Name and shame - Feedback about Registrars

[Paul Simpson]

I appreciate it is not always easy and that many covers wouldn't want to put their heads above the parapet. But, as someone who has worked for half a dozen registrars / certification bodies over more years than I would care to remember - and someone who has a vested interest in making sure the certification body I represent gets good customer feedback to act on - here is an idea ...

Invitation to all covers to post good and bad experiences with their organisation's name and that of the registrar involved.

Those of us who want the feedback will take it in the spirit it is given, learn from it and even post a reponse following investigation. I still have a number of contacts at other registrars and will feed on links where possible.

Come on registrar covers - lets see if your organisation is brave enough to put up or shut up!

All covers who have been beefing on about their registrar - now is the time to put their name in the frame (you have to be able to support your version of events if the registrar responds, though).

The others registrars who don't get involved can just get shamed!

 

[Paul Simpson]

Oops!

Sorry, forgot to mention the registrar I work for is Sira Certification Services. Any comments on Sira audit and assessment gratefully received.

 

[Don Palmer]

Come on registrar covers - lets see if your organisation is brave enough to put up or shut up!

All covers who have been beefing on about their registrar - now is the time to put their name in the frame (you have to be able to support your version of events if the registrar responds, though).

The others registrars who don't get involved can just get shamed!

The Elsmar Cove's Motto is: "This is a site where you find People Helping People through online discussions."

Do you really think statements like you've made here above hold up to our motto? Paul, your words appear to be calling people into battle. Many people working in the trenches come here looking for answers and not for fights. IMHO, you have a real taste for blood. Please reconsider your actions here at the Cove. "PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE" is the higher ground. Their are other consultant/registrar auditors here as you well know. I can't thing of any who sharpen their axe on other Covers.

Thanks for your thoughtful consideration.

 

[IEGeek - 2006]

While I appreciate the spirit of your post (and I am not a registrar) I am not sure this is the thread for such an outlet.

This could very easily turn into a bashing session and put the Cove in an uncomfortable position with members, guests etc.

It could also turn into a valuable lesson learned and information gathering excercise for those looking for a registrar.

My opinion is that there is a Section for this and those that are looking for a registrar can either go there, PM a trusted Cover, Email a Cover or even post a thread asking for help.

Horror stories are fun to read and even more fun to relate to, but at the risk of putting someone on the "hot seat" is not my idea of a valuable use of Cove space

Just some thoughts....

 

[Paul Simpson]

Misjudged the mood?

Firstly apologies if I seem to have "gone off on one", it does read a bit like a call to arms. It isn't meant to.

The Elsmar Cove's Motto is: "This is a site where you find People Helping People through online discussions."

Do you really think statements like you've made here above hold up to our motto? Paul, your words appear to be calling people into battle. Many people working in the trenches come here looking for answers and not for fights.

The idea of the thread is for people to exchange stories about how their registrar deals with them. There have been plenty of other examples in the cove where people have recounted the stories - just generally without naming names. There have been a couple of examples where a registrar I knew was named and I forwarded a link to one of their VPs to deal with. The point is that reputable service providers (which is what registrars are) welcome feedback on how their service is seen. Again many years ago at a much larger registrar (than my current one) we spent a fortune on focus groups and research and actions arising. The cove is a little more immediate - and cheaper!

IMHO, you have a real taste for blood.

Again I have to accept your perception of my post.

Please reconsider your actions here at the Cove. "PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE" is the higher ground. Their are other consultant/registrar auditors here as you well know. I can't thing of any who sharpen their axe on other Covers.

My experience of the registrar affiliated covers is that they would welcome the feedback. They will take the posts back in to their work and try and improve their own organizations. I certainly will.

Thanks for your thoughtful consideration.

Thank you for the way you disagree with what I have posted. Constructive criticism always gratefully received. If everyone else ignores the thread I will be happy. Again if any of the moderators want to withdraw the thread I will be happy. I for one will only respond on any posts that relate to my organization.

 

[IEGeek - 2006]

While I feel both positive and negative feedback are important to an organization for the purposes of making themselves better, I am not sure that this is the place to post stories of horror. One thing I have noticed (and not just here) is that horror stories have a slant to the storyteller. There would be no way to have both sides of the story. A company could have had the best registrar in the universe, but because he found a major non-conformance he becomes a tweeb in the story that is posted. (I hope you get my drift on this?!?!?)

Also, knowing that some people do print these threads and forward them on to others would make me leary of posting something negative about my registrar. I would not lie, of course, but I would hate to see someone innocent get reprimanded, fired, etc. because I was on a rant (unless they were a tweeb ) but who am I to judge?

Here is a completely related (unrelated) example;

My wife and I dined at a new restaurant in Laguna Beach a while back. This was an upscale expensive fine dining establishment. We had the worst waiter I have ever experienced in my life. He was rude, he was pushy, he was slow, he made comments that he thought were out of earshot about my wife. I spoke to the manager at the time and was "compensated" for such rude service, but not to my satisfaction. I wrote a letter to the owner of the establishment and received no response, the manager responded to me again and again not to my satisfaction. I posted a "review" on a public forum, similar to the Cove. I even went so far to send a copy to the local paper as they had given it pretty high marks. Well lo and behold they printed my letter. We were asked to come dine again and give them another shot. We did. We have now been back 7 - 8 times. The service has been impeccable, the food has been excellent, the whole thing has been turned around.

Here is where I was remiss, I never wrote back to the paper and told them that it is now one of our favorite restaurants, I never reposted to the public forum that they made it right. Fooey on me.

I hope you can see how this relates to what you are suggesting?

Thank you for the way you have responded to responses to your original post, it is refreshing to not immediately attack

Just some thoughts....

 

[Don Palmer]

Thank you

Paul, Thank you for your response, and kind regards to you and yours.

 

[Wes Bucey]

While I feel both positive and negative feedback are important to an organization for the purposes of making themselves better, I am not sure that this is the place to post stories of horror. One thing I have noticed (and not just here) is that horror stories have a slant to the storyteller. There would be no way to have both sides of the story. A company could have had the best registrar in the universe, but because he found a major non-conformance he becomes a tweeb in the story that is posted. (I hope you get my drift on this?!?!?)

Also, knowing that some people do print these threads and forward them on to others would make me leary of posting something negative about my registrar. I would not lie, of course, but I would hate to see someone innocent get reprimanded, fired, etc. because I was on a rant (unless they were a tweeb ) but who am I to judge?

Here is a completely related (unrelated) example;

My wife and I dined at a new restaurant in Laguna Beach a while back. This was an upscale expensive fine dining establishment. We had the worst waiter I have ever experienced in my life. He was rude, he was pushy, he was slow, he made comments that he thought were out of earshot about my wife. I spoke to the manager at the time and was "compensated" for such rude service, but not to my satisfaction. I wrote a letter to the owner of the establishment and received no response, the manager responded to me again and again not to my satisfaction. I posted a "review" on a public forum, similar to the Cove. I even went so far to send a copy to the local paper as they had given it pretty high marks. Well lo and behold they printed my letter. We were asked to come dine again and give them another shot. We did. We have now been back 7 - 8 times. The service has been impeccable, the food has been excellent, the whole thing has been turned around.

Here is where I was remiss, I never wrote back to the paper and told them that it is now one of our favorite restaurants, I never reposted to the public forum that they made it right. Fooey on me.

I hope you can see how this relates to what you are suggesting?

Thank you for the way you have responded to responses to your original post, it is refreshing to not immediately attack

Just some thoughts....

Now would be a good time to write back to everyone (owner, manager, paper, on-line Forum) and write what you wrote here.

There can never be a wrong time to do a right thing!

 

[Craig H.]

Now would be a good time to write back to everyone (owner, manager, paper, on-line Forum) and write what you wrote here.

There can never be a wrong time to do a right thing!

Very wise. IE, you can even state that your one bad, initial, experience has been overshadowed by SEVERAL great ones, instead of only one.

 

[Paul Simpson]

While I feel both positive and negative feedback are important to an organization for the purposes of making themselves better, I am not sure that this is the place to post stories of horror. One thing I have noticed (and not just here) is that horror stories have a slant to the storyteller. There would be no way to have both sides of the story. A company could have had the best registrar in the universe, but because he found a major non-conformance he becomes a tweeb in the story that is posted. (I hope you get my drift on this?!?!?)

Again any poster has to be aware the registrar has a right to reply. Although we are bound by confidentiality (until such time as an auditee puts things into the public domain) we are at liberty to correct errors relating to work they have said has been done. From my point of view if anyone posts about work my organization does I will investigate and put right any wrongs. If it is simply a case of not seeing eye to eye I would post on the cove that we will take it up with our customer. If at the end of that process we still can't agree then we will agree to part - and I will help them find another registrar.

Also, knowing that some people do print these threads and forward them on to others would make me leary of posting something negative about my registrar. I would not lie, of course, but I would hate to see someone innocent get reprimanded, fired, etc. because I was on a rant (unless they were a tweeb ) but who am I to judge?

You are the customer. You have every right to say you have had bad service - but bear in mind the right to reply.

Here is a completely related (unrelated) example;

My wife and I dined at a new restaurant in Laguna Beach a while back. This was an upscale expensive fine dining establishment. We had the worst waiter I have ever experienced in my life. He was rude, he was pushy, he was slow, he made comments that he thought were out of earshot about my wife. I spoke to the manager at the time and was "compensated" for such rude service, but not to my satisfaction. I wrote a letter to the owner of the establishment and received no response, the manager responded to me again and again not to my satisfaction. I posted a "review" on a public forum, similar to the Cove. I even went so far to send a copy to the local paper as they had given it pretty high marks. Well lo and behold they printed my letter. We were asked to come dine again and give them another shot. We did. We have now been back 7 - 8 times. The service has been impeccable, the food has been excellent, the whole thing has been turned around.

A good recommendation for having forums (fora?) like this to get feedback going around.

Here is where I was remiss, I never wrote back to the paper and told them that it is now one of our favorite restaurants, I never reposted to the public forum that they made it right. Fooey on me.

Understandable but I agree with Wes. Go back and say thanks. It might make them listen the first time if it ever happens again.

I hope you can see how this relates to what you are suggesting?

Thank you for the way you have responded to responses to your original post, it is refreshing to not immediately attack

Just some thoughts....

Thanks. I am getting some feedback myself now about how my posts are perceived in the cove. Lesson learned.