Standards
How We Measure
Trusted Firms Global certification is based on Net Promoter Score (NPS) — a globally recognised measure of client loyalty and satisfaction.
The core question
“How likely are you to recommend [Firm Name]?”
0 to 10 scale
Promoters (9–10)
Loyal advocates — likely to refer and stay.
Passives (7–8)
Satisfied but not enthusiastic. Vulnerable to competitors.
Detractors (0–6)
At risk. May generate negative word-of-mouth.
NPS = % Promoters minus % Detractors — range is -100 to +100. Professional services firms typically achieve 40–70. Gold-certified firms consistently achieve 80+.
Why NPS?
Simple, universally understood by clients
Predictive of client retention and referral behaviour
Enables meaningful benchmarking across firms and industries
Already the industry standard in professional services client measurement
Additional experience drivers assessed
Beyond the NPS question, clients rate their experience across a set of service quality dimensions aligned to the six Trusted Firms Global standards: Responsiveness & Reliability, Clarity & Communication, Expertise & Proactive Value, Relationship & Trust-Building, Service Accountability & Follow-Through, and Staff Recognition & Celebration of Excellence. Driver questions are adapted for industry context. The specific measurement framework is proprietary to Client Culture.
All-in methodology
Trusted Firms Global requires an “all-in” approach to client measurement. Every invoiced client in the survey period is contacted — firms cannot select which clients receive the service quality review.
Standard tier
All-in commitment is self-attested and monitored by algorithmic detection — client list patterns, response rates, and score distributions are all checked.
Verified & Gold tiers
Client Culture validates the client list against invoicing records. The firm cannot select which clients are contacted — every invoiced client is included.
Independence
Service quality reviews are conducted by Client Culture on behalf of certified firms. The firm does not see individual client responses until after the assessment period closes. Results are benchmarked against industry peers — not self-selected comparators.
Trusted Firms Global certification is administered by TFG Certification Pty Ltd, a separate legal entity from Client Culture Pty Ltd, which conducts the quality reviews. This structural separation reinforces the independence of the certification decision from the measurement process.
Verification levels
Algorithmic monitoring of client list patterns, response rates, and score distributions.
Manual audit of client list against invoicing records, methodology interview, year-over-year comparison.
All Verified checks plus quarterly measurement review, detractor follow-up evidence review, billing integration confirmation.
Appeals
Firms that disagree with a certification decision may request a review by contacting standards@trustedfirms.global.