customer service in higher education - calem 2017
TRANSCRIPT
• 28yearsinEnrollment/StudentServices• EmployedbyColumbiaUniversity,TheUniversityofChicago,NorthwesternUniversity,WheatonCollege(IL)
• Developedandgrewenrollment/retentionateachinstitutionserved
• Authorof“RoadMapforGraduateStudy:AGuideforProspectiveGraduateStudents”
• AuthorofInternationalStudentSupplementto“RoadMap”
“Anorganizationmayspreaditselfoverthewholeworld– mayemploythousandsofmenandwomen...yettheaveragepersonwillformher/hisjudgmentoftheorganizationthroughher/hiscontactwithoneindividual. Ifthispersonisrudeorinefficient,itwill
requirealotofcourtesyandefficiencytoovercomethebadimpression.Everymemberofanorganization,who
inanywaycomesincontactwiththepublic,isasalesperson...Theimpressionhe/shemakesisan
advertisement,goodorbad.”
PhoneDirectory
Of132 full-timeemployees:– 76 (57%)areinoneofthreegroups:1) donothaveanextensionnumber2) haveanextensionnumberthatisinvalid3) donothaveapersonalizedmessage
– 31 donothavethemostappealingpersonalizedmessage
– 19 haveagoodpersonalizedmessage– 6haveanoutstandingpersonalizedmessage
FromAcademicImpressions(AI)Report,“ImprovingCustomerServiceinHigherEducation”
(September2014)
• InNovember2012,AcademicImpressionssurveyedprofessionalsfrom79institutionsofhighereducation,askingthemtogradetheirinstitution’slevelofcustomerservice.
• 29respondentsratedtheirinstitutionwitha“B”lettergradeforlevelofserviceoffered,and31wouldassigna“C” grade(togetheraccountingforthree-quartersofthetotalresponses).Onlysixwouldassignan“A.”
NealRaisman:“EmbracingtheOxymoron–CustomerServiceinHigherEducation(2002)
• Thereisadirectcorrelationbetweengoodcustomerserviceandenrollmentsuccess.Simplyput,institutionsthatarestudent- centeredandtreatstudentsaswelcomedandrespectedcustomers,whilemakingsuretheygetagreateducation,willhaveenrollmentandretentionsuccess.
• Customerserviceissimplyfulfillingtherealexpectationsofstudents– “expectations.” Notwants.Notdesires,but“expectations.”
“TheDifferenceReallyisCustomerService!”ByAlanC.Brawn,BrawnConsulting
(January4,2016)• Ultimatelyyouwillbejudgedbywhatyoudo,notwhatyousay.Customerserviceisaboutsatisfiedcustomerswhonotonlycomebacktodobusinesswithyou,butoftengoforthand“preachthegospel”ofhowgoodyouaretoworkwith.Thebestandmosteffectiveadvertisingiswordofmouth.
• Toreally“do” customerserviceright,youhavetobuildacustomerservicecultureinsidetheorganization.Itallstartswiththemission,withaclearvisionthatisembracedfromthetopdownandalso,asimportantlyfromthebottomup.
--Onedaycampuswidetrainingworkshop
--Foradministration,facultyandstaff
--Includesapre-workshopsurvey/research