Why should my organisation join ICS?
The customer service environment
Rising customer expectations pose quite a challenge for organisations in both the private and public sectors. Organisations that can rise to this challenge will see a wealth of opportunities open up to them, but first they need to:
- make a permanent culture shift towards becoming more customer-centric
- understand what good practice looks like – then use, sustain and keep improving it to keep pace with changing customer expectations
- focus on the crucial role of customer-facing staff (as well as embedding customer focus and skill in all parts of the organisation)
What are the benefits of ICS organisational membership?
Organisations join ICS because they are determined to raise their overall customer service performance and professionalism. Being an ICS member is:
- a clear statement of intent to customers and staff about customer service
- a key tool to help raise and/or sustain the pace of cultural change
Membership brings:
- a chance to engage nationally and regionally with other members, and benchmark against them
- access to authoritative customer service knowledge and best practice advice
- a framework for you to measure your achievement against national standards
- external recognition and enhanced status for your staff as customer service professionals
- preferential access to ICS research, products and services – publications, website, national conference, seminars, etc
Download our organisational membership chart showing the full range of membership benefits.
What our member organisations say about us
‘Bringing together people who are focused on knowledge and learning and willing to share this – that’s what’s so great about ICS’ South Tyneside Council
‘We are highly committed to delivering first-class customer service. What better way to demonstrate this to our customers and our staff than by being an ICS Founder Council Member?’
‘Our whole involvement with ICS – from the ICS Professional Awards, to Customer Service Forums, to customerfirst, etc - has broadened our understanding of delivering great customer service.’ Barclays Personal Investment Management
Membership categories
There are a number of categories of organisational membership and organisations join at a membership level appropriate to them, largely related to the degree of involvement they want with the Institute and its activities:
Council member
Council membership is for organisations that want to be at the forefront of the Institute’s work. Council members help develop authoritative knowledge about customer service and practical ways of creating a strong customer service ethos and reputation. They recognise that - in the private, public and third sectors - high standards of customer service are of critical importance to a service-led economy and a key differentiator of organisational success.
Council members play an active role in steering the Institute’s strategic focus and direction as well as engaging across the range of Institute activities. Council membership is a clear statement of an organisation’s leadership in and commitment to customer service.
Corporate member
Corporate membership is for organisations that are focused on practical ways of creating a strong customer service ethos and reputation and want to engage across the range of ICS activities. Corporate membership is a clear statement of an organisation’s commitment to customer service.
Business member
Business membership is for smaller organisations that are focused on practical ways of creating a strong customer service ethos and reputation.
Associate member
Associate membership is for organisations that provide specialist services to support customer service. Such organisations include training providers, recruitment agencies, customer service consultancies, associations and other membership bodies etc.
International member
International membership is for organisations outside the UK and Ireland and provides limited access to ICS services and, typically, will be of interest to those wanting to keep abreast of developments in customer service.
Membership fees
Our aim is to ensure that organisations join at the membership level appropriate to their needs. Because creating and sustaining a strong customer ethos and reputation is not a ‘quick fix’, council, corporate and business members are encouraged to join the Institute for the longer term. In such cases, members typically join for periods of four years at a discounted rate as follows: council membership - £40,000 (€60,000) for four years; corporate membership - £20,000 (€30,000) for four years; business membership - £9,000 (€13,500) for four years (all ex-VAT). There is some flexibility over payment.
The annual membership fee for associate and international members is £2,500 (€3,750) and £1,500 (€2,250) respectively.
You can read more about each type of organisational membership by clicking on the categories above. If you'd like us to contact you, just complete the organisational registration form and we'll be in touch or phone us on 01206 571716.