Standard Document

9 comments

  • Karun Sharma

    My suggestion would be to also consider analysis / remark on Business Performance as pointed out by some retailers and this would include analysis of such data of Clients.

    • Trusted Mark Secretariat

      Business performance assessment would include confidential information which Trusted Mark Scheme does not plan to seek respecting the client’s confidentiality. However, information about revenue will be shared by client in the application form as declaration for segmentation purpose.

  • Piyush Kumar Sinha

    Faculty and students of IIM Ahmedabad has been involved with IRF for many years and has seen its power to push the retail industry to achieve excellence. We are happy that feedback from consumer interactions have been discussed for the purpose of finalisiing standards for Trusted Mark. The document makes a complete manual for anyone wanting to enter or operate in the Indian retail business in the right manner. However, it was felt that many of the criteria may not really matter for customers such as whether the retailer pays all applicable taxes, complies with all regulations – as long as the expectations of customers are met. It is, therefore, important that retailer does everything to follow the standards that are needed to build a conscious and quality retail business. We welcome a set of stringent criteria incorporated in the standards and maximum weight age being given to customer care related issues.

    • Trusted Mark Secretariat

      The ‘Criteria’ are now called as ‘Standards’.Retailer’s compliance to Laws and Acts of the land and possession of applicable licenses and permits etc establishes his credibility and accountability to build customer trust. However for all practical reasons his adherence to applicable laws/acts has been made part of declaration in the Application form under Annexure A but possession of licenses & permits have been retained as part of assessment under Annexure A of Standards document (Trust 150). Even that list under Annexure A has been further split into mandatory, product/service-specific and location-specific requirements. The list have been pruned to 33 such licenses and permits to make it more meaningful.

  • Sibichan Mathew

    I really appreciate the painstaking effort in putting together a code of retailing for Indian retail. While all the laws/ licenses/ regulations listed in the document(s) and deliberated at length had it’s own place and relevance, some of the points that you could review are:
    1) it’s applicability for e-tailers. I suggest that you may audit them at a later stage after ensuring that laws, etc that are applicable are included and discussed with a cross section of e-retailers.
    2) seeing the whole phenomena from a consumers’ view point. Getting a cross section of consumers to rank these criteria in terms of relevance and importance.
    With Best wishes for a successful launch of TRUSTED mark at IRF 2016.

    • Trusted Mark Secretariat

      All points discussed in the Technical Committee have been incorporated. Standards for E-retailers are being reviewed with all stakeholders. Interviews have been conducted among consumers and feedback shared with TC. Accordingly Standards were fine-tuned and finally passed by the TC on 20th Sep Meet at IRF, Mumbai.

  • LEENA JAISANI

    FICCI’s engagement in discussions on Technical Standards and Certification Process for the IRF Certification Scheme was very fruitful.
    Talking ‘CUSTOMERS’ for a week almost with a single focus, “How to care for customers” was the objective of deliberations on every single criteria. Indian consumers will surely benefit once a large number of retailers comply with the scheme requirements and get the Trusted Mark.
    LEENA JAISANI, Senior Director, The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

  • GR Srikkanth

    1. Regulatory compliance: Further, the role of compliance officer is getting changed due to digitalization of some of the Government Offices and currently some of the licenses are being applied online.2. Sustainability: Some vertical functions are handled at different level and different place and these works are more than routine works. For conducting a standard level with uniformity across Company an SOP is also required across the functions. The rules relating to waste management and allied orders are to be followed without any exemption.3. HR Practices: The HR practices should be same across the entire Company and it should address all the issues, worries and other concerns of the employees with regard to service of employment.4. Communication: Communications should be neutral and should not cause any hurt to any religion, caste and creed. Further, all communications should be in conformity to the morality and public policy. Communications shall not only be ethical but also transparent. The employees on the floor should be well informed and communicative and should help the customers in addressing their queries. Further, the internal signage’s and communications should be clear and visible for the customers and should help them in their decision-making.5. Goods and services: Appropriate SOP for identification of vendor at Company level and Store Level is always required. The vendor should possess all the required licenses and comply with the applicable rules. VRF is the crucial document for registering any vendor. A proper agreement to be executed with the Vendor and the Vendor should submit KYC documents. The Company should be able to identify customer demand and procure products at a desired level.6. Terms and conditions of sale: Warranties should be as per the Sale of Goods Act 1930 and guarantees on goods and services should be with respect to quality and performance. REC policy should be uniform across outlets. Though certain items should be exempted in REC policy but mention of the same at suitable places should be a mandatory practice.7. Transaction and accounting: Ethical approach in T&A is a must and all transparency in this regard is good for customers.8. IT Ecosystem: Regular updation of IT policy is very important and it should be in accordance with IT Act 2000. Appropriate level of controls; encryption during transmissions and transactions with its customers is another crucial area of winning customer’s trust.9. Customer Care: Most of the standards mentioned in the document are being met by our company as well.10. Annexure A: Please include “Public Safety Measures (enforcement) Act 2012 ( AP and Telangana)” in the list.11. Annexure B: Please include following permissions in the list-o Advertisement Board, Backlit signage’so Fish & Meat Liceneo Amusement License ( west Bengal)o Police Permission for operating stores

    • Trusted Mark Secretariat

      Dear Mr. Srikkanth,
      We are glad to inform you that comments/suggestions made by you have been suitably addressed in Standard document as you would have also noticed. It is encouraging to realise that the Standards which Trusted Mark Secretariat has enlisted are the same as thought by an industry expert like you. In regard to your suggestions about inclusions in Annexure A and B we have made a note of them and would incorporate them suitably.

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