According to the World Trade Organisation, “services are the largest and most dynamic component of the economies of both developed and developing countries.  Important in their own right, they also serve as crucial inputs into the production of most goods.”

Not only do services represent the fastest growing sector of the global economy, but they also account for two thirds of global output, one third of global employment, and nearly 20% of global trade.

In both our personal and professional lives, few could deny the vital importance of services. Whether they are targeted at individuals, like hairdressing or personal financial planning, at companies, such as IT services, or at entire communities, such as healthcare, services are found in all fields and can be provided in person or online, locally or globally, by large or small organizations. Sometimes it takes the form of public services, business-to-business or business-to-consumer and the range of possibilities is extremely diverse.

With the increasing development, the sector has come a growing demand for standards to support quality, communication and good practices. These are particularly important, as in the service industry “goods” are intangible and performance heavily reliant on human factors. More often than not, customers do not know exactly what to expect until the service is rendered.

One of the key issues regarding services is spelling out customer expectations and measuring their satisfaction. Do service providers deliver on their promises? Can customers understand what is being offered? And, what can be done when a service does not meet expectations?

Against this background, the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) platform has been increasingly solicited for the development of international service standards, although developing standards on services is no easy feat.

A few years ago, ISO published Guide 76 which aimed at addressing services directed at consumers, by identifying a series of questions to be asked about all aspects of services, from engagement, service delivery, etc., to service elements, such as communication, personnel and billing.

The scope of services is diversifying to respond to our increasingly global interactions and rapid development of new technologies. As services become increasingly reliant on online marketing and multinational transactions, ISO standards strive to address these trends, so as to ensure consistency in describing and ascertaining quality, safety and performance, no matter the service or location.

The service industry may greatly benefit from standards. Not only may such standards open broader markets, but service companies applying them also enjoy increased customer confidence and satisfaction.  Public authorities, too, will profit from globally consistent performance indicators and terminology when they provide, delegate or regulate services.

Consumers will derive the greatest reward as they will no longer venture into a service proposal the way we draw lottery tickets and will be in a better position to compare offers and assess performances.

The Conformity Assessment Department of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is equipped to offer the necessary technical assistance to companies desirous of implementing ISO 9001 Quality Management systems in their operations. This international standard largely focuses on the customer and can improve the services of any business.

For further information on this subject, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065 or 219-0064