Tom Rebstock Sr. Corporate Trainer Best Practices in Customer Service

Is Customer Service Important? The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer. Peter Drucker 68% of lost customers go elsewhere because the people they deal with are indifferent to their needs. How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life

Do customer service principles from the business world apply to higher education? Customer Service in Higher Education: Embrace the Oxymoron by Neal Raisman, Ph.D. 72% of students who leave a college do so for customer service reasons.

Agenda Identify your Customers Define Customer Service in General Customer Service in Business Customer Service in Higher Education Principles of Customer Service in Financial Aid Best Practices for each Principle Final Reflections

Identify Your Customers INTERNAL Co-workers Other departments Management Administration Faculty EXTERNAL Students Parents Employers Govt. agencies Community

Define Customer Service BEST Easy, convenient Smile, friendly Fast, efficient Knowledgeable WORST Had to wait, hassle Bad attitude Rude, condescending Poor product

What the Business Experts Say KNOW your customers FOCUS your business on customers LISTEN to your customers Use proper ETIQUETTE RESOLVE issues promptly Build long-term RELATIONSHIPS DELIVER what you promise

Principles of Customer Service in Higher Education Neal Raisman, Ph.D. 1.Students should be given courteous… attention… and valued as people. 2.Students should come before [other] goals. 3.The processes…of higher education should be…student-focused. 4.Be honest in all communications. 5.Students [are not] an inconvenience. 6.There must be a…match between the product and the customer.

Principles of Customer Service in Higher Education 7.Just because it was someone else…does not relieve you of doing what is right. 8.Students deserve an environment that is neat, bright, welcoming and safe 9.Students are not really customers 10.The customer is not always right 11.Satisfaction is not the gauge of successful customer service in a college 12.Do not cheapen the product in the name of customer service (no pandering). 13.To every problem there is more than one solution… LRP Publications 2002

Keys to Customer Service in Financial Aid 1. Deliver accurate, complete information 2. Know all policies and regulationsthe whole process 3. Listen actively and empathize with genuine concern 4. Respond to questions and process information promptly 5. Follow through on issues 6. Offer accessible and flexible services 7. Go above and beyond as an advocate for each student 8. Maintain a positive, service-oriented attitude 9. Personalize service based on each customers needs 10. Teamwork: Serve with a unified voice Collaborate with other departments

Exercise: Identify Your Best Practices In your small group: Pick one of the Top 10 principles Brainstorm a list of Best Practices to implement that principle Share your list with the whole class

Principle: Best Practices:

Customer Service is Good Business Customer service promotes student recruitment & retention. Customer service helps organizations grow. Customer service helps increase market share.

Celebrate Whats Right in New Mexico Total enrollment in higher education: K K K K

Celebrate Whats Right in New Mexico % of Population >25 with a BA % % %

Celebrate Whats Right in New Mexico Cohort Default Rate: % % You are making a difference !

Reflection Do I keep my customers in mind in every aspect of my job? What can I do to provide greater customer service in my office?

Become a Customer Service Leader Colleges that are student-centered and treat students as welcomed and respected customers, while making sure they get a great education, will have enrollment and retention success. Neal Raisman, Ph.D.

Tom Rebstock Senior Corporate Trainer Thank you, and remember -- you ARE helping make educational dreams come true!