Five new standards have been approved by the Barbados National Standards Institution (BNSI), and are to be published as Barbados National Standards.??

They are BNS 258: 2011 Motor Vehicles-Exhaust Emissions – Specification; BNS 261: 2011 Processed Tomato Concentrates – Specification; BNS CRCP 8: 2010 Inbound Tour Operators – Code of Practice; BNS CRS 27: 2010 Fruit and Vegetable Juices and Drinks, and Fruit Nectars – Specification; and BNS ISO 10001: 2007 Quality Management – Customer Satisfaction – Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Organizations.

Chief Technical Officer (Specifications) at the BNSI, Fabian Scott, highlighted the publication of two of the standards, which he indicated would address current and pressing societal needs – exhaust from motor vehicles and customer service delivery.

"We have recently seen our Prime Minister come out in support of better service delivery in our nation as the services sector becomes increasingly important to Barbados’ economic health. The satisfaction of the customer is critical and hence, the BNSI and the international community have developed international standards for the quality management of customer satisfaction which directly impacts upon service delivery," Mr. Scott said.

The Chief Technical Officer explained that these new benchmarks would prove beneficial for the environment and the public. "These standards provide solutions to societal issues which we expect can be resolved once the necessary agencies and institutions implement the required provisions therein.?? How many times have you driven behind a vehicle that smokes excessively and needs to be serviced? Too many, I presume. Now Barbados has some exhaust limits for motor vehicles which we expect the necessary authorities to utilise in their amended regulations for enforcement," he observed.

Mr. Scott emphasised that owners of vehicles, fleet managers, dealerships, independent garages and government institutions should all make an effort to secure a copy of this standard from the BNSI, so they could be prepared when the requirements of the Motor Vehicles-Exhaust Emissions standard are legislated in the near future.

Service quality has also been targeted by the BNSI for action, with the focus on customer satisfaction through the delivery of good customer service. The international series on Quality Management – Customer Satisfaction has been evaluated by a committee of stakeholders as one of the tools which could be used to address Barbados’ service delivery. The Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Organisations standard applies to all organisations which desire guidance to assist them in developing and determining that the Customer Satisfaction Code provisions meet customer needs and expectations, and that it is accurate and not misleading.

Use of this code of conduct may be used to enhance fair trade practices and customer confidence in an organisation; improve customer understanding of what to expect from an organisation in terms of its products and customer relations, thereby reducing the likelihood of complaints; and potentially decrease the need for new regulations governing the organisation’s conduct towards its customers.

Persons interested in obtaining these standards may contact the BNSI at 426-3870 or visit ??http://www.bnsi.bb/.

nekaelia.hutchinson@barbados.gov.bb

Author: BNSI/Nekaelia Hutchinson

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