Some consumer issues in standards -case studies
DEVCO/COPOLCO Workshop
Train the trainers
Paris, France
20-25 February 2009
Acknowledgements to: Association fran?ßaise de normalisation (AFNOR), CI and members of COPOLCO
Consumer issues in standards – Standards in the service sector
ISO/IEC Guide 76, Development of service standards -Recommendations for addressing Consumer issues
Consumer issues in standards Standards in the service sector -need for a Guide
ISO/IEC Guide 76
This Guide is needed because:
Standards are increasingly being developed for services, but typically from the service provider viewpoint
Consumers have a wide range of choice in services (air travel, hotel, car repairs, health care, etc.)
Consumers expect many things: quality, durability, ease of use, safety, environmental friendliness, fairness .and don’ t get them, so complaints about services are frequent.
Some services are very complex
Some services involve long-term commitment and large sums of money (e.g. home mortgage loans)
Consumer issues in standards Standards in the service sector -what the guide covers
The Guide addresses consumer questions about:
Choice of service
Service delivery
After-sales service / post service engagement support/complaints handling
The Guide is practical:
Checklists to help standards developers
Examples of application in 3 contrasting service areas: hairdressing, a hotel, life insurance
Consumer issues in standards Standards in the service sector -Communication
Service elements ..
..and the role of communication
Consumer issues in standards Standards in the service sector -Other useful guides and standards
Using ISO/IEC Guide 76: preparation
Toolkit for standards development
ISO/IEC Guide 51, on safety issues
ISO/IEC Guide 50, on child safety
ISO/IEC Guide 71, on elderly and people with disabilities
ISO 10001,10002 & 10003, on codes of conduct, complaints handling and dispute resolution
Consumer issues in standards Social responsibility (SR)
In 2004, ISO began work to develop ISO 26000, a new guideline standard on social responsibility of organizations.
The problem:
ISO has well established, transparent procedures for developing standards but developing international guidelines for social responsibility was recognized as new territory for ISO, needing a process with extra safeguards.
SR posed a new challenge: a need for balanced stakeholder representation and a new level of transparency, to ensure credibility of this unusual standard.
A new approach was needed to ensure the participation of under-represented groups such as consumers and labour, in particular those from developing countries.
Consumer issues in standards Social responsibility (SR) (continued)
Consumer issues in standards Social responsibility (SR) (continued)
Consumer issues in standards Product standards where consumers have made a difference Life jackets
The problem:
Original draft considered the highest levels of safety. Conforming products would be OK in really hazardous situations or where use could be ensured. Not comfortable for leisure use by fishermen, canoers, water skiers etc.
Consumer issues in standards Product standards where consumers have made a difference Life jackets (continued)
The solution:
Consumer representative influenced the standard, so
Three consumer standards were developed (EN 393,395 & 396) with different performance levels appropriate for different situations.
Comfort, ease of use were addressed thus maximizing the chance of use
Flexibility in the design allowed for òfashion features’
Consumer issues in standards Product standards where consumers have made a difference Contraception -Condoms
The problem:
The existing International Standard assumed that condoms would be transported and stored in relatively controlled conditions and so a single temperature range was defined in the test standard. Consumer research showed that this was not the case in many countries, especially in tropical climates.
The solution:
The consumer representative was able to influence the technical committee to amend the range of testing to take into account storage conditions which would better reflect those found in tropical climates.
Consumer issues in standards Product standards where consumers have made a difference School buses
The problem: At least one child killed when crossing in front of a school bus. The problem was visibility.
The solution: When the standard was being revised, the Consumer representative (father of a child who had been killed), influenced the standard. It now includes crossing arms at the front of the bus, improved performance for the mirrors and defrosting systems.
Consumer issues in standards Service standards where consumers have made a difference Water services
The problem
The initial scope for this International Standard restricted it to the connected pipe and sewer systems, such as are usual in richer countries. Such a standard would not address water service issues for very many communities.
The solution
The CI representative persuaded the committee to enlarge the scope to include standards for the non-integrated networks characteristic of poorer countries: wells, bulk-delivered water, pit latrines and septic tanks.
Consumer issues in standards Service standards where consumers have made a difference Leisure diving standards
The problem:
Deaths have occurred because untrained people can provide diving services if they have the equipment to do so. The leisure diving industry was keen to use standards to differentiate themselves from these cowboys .
The solution:
Standards were developed for the providers of diving services, diving instructors and for diving competencies at three levels.
Although service standards, they refer to product standards for the equipment needed to provide the services.
Consumer input ensured that requirements were verifiable, something the industry did not understand in the early stages of the standards development.
Consumer issues in standards Product standards where consumers have made a difference Complaints handling
The problem:
Service providers tend to consider their òaverage’ customer when developing complaints handling procedures.
The solution:
The consumer representative ensured that the standard considered the needs of all, including those with a visual or hearing impairment. The representative also ensured the document was relevant to non-commercial providers of services as well as to suppliers of consumer products.