Mr. H, the management representative of Company M (refer to "Changes of certification bodies" of Jan. 2w 2003 news), visited three foreign affiliated certification bodies one by one, seeking a new better body to change the present bad body on the occasion of transition to the 2000 version.
The results of his visits are as follows.

1. Body T
The company has made a single quality manual for ISO9001: 2000 and Mr. H could bring the manual to show to the body.
A member of the body met him. Checking the manual, he said that there were no sentences written about a) to d) of 7.2.1 and a) to c) of 5.6. Then Mr. H explained those requirements are not required as "documented procedures" in ISO9001: 2000. But the assessor insisted on writing as the Standard describes.
Then Mr. H retreated and decided not to select the body.

2. Body S
A sales man of the body met Mr. H. No problem about the single manual, but he pressed Mr. H to buy " plant survey program" before formal assessments. The program is a kind of consulting package. The selection of the package should be up to clients. So Mr. H rejected the proposal, but the sales man persistently sold the program. Finally Mr. H didn't select the body, as he could not anticipate objective and impartial assessments by the body.

3. Body B
The sales manager of the body met Mr. H. The manager said a single manual was no problem and the transition cost was rational.

4. Body L
After visiting Body B, he visited Body L. To his surprise, a sales man of the body said seeing the manual there were no same sentences of a) to d) of 7.2.1 clause, coincidently the same comments mentioned by Body T. So Mr. H argued against his comments as ISO9001: 2000 requires no "documented procedures" for the activities. It is up to an organization's decision. Then the sales man said most of assessors in his body had same thought as his. Mr. H had not good impression for the body.
At that point, Mr. H reported to me about his visits. I informed him that among my clients, four companies got certifications by the body L with several assessors and all of them had not required for writing such sentences in quality manuals as the sales man mentioned. The sales man told a lie.

Mr. H finally selected body B. His journey disclosed some certification bodies still do not have right understanding for ISO9001: 2000.