ICXS

International Customer Experience Standard

The foundational standard for world-class customer experience management. Global best practices have been researched, reviewed and codified to create the definitive framework for CX excellence.

7

ELEMENTS

5

Ps MODEL

40+

COUNTRIES

What is ICXS?

The International Customer Experience Standard (ICXS) is the world’s definitive framework for establishing, implementing and continuously improving customer experience management within organisations. It represents years of global research — best practices from leading organisations identified, validated and codified into an actionable, measurable framework.

ICXS applies to any organisation regardless of size, sector or geography that wants to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

The 5Ps Service Excellence Model

Five interconnected pillars that define the architecture of customer experience service excellence. Developed at Brunel University in the UK and refined internationally over four decades — the foundation of ICXS:01.

Independently certified by BSI · Reviewed and enhanced every five years

Policies

01

The strategic foundation of every service-excellence organisation

The constitutional layer — the strategic intent, charters and policies that set the parameters within which every other element operates.

  • Strategic Intent for service excellence
  • Customer Service / Happiness Charter
  • Customer Service Delivery Standards
  • HR Development and Skill policies
  • Health and Safety policy
  • Continuous CX improvement and innovation policies

Places

02

Premises and channels — the environments through which the customer engages

The physical and digital environments through which customers and employees interact with the organisation. Designed for safety, accessibility and consistent experience.

  • Assessment of work and customer environment
  • Websites and social media portals
  • Contact centres and service environments
  • Branch, retail and physical service points
  • Multi-channel access design and consistency
  • Accessibility across the full customer base

Products / Services

03

The offering that delivers value — designed, priced and explained with integrity

The genuine value-creating offerings the organisation provides — designed transparently, priced fairly and supported by clear customer education.

  • Products and services are genuine and as described
  • Transparent product / service pricing
  • Customer education programmes
  • Strategic partner engagement
  • Product / service development and improvement
  • Product / service information clarity

Processes

04

Customer journey maps — the workflows that determine the lived experience

The workflows, journey maps and operational discipline that turn intent into a consistent, low-effort customer experience — including the moments that define happiness and loyalty.

  • Process development and assessment
  • End-to-end customer journey maps
  • Happiness Value Moments designed deliberately
  • Business continuity planning
  • Data security across the customer journey
  • Continuous process improvement

People

05

The human capability that operationalises every other element

The skills, knowledge, engagement and recognition of the employees who deliver the customer experience — and the systems that develop and reward them.

  • Internal communication and engagement
  • Employee performance records and appraisals
  • Employee skill and CX knowledge development
  • Customer experience knowledge assessment
  • Employee feedback and suggestion systems
  • Reward and recognition programmes

The Continuous Improvement Engine · Two further sections complete the standard

Section 6

Measurement of Performance

The measurement architecture that monitors how the 5Ps are delivering for customers and employees — Customer Happiness measurement, Voice of Customer, Voice of Employee, brand and channel performance, complaints, sentiment, sustainability and continuous improvement metrics.

Section 7

Performance Results

The documented research results of the required customer and employee measurements — Customer Happiness Results, Employee Happiness Results, and Delivery Channel Performance Results. The evidence that the 5Ps are working.

The Original 5Ps. Forty Years of International Application.

The 5Ps Service Excellence Model was created by the co-founder of the Institute as part of a study at Brunel University in the UK. Over four decades it has been applied internationally to rationalise the factors that drive customer experience excellence into clear, manageable components. Together with the Measurement of Performance and Performance Results sections, the 5Ps form the seven-element framework of ICXS:01 — the International Customer Experience Standard. Independently certified by BSI.

ICXS:01 is the International Customer Experience Standard, published by ICXI and certified by BSI. Each P contains a set of criteria — those marked “shall” are minimum requirements for certification.

Your Path to Certification

A structured five-step journey to ICXS certification and continuous excellence

01

Assess

Understand your current CX maturity using the Experience Excellence Index

02

Implement

Apply the ICXS framework across your organisation

03

Measure

Track progress through structured assessment criteria

04

Certify

Achieve formal certification to ICXS

05

Improve

Use the maturity model for continuous advancement

Implement the Standard

Begin your journey to cerfication below, select either the Standard or our Online Assessment depending on where you are in your customer experience journey.

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