First three clients achieve new BSI Kitemark™ for Service Excellence
London, 4 February 2025 – Three companies from the aviation, automotive and water storage sectors, have been recognized by BSI for steps taken to improve customer service and complaint management, including where AI is being used.
London Luton Airport, Balmoral Tanks and Lex Autolease have become the first to achieve certification to BSI’s Kitemark™ for Service Excellence, which launched a year ago. The Kitemark is relevant to organizations embedding service excellence in sectors including retail, utilities, banking and insurance, car dealerships, hospitality, telecommunications and healthcare. It provides a framework to help organizations and their employees to understand what service excellence is and work to develop processes, implement improved customer journeys, and consider new innovations especially as the transition to AI grows.
The scheme has been shaped by customer experience experts and draws on three standards: Code of practice for customer service (BS 8477); Quality management – Customer satisfaction (BS ISO 10002) and Service Excellence - Principles and model (BS ISO 23592), as well as additional Kitemark test measures.
To achieve the Kitemark for Service Excellence, companies were assessed by an expert auditor against the requirements to demonstrate the delivery of consistently good customer service, complaint management and outstanding customer experience. This was a two-part assessment, involving a programme of ongoing surveillance to assess continuing compliance.
The organizations also needed to show the steps they are taking to improve satisfaction and loyalty, and to adapt to digitalization, as well as their work around risk mitigation and continuous improvement. The Kitemark also considered their management of AI, reflecting how integral the technology is becoming. Last year BSI’s research found that only 15% of Britons believed AI had enhanced their customer service experience and 41% said it had made it worse, making the latter area critical for the future.
Victoria Brennan, Global Product Certification Director at BSI, said: “All business leaders will recognize the importance of delivering excellent customer service, including increased customer loyalty, higher revenue, a stronger brand reputation, and, most importantly, exceptional customer satisfaction. As technology and AI shape how businesses interact with the people they serve, this will only become more important.
“Achieving certification to the Kitemark for Service Excellence is a significant milestone for these organizations, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to not only meeting but exceeding customer expectations. The Kitemark is a trusted symbol of quality, and the first organizations to achieve this have shown exemplary focus on continually improving customer satisfaction, embracing digitalization and adapting to the evolving role of AI in service delivery."
Kevin Mills, HSEQ Manager, at Balmoral Tanks, said: “Balmoral Tanks is passionate about offering value add service levels. Service is an attitude that permeates our entire business where our employees align with the fact that great service is part of who we are. We are proud to be the only manufacturing organisation so far to achieve Kitemark for Service Excellence."
Neil Thompson, Chief Operations Officer at London Luton Airport, said: “We are extremely proud that London Luton Airport is the first UK airport to achieve the Service Excellence Kitemark. This achievement is testament to the professionalism of our teams across the airport that led to our highest ever annual customer satisfaction score last year, with 4.07 out of 5 passengers rating their experience as very good or excellent.”
Sharon Askman, Head of Lex Autolease Customer Services, said: “We’re so pleased to receive this certificate. Achieving the BSI Kitemark is a testament to our commitment in providing a great and safe experience for our customers. It also recognises the valuable service that our colleagues deliver every day. The BSI Service Excellence Kitemark sets us apart as a leader in our industry and supports us in the acquisition of new and retention of our existing customers.”
You can find further information about the Kitemark for Service Excellence here.
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