Consumer Council added a grading standard to its assessment system for 'Certified Shops', 1190 'Adherents' had been awarded the 2012 'Certified Shop' emblem and 9 'Certified Shops' were graded 'Class A'. To ensure the goodwill and service quality of 'Certified Shops', Consumer Council has been making assessment on its 'Certified Shops' by conducting analysis and on-the-spot evaluation since the establishment of the 'Certified Shops' mechanism in 2001, qualified 'Adherents' and 'Certified Shops' are awarded the annual emblem. This action not only monitors the operation of 'Certified Shops' but also encourages improvement made by 'Certified Shops'. For years, the 'Certified Shop' emblem has become one of the local brands of assurance and quality. As Macao is now set as a world centre of tourism and leisure, services provided by local retail industry should align with international standards, Consumer Council therefore bettered its evaluation system for assessing 'Certified Shops' by adding class grading in addition to the current score grading. 'Certified Shops' were evaluated based on almost 30 criteria such as their records of complaint cases, hygienic conditions of shops, service quality provided by staff, sales policy and procedures, as well as their abidance to their 'Code of Practice', etc. 1190 qualified shops were then classified into 5 classes, the highest being 'Class A'. 9 'Certified Shops' with score over 95 were awarded as 'Class A Certified Shop' for the first time. Consumer Council indicated that 1241 'Adherents' or 'Certified Shops' were assessed in 2011, 51 shops (around 4 percent) did not pass the assessment mainly due to unqualified sales policy or numbers of complaint cases filed against them. The Council indicated that selling prices are often stated unclearly at shops where payments are accepted in currencies other than Patacas (MOP), especially when exchange rates of other currencies to Patacas are not displayed; 'Certifies Shops' would be asked to rectify this situation. 9 'Class A Certified Shops' were awarded at the launching ceremony of the new 'Certified Shop' emblem held on 28th December. Consumer Council hoped that all of its 'Certified Shops' would continue to improve and better local retail industry's services. Further, a new design for the 'Certified Shop' emblem was released at the event held on 28th. The above article can be downloaded at http://www.consumer.gov.mo/c/ccnews.asp
