Following the audit phase, a management summary is created which brings together the results of the audit. This is used as a basis for the decision regarding grant of certification.
4. Issue of certificate
Then follows the issue of the certificate and permission to use the Certified Service and Installation Quality mark.
5. Marketing and annual surveillance
We support you with your marketing initiatives and undertake publicity work together with you. Annual surveillance audits are carried out in order to maintain the high level of service quality in your organisation and develop it further; customer surveys are carried out every two years.
TÜV NORD: Our know-how for your success
TÜV NORD is your internationally-recognised and reliable partner for test and certification services. We offer the necessary technical competence for the certified service and installation procedure and also have many years of experience, particularly in the area of service certification. We support the development of your organisation and always provide you with objective feedback.