ISO/TS 23686:2022
(Main)Service excellence — Measuring service excellence performance
Service excellence — Measuring service excellence performance
This document specifies metrics and methods of measuring service excellence performance.
Excellence de service — Conception d’un système de mesure et d’évaluation de l’excellence de service
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
TECHNICAL ISO/TS
SPECIFICATION 23686
First edition
2022-10
Service excellence — Measuring
service excellence performance
Excellence de service — Conception d’un système de mesure et
d’évaluation de l’excellence de service
Reference number
ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
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ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
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ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Guiding principles . 2
4.1 General . 2
4.2 Organizational commitment . 2
4.3 Research and organizational ethics . 2
4.4 Data management and analysis integrity . 3
4.5 Transparency . 3
4.6 Alignment . 3
4.7 Self-organizing teams . . 3
4.8 Continuous reflection, evaluation and improvement . 3
5 Measurement system for service excellence performance . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 Framework for measuring service excellence performance . 3
5.3 Benefits and varieties of metrics for measuring service excellence performance . 6
5.4 Selection of appropriate measurement methods and tools . 7
5.5 Analyses for measuring service excellence performance . 7
5.6 Use of measured results . 7
6 Measuring service excellence leadership and strategy . 8
6.1 General . 8
6.2 Framework for measuring service excellence leadership and strategy . . 9
6.3 Metrics for measuring service excellence leadership and strategy . 9
7 Measuring service excellence culture and employee engagement . 9
7.1 General . 9
7.2 Metrics for measuring service excellence culture and employee engagement . 10
8 Measuring outstanding customer experiences .10
8.1 General . 10
8.2 Framework for measuring outstanding customer experiences . 10
8.3 Metrics for measuring outstanding customer experiences .12
8.4 Methods for collecting outstanding customer experiences metrics .13
8.5 Analyses for measuring outstanding customer experiences .13
9 Measuring operational service excellence performance .14
9.1 General . 14
9.2 Framework for measuring operational service excellence performance . 14
9.3 Metrics for measuring operational service excellence performance .15
Bibliography .17
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ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
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electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
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on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
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www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 312, Excellence in service.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
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ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
Introduction
In a world of change and high competition, organizations are confronted with permanently growing
and evolving customer expectations. To be successful in a sustainable way, organizations must
deliver excellent service and promote outstanding customer experiences to delight their customers.
This is the main objective of service excellence. Service excellence is one of the main prerequisites
to organizational success and becoming a market leader. Organizations should possess strategies,
processes, technologies, tools, systems, staff and organizational structures enabling the management
of current and changing customer needs and expectations.
Organizations should develop, implement and manage service excellence initiatives. This will lead to
outstanding customer experiences, cost effectiveness and improved organizational efficiency.
Along the entire service value chain, organizations, including suppliers, outsourcers and other partners,
should measure service excellence performance.
This document provides a set of approaches that can be used to measure service excellence performance,
particularly those factors with the greatest impact on improving outstanding customer experiences
and customer delight.
To determine that service excellence is effective it is imperative that the performance measurement
system is aligned with the organization’s service excellence model. This ensures that measuring
processes are fit for their intended use and allows service excellence activities to be monitored and
measured against the service excellence objectives.
ISO 23592 specifies the service excellence terminology, principles and model to achieve outstanding
customer experience and sustainable customer delight. Consequently, the corresponding measurement
system should relate to all the four dimensions and nine elements of the service excellence model (see
Figure 1).
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ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
Figure 1 — Service excellence model
The clauses in this document elaborate on the requirements of the element “Monitoring service
excellence activities and results” within the dimension “Operational service excellence” of the service
excellence model located in ISO 23592.
While all four dimensions of the service excellence model should be measured, measurement is focused
on the upper two levels of the service excellence pyramid (see Figure 2), specifically, the “individual
excellent service provision” (Level 3) and the “surprisingly excellent service provision” (Level 4) that
contribute to customer delight and, subsequently, improved financial or non-financial results.
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ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
Figure 2 — Service excellence pyramid
ISO 23592 requires that the organization develops and systematically uses a set of internal and
external metrics focused on all elements of the service excellence model and measures the successful
achievement of levels three and four of the pyramid.
It is important to note the differences in measures required for customer satisfaction (levels 1 and 2)
and those required for customer delight (levels 3 and 4). Customer delight cannot be achieved without
the foundations of customer satisfaction. Due to these interdependencies, it is incumbent upon an
organization to ensure the selection of the appropriate measures that distinguish between customer
satisfaction and delight.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
Service excellence — Measuring service excellence
performance
1 Scope
This document specifies metrics and methods of measuring service excellence performance.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 23592, Service excellence — Principles and model
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 23592 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
benchmark
single value representing an accepted reference value derived either from comparisons among
participants or from literature, used for orientation
[SOURCE: ISO 24523:2017, 3.2, modified — Notes to entry removed.]
3.2
measurement
process to determine a value
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.11.4]
3.3
performance measurement system
process of designing, monitoring and controlling the performance of an activity/enterprise using
agreed indicators that encourage a business to meet its strategic objectives
[SOURCE: EN 14943:2005, modified — Term revised.]
3.4
service excellence measurement system
performance measurement system for service excellence
3.5
customer loyalty
customer’s intention and behaviour to recommend, repeat purchase and cross-product purchase an
organization’s products or services
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3.6
qualitative research
analysis of motivations, patterns of thought, opinion, attitude, assessment or behaviour, via research
techniques such as focus groups, depth interviews, discourse content analysis and qualitative
observational research
[SOURCE: ISO 20252:2019, 3.72]
3.7
quantitative research
numerical measurement of observations via research techniques such as questionnaires, opinion polls,
surveys and experimental research
[SOURCE: ISO 20252:2019, 3.73]
3.8
performance
measurable result
[SOURCE: ISO 9000:2015, 3.7.8, modified — Notes to entry removed.]
3.9
key performance indicator
parameter, or a value derived from parameters, which provides information about performance
[SOURCE: ISO 24523:2017, 3.13, modified — Term revised and Notes to entry removed.]
3.10
performance indicator system
controlled compilation of key performance indicators which are related to each other either logically or
mathematically and which, overall, are aimed at a common, superior objective or benchmarking object
[SOURCE: ISO 24523:2017, 3.15, modified — Definition revised.]
4 Guiding principles
4.1 General
Guiding principles are the ethical, legal and moral obligations related to service excellence
measurements involving both customers and staff. They are independent of an organization’s goals,
strategies and activities, and form a special part of service excellence culture.
4.2 Organizational commitment
Management should use the relevant service excellence metrics to monitor, improve and innovate in all
parts of the organization.
4.3 Research and organizational ethics
Customer experience and service excellence research should comply with guidelines provided by
national or professional research ethics organizations.
[3]
NOTE 1 Examples include the European Union’s Ethics in Social Sciences and Humanities, the Tri-Council
[10]
Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market,
[4]
Opinion and Social Research and Data Analytics and standards such as ISO 20252.
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4.4 Data management and analysis integrity
All service excellence measurements should comply with internal and external audit requirements.
There should be systematic, independent and documented processes for obtaining evidence to allow it
to be evaluated objectively to determine the extent to which audit criteria are fulfilled.
4.5 Transparency
The organization should ensure that adequate service excellence performance information, e.g.
customer delight score, is communicated to customers, personnel and other relevant interested parties,
as appropriate.
4.6 Alignment
The service excellence measurement system should be aligned with the service excellence vision,
objectives, strategies and operational processes of partners and mutual interests of the stakeholders,
see ISO 44001.
4.7 Self-organizing teams
Self-organizing teams can set their own metrics on how they achieve their key results to impact service
excellence performance.
4.8 Continuous reflection, evaluation and improvement
The measurement of service excellence should be evaluated continually and improved where possible.
The internal evaluation process should ensure that the service excellence measurement system collects
the right data and helps achieve the desired outcomes or results.
5 Measurement system for service excellence performance
5.1 General
Service excellence performance can only be measured when the service excellence model has been
adapted and implemented within an organization. The requirements for designing, producing and
delivering excellent service are continuously changing. Therefore, service excellence activities should
be measured on a regular basis to monitor service excellence performance against service excellence
objectives. An increasingly used method of establishing and tracking objectives and results is the use of
[1]
objectives and key results (OKR). This general approach can be applied as a framework to measuring
service excellence performance and provides a flexible method of ensuring required documentation
and measurement models are established and implemented.
Upon establishing the service excellence mission statement, objectives and associated performance
measurement criteria, team OKR may be derived.
5.2 Framework for measuring service excellence performance
To support the service excellence model, the service excellence measurement system should include:
— the service excellence mission statement;
— performance measurement indicators establishing the extent to which a service excellence mission
and core objectives have been achieved, which can be measured in the short, medium and long term;
— a data collection system enabling the establishment of baseline and performance metrics in
operational service excellence;
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— a process of re-examination of service excellence performance and establishing improvement
interventions.
The service excellence model in ISO 23592 (see Figure 1) and its adaptation and implementation within
an organization is the basis for the development of a service excellence performance measurement
system.
Prior to measuring service excellence performance, it is necessary to define the measurement system
parameters such as responsibilities, resources and time frame.
The organization should clearly define the mission statement and the purpose, objectives and expected
key results for the service excellence measurement system. The purpose and objectives outline what,
when, how and from whom data are to be collected for measurement. Moreover, it is necessary to
determine how those data can be used to improve upon performance and if any financial or human
resource allocations are required for successful implementation. The framework to measure service
excellence performance should be supported by all managers, staff and stakeholders enabling the
planning, design, development, operation, maintenance and improvement of processes for measuring
service excellence performance.
The mission statement should be clear regarding the ultimate outcome of what service excellence
should achieve, specifically pertaining to increased levels of customer loyalty and its relationship with
better key financial results.
In alignment with an organization’s business plan, medium-term goals of service excellence should
focus on key results achievable within a given time frame, generally a few months to a year. These
goals and results should be clearly aligned with the organizational mission statement and staff and
leadership activities to improve service excellence activities.
Service excellence objectives should be:
— aligned with an organizational business plan;
— qualitative and higher-level;
— achievable in a specified time frame;
— balanced between inspiration and being achievable;
— aligned with the service excellence vision.
Moreover, company and team objectives on service excellence and key results should be:
— specific;
— measurable;
— accepted;
— ambitious but achievable;
— aligned;
— realistic;
— time specific.
Figure 3 shows the service excellence measurement framework from a process perspective.
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Figure 3 — Framework for measuring service excellence performance
Having established the service excellence vision, mission and strategy and defined the associated
medium-term goals, an objective attainment cycle should be established. This should include planning,
short-term discussions, reviews and a retrospective examination leading to a continuous process of
tracking the achievement of service excellence outcome and measuring service excellence performance,
as outlined in Figure 4.
Planning, design and development, includes determining the methods of implementations and required
resource allocations. Operation includes identifying stakeholder expectations and the gathering and
analysis of measurement data to inform organizational change. Maintenance and improvement include
the review, evaluation and continual improvement of service excellence measurement processes.
Figure 4 — The service excellence effect chain
An appropriate practice for supporting this approach is to define a specialist in using this performance
measurement system for service excellence. This specialist should be allocated for the development and
monitoring of these activities, focusing on coaching, facilitating, being an agent of change and acting as
a champion of the service excellence implementation.
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5.3 Benefits and varieties of metrics for measuring service excellence performance
Establishing and maintaining service excellence operations is a continuous process that requires
investment in people, infrastructure and research. The organization can benefit from this investment
in several ways, including (see ISO 23592):
— competitive differentiation;
— higher customer centricity reputation;
— customer preference;
— establishment and strengthening of long-term customer relationships (leading to a greater
propensity to remain, recommend and repurchase, and thereby reducing the churn rate);
— cost-saving potential in the long term (e.g. lower failure costs, easier sale conversions and reduced
advertising expenses for acquiring new customers);
— an excellent employer brand (leading to improved recruitment opportunities, higher levels of staff
engagement and improved employee retention);
— improved customer co-operation and engagement;
— brand strengths, including positive brand awareness;
— help to manage networks with subcontractors;
— improved efficiency;
— implementation of agility.
These benefits can be explicitly defined as service excellence objectives. Metrics should be used to track
if the desired benefits and objectives are achieved and to what extent.
To properly measure customer delight, loyalty and their association with improved key financial
results, the organization should identify existing and additionally required measures that can be
directly taken as indicators for service excellence performance such as churn rates, call wait times,
website/app failures, service interruptions. Additional data collection may be required that are not
SM ® 1),2)
inherent in organizational data collection, such as the Net Promoter Score (NPS ), Customer
Satisfaction Index (CSI), employee and leadership engagement. It should be emphasized that certain
additional measures are specific to simple customer satisfaction and customer delight. Care should be
given when selecting these measures.
The organization should assess the metrics measuring the effect(s) of service excellence as indicators
for service excellence performance. Furthermore, the organization should define which metrics are
used when directly measuring the necessary capabilities of an organization needed to deliver excellent
services and achieve customer delight (see ISO 23592, Figure 3).
Appropriate range of metrics can include:
— outcome metrics about customer experiences including perceptions of specific transactions and
the entire relationship, e.g. scores and indices related to customer experience, customer effort,
customer satisfaction, customer delight, customer happiness and customer engagement;
® ® ®
1) Net Promoter , NPS , NPS Prism and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain &
SM SM
Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc. and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score and Net Promoter System are
service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc. and Fred Reichheld.
2) NPS is an example of a suitable product available commercially.
This information is given for the convenience of users of this document and does not constitute an endorsement by
ISO of the product named. Equivalent products may be used if they can be shown to lead to the same results.
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ISO/TS 23686:2022(E)
— intended and actual customer behaviours, such as advocacy, retention or churn, share of wallet and
financial results such as customer equity;
— metrics about employee perceptions and behaviours such as employee involvement, motivation and
engagement;
— metrics about the operational performance such as communication channels, customer journeys
and internal (support) processes;
— metrics around reputation and branding;
— metrics around learning, improvements and innovation of the organization.
5.4 Selection of appropriate measurement methods and tools
The organization should use measurement tools on a continuous and objective basis, including:
— use measurements from the best performing organizations to create benchmarks;
— learn from negative and positive service excellence related outcomes.
Appropriate practices for implementation can include:
— use of tools to measure perceptions of stakeholders such as qualitative and quantitative research
surveys or interviews;
— use of tools to measure service levels, empathy and process measures such as mystery shopping;
— use of data sources e.g. customer relationship management (CRM) database to measure actual
behaviours of customers;
— monitoring of social media.
5.5 Analyses for measuring service excellence performance
The organization should understand the most important determinants or metrics of the elements of the
service excellence effect chain (outlined in Figure 4) and their relationships.
Examples of the causal relationships are between:
— employee engagement and customer delight (and vice versa);
— customer perceptions, attitudes and actual behaviours and/or self-reported behaviours along the
customer journeys;
— investments in service excellence and actual returns.
Based on identified causal relationships between service excellence activities and ultimate
organizational outc
...
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