TRUSTED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES
Building Customer-Centric Professionals & Competent Auditors for Retail and Shopping Centres
The IRF Trusted Mark Professional Development Programmes are designed to build professionals who can understand, evaluate and improve customer experience, operational practices and customer-centric standards across the diverse world of Retail and Shopping Centres.
First introduced in 2016, TRUSTED Professional Development has brought together professionals from retail organisations, shopping centres, Certification Bodies and allied sectors through structured study, industry interaction, practical learning, assessment and certification.
The programmes have now been comprehensively strengthened to address the changing retail environment, new customer expectations, digital and omnichannel interactions, contemporary operating practices and the evolving requirements of the IRF Trusted Mark Certification Scheme.
Two specialised certification programmes are offered:
TRUSTED CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMME
Customer-Centric Retail & Shopping Centre Management
A professional development programme for people working across Retail, Shopping Centres, Customer Service & Experience, Operations, Facilities, Compliance, Safety & Security, HR & Training, Marketing, Digital, Sustainability, Consulting and other retail-related functions.
The programme goes beyond conventional customer-service training. It develops the ability to observe, understand and solve customer problems and convert individual incidents and learnings into organisation-wide improvements.
What You Will Learn
The programme covers:
- Customer-centricity and building customer trust
- Understanding different retail categories, formats and channels
- Shopping Centre operations and customer touchpoints
- Global and Indian best practices in customer service
- Customer experience and service recovery
- Complaint and dispute resolution
- Recording and analysing customer incidents
- Root-cause identification and corrective action
- Converting learnings into SOPs and operating guidelines
- Regulatory awareness
- Safety, accessibility and customer well-being
- Digital and omnichannel customer experience
- Sustainability and responsible operations
- Customer feedback and continuous improvement
- IRF Trusted Mark customer-centric principles
Real-world case studies and practical customer situations form an important part of the learning.
Participants shall also be required to undertake structured visits to retail markets, stores and shopping centres, record critical observations, identify gaps and good practices and recommend possible solutions.
Assessment is designed to test not only knowledge but also the participant’s observation, judgement, customer orientation and creative problem-solving ability.
Three Learning Modules
Module I – Experienced Professionals Programme
- Eligibility: 15+ years of relevant professional experience
- Format: 7-day intensive programme
- Advance study/course material, self-guided learning and practical exercises followed by written assessment and final interaction/interview.
Module II – Professional Development Programme
- Eligibility: 5+ years of relevant professional experience
- Format: Approximately 3 months
- Structured study supported by the TRUSTED e-Handbook/course material, practical exercises, field observations and case studies, followed by written assessment and final interaction/interview.
Module III – Academic & Executive Programme
For students/candidates of recognised Retail Management and allied academic programmes, as well as corporate and executive-development groups.
The programme may combine advance online/guided study with an intensive Masterclass/physical learning programme, including interaction with experienced retail, shopping centre, customer-service and industry professionals.
The programme can also be integrated with approved academic programmes, industry conventions and institutional learning initiatives.
- Common Application Form
- Download Application Form
Certification
Candidates successfully completing the prescribed programme and assessment requirements are awarded the:
TRUSTED CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL
Customer-Centric Retail & Shopping Centre Management
TRUSTED CERTIFIED AUDITOR PROGRAMME
Retail & Shopping Centre Certification Auditing
A specialised programme for Certification Body auditors and technical personnel, as well as suitably experienced professionals seeking to develop competence in the assessment and auditing of customer-centric Retail and Shopping Centre Standards.
The programme provides structured understanding of the IRF Trusted Mark Certification Scheme, applicable Retail and Shopping Centre Standards and the methodologies used for their assessment.
What the Auditor Programme Covers
The programme includes:
- IRF Trusted Mark Scheme and Standards
- Auditor competence and responsibilities
- Understanding Retail and Shopping Centre operations
- Audit planning
- Document and objective-evidence review
- Audit sampling
- Scoring and weightages
- Treatment of Not Applicable (NA) requirements
- Mystery Audit inputs
- On-site Certification Audits
- Remote/e-Audits
- Hybrid Audits
- Identification and recording of audit findings
- Nonconformities and corrective actions
- Audit reporting and recommendations
- Impartiality and confidentiality
- Practical audit exercises and case studies
The programme will particularly emphasise practical audit judgement through situations and case studies rather than relying only on theoretical questions.
Eligibility
Certification Body auditors/technical personnel and professionals meeting the prescribed education, professional experience, sector knowledge and/or auditing competence requirements may apply.
Applications will be reviewed by the IRF Trusted Mark Secretariat before admission.
Successful completion of the programme demonstrates completion of the prescribed TRUSTED Scheme-specific learning and assessment. Qualification, empanelment and authorisation of an individual to undertake certification audits remain the responsibility of the concerned Certification Body in accordance with applicable Scheme requirements and the CB’s competence evaluation and governance processes.
Programme Fee
The programme fee applicable to the above programmes/modules is:
- ₹25,000 + GST @ 18% per participant
IRF Privilege Members / Registered Certification Bodies:
- ₹10,000 + GST @ 18% per participant
Corporate, academic and institutional groups may contact the IRF Trusted Mark Secretariat for programme scheduling and delivery arrangements.
Following receipt of the completed Application Form and programme fee, the application will be reviewed by the Secretariat. Upon approval, the prescribed course material/e-Handbook and preparation guidelines will be shared with the candidate and available options for examination dates will be communicated.
A Programme with an Established Track Record
TRUSTED Professional Development Programmes have been conducted since 2016, bringing together professionals from Retail, Certification Bodies and related sectors.
Participants in earlier programmes have represented organisations across Retail, Fashion & Lifestyle, Shopping Centres, Certification, Audit, Customer Service, Operations and other professional functions.
- View Past TRUSTED Programmes
- View TRUSTED Certified Professionals
Apply for a TRUSTED Programme
Choose the programme/module appropriate to your experience and professional requirements:
TRUSTED Certified Professional
- Download Module I Application – 15+ Years Experience
- Download Module II Application – 5+ Years Experience
- Download Module III Application – Academic & Executive
TRUSTED Certified Auditor
Completed applications together with the prescribed documents and payment details may be submitted to the IRF Trusted Mark Secretariat.
Enquiries & Submissions
Priti Gupta, Sr. Manager
IRF Trusted Mark Secretariat
S-61A, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi – 110020, India
Tel: +91 11 40525000, Ext. 207
Mobile: +91 88264 15472
Email: pritigupta@irftrustedmark.org
Website: www.irftrustedmark.org
