(ISO: Geneva) -- We all know the frustration of phoning a call center, only to be put on hold for an interminable amount of time or taken through a long and complex series of options before arriving at a dead end. And when we finally get hold of someone, it is usually to battle with the language barrier or be told to call back later—all while paying an extortionate rate for the call itself.

A survey amongst ISO members suggests that the general public is, on average, only mildly satisfied with customer contact centers, indicating there is much room for improvement. It is for this reason that two new International Standards on the subject have just been published.

ISO 18295-1:2017—“Customer contact centers—Part 1: Requirements for customer contact centers”, specifies best practice for all contact centers, whether in-house or outsourced, on a range of areas to ensure a high level of service; these include communication with customers, complaints handling and employee engagement.

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