Certified for Success, How Begbies Traynor Achieved CSE Accreditation

What did you certify in? 

We became certified in the Customer Service Excellence (CSE) standard and Compliance Plus. The standards we were certified in were based on 5 units: Customer Insights, Culture of the organisation, Information and Access, Delivery, Timeliness & Quality of Service. 

Furthermore, our journey to certification consisted of a thorough nine-month timeline, providing us with an invaluable opportunity, not only to articulate what we do for our customers, but also to contemplate how we could enhance our services further.  

The journey was made smoother thanks to the dedication and support of our staff across the operational and digital teams, as evidence required for certain elements needed input. Their collaboration allowed us to clearly demonstrate our processes, customer measures, insights, and the various stages involved in our work. When we encountered moments where existing practices didn’t align with the accreditation criteria, they were on hand to help in providing evidence to meet the required standards. This collective effort was instrumental in achieving the accreditation. 

What was the most valuable element you took from the assessment? 

The most valuable part of this assessment was how we measure customer satisfaction. Exploring this standard challenged our existing processes and prompted us to reflect on whether we were truly gathering enough insight to understand our customers’ experience with us. 

It was especially useful because it encouraged us to think beyond our immediate processes and consider how we could collect more meaningful data. This led us to refine our existing customer measurements and broaden our approach to evaluating customer feedback. 

As a direct result of this assessment, we introduced customer surveys to capture more specific feedback around key areas such as timeliness, service quality, and accessibility. While this is still a developing area for us, the process has helped us sharpen our focus and better align with the customer satisfaction standard—something that’s highly relevant to our business function. 

How did you find the certification process with Centre for Assessment? 

I found the certification process with CFA to be a smooth and well-structured journey. From the beginning, communication was fluid, with clearly defined goals and a solid understanding of the process. I also found the support readily available whenever I had any technical questions, which made the process even more manageable. 

Would you recommend CSE to others, and if so, why? 

Yes, we would absolutely recommend the standards to others. It was a thought-provoking and challenging experience that really pushed us to reflect deeply on how we operate as a business. Defining what we do across different modules wasn’t always easy—some units required creative thinking and flexible adaptation to align with the criteria. 

What made it especially valuable was the opportunity to take a deep dive into our customer processes. We uncovered many exceptional practices across our operational and digital teams, which reinforced just how much focus we place on the customer experience and how we're constantly working to improve the journey. 

In summary, I’d recommend this to others because it encourages you to think beyond your current ways of working. It sharpens your focus on customer measurements and gives you the space to recognise and build on the practices already in place. Most importantly, it inspired the application of new principles that can only benefit the business and the customer’s journey in the long run. 

What advice would you offer to other organisations looking to achieve CSE? 

The best advice we can give is simple: just do it! Centre for Assessment are incredibly supportive and always available when you need guidance or have questions. From start to finish, their approach is collaborative and helpful, which makes the journey far less daunting. 

Achieving the accreditation was a very rewarding and satisfying experience. As mentioned earlier, it gives you the opportunity to step back and truly appreciate the great practices you already have in place. It also encourages you to look at things differently, helping you to develop new approaches, principles, or measurements that may not have been on your radar before. 

While not every part of the model may directly apply to your business, taking a broader view can open unexpected opportunities for growth and improvement. While, it can be a time-consuming process, the satisfaction of achieving this accreditation is well worth it. It’s a clear demonstration that your organisation genuinely puts the customer at the heart of everything you do. 

Maggie Ward, Business Development Executive at Begbies Traynor Group, commented: 

“Going through the CFA assessment process was both challenging and rewarding. It pushed us to think differently, reflect on our current practices, and highlighted just how much we already do to support our customers. The support from Centre for Assessment was excellent throughout, and we’d absolutely recommend it to any organisation—it’s a valuable experience that strengthens your focus on customer excellence and continuous improvement.” 

For more information 

To find out more about the Customer Service Excellence Standard, visit our website: Customer Service Excellence Certification | Centre for Assessment