Logica/CGI in Bridgend, Wales have recently achieved the first ever SDI world class 5 star Service Desk Certification. It is a significant milestone for SDI as we have been working on the format with a whole group of experts and practitioners for a year or more, and we’re delighted to see our first achiever!
Last month I wrote about the eight big Cs – customers, communication, connection, collaboration, community, creativity, consistency and cloud that are being used in our sector to help focus attention on the big issues of our world today. Those eight Cs will equip you very well in your pursuit of customer service and, if you have already reached 4 star level with your SDI certification, will get you a long way towards 5 star status.
5 star is intended only for those organisations who are totally passionate about service and really want to be positioned at the pinnacle of the service desk world. It will require time, effort and some investment out of what might already be a tight budget. But what price service quality and excellence in winning and keeping your customers? I think this is a step change in the industry, and that many service desks, especially those that offer their services commercially or have external customers, will use 5 star to help themselves become even more competitive.
These are the areas of focus for the world class principles, in addition to the excellence already achieved in the 4 star certification concepts:
- Success – is it clearly defined, understood, advocated and aimed for?
- Vision & mission – is it defined and promoted by management and understood and aspired to by staff?
- Attitude & behaviour – people are empowered and everyone advocates and delivers consistent service excellence
- Culture – there is a tangible commitment to service quality that is pervasive….
- Integration – service culture is demonstrated throughout all areas of the IT organisation, not just service desk
- Customer advocacy – customers are happy to promote and recommend the service desk and IT as a whole
- Efficiency – efficiency and performance quality are constantly reviewed and adjusted to support business and customer needs
- Wow factor – this is discernible and there is evidence of innovative ‘stuff’ in or by the service desk in some way
- Continual improvement – is demonstrably embedded in all processes, projects and people
In short, if you are to transition your service desk to world class, these are the areas you need to address. At the recent SDI certification event in London, there were 40 or more delegates looking to improve. Who will really be effective in reaching this level soon? Will it be you?
Howard Kendall, Founder and Master Auditor, SDI
