As an auditor, I have a hard time maintaining my composure when individuals tell me they’re unhappy with their registrar and yet have taken no action to address the matter. If clients are dissatisfied with the conduct of an auditor or service they’re getting from their certification body, it reflects badly on the auditing profession and on the integrity of the entire certification community—it makes me and my colleagues look bad.We can’t really fault the clients. Information about registrars, accreditation bodies or appeals processes is still not filtering down to the end-user in the marketplace. All that we ever hear about is one bad experience, the one that reinforces the unfounded conviction that this ISO standard stuff is just a paper shuffle and really doesn’t amount to anything. Unfortunately, just as in the media, bad news travels fast and makes the most lasting impression.

It’s time to push back and remind people about the benefits of good auditing and to enlighten the market about the options available for addressing those infrequent bad experiences.

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