Services Standards: Defining the Core Consumer Elements ... - ANEC

Hans-W. Micklitz
d) Impact on standardisation of services
The survey makes clear that although the standardisation of services is gaining
pace, not much has happened yet in the field of consumer services. For the
purpose of this study this finding is advantageous and disadvantageous.
Advantageous insofar as the core elements might be helpful for the future
ongoing work, disadvantageous in that there is little material which could serve
as a basis for defining “best practice”.
Chapter IV: Identification of best practice and core consumer elements
In order to give shape to “best practice”, the study will draw together the existing
theoretical, legal and practical debate. These well serve to then define the core
consumer elements.
I. Best practice – what does it mean?
For some years “best practice” has appeared in EC directives, such as in
Directive 2004/39/EC on financial instruments and now in the Service Directive.
It governs more and more the overall policy rhetoric of the European
Commission, also with regard to product safety. The recent study on product
safety of amusement parks is entirely based on the idea to identify “best
practice”. For the purpose of this study, it is necessary to look behind the
curtain, in order to better understand what is or what could be meant.
1. “Best practice” as a business concept
Best practice has nothing to do with standardisation or lawmaking. It is a
business concept as old as industrialisation. In Wikipedia we can find the
following definition 290 :
Best Practice is a management idea which asserts that there is a technique,
method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a
specific outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. The idea is that
with proper processes, checks, and testing, a project can be rolled out and
completed with fewer problems and unforeseen complications …
The notion of “best practice” does not commit people or companies to one
inflexible, unchanging practice. Instead, Best practice is a philosophical approach
based around continuous learning and continual improvement.
Whilst the reference to the so-called “Taylorismus” may appear frightening, the
overall direction of ‘best practice’ comes clear. As a business concept it looks
for more and increased efficiency in analysing the internal processes, thereby
290 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_practice.
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