1. Research Administration With A Smile
How to Create A Customer Service Focused Office

2. Presenters
Cheryl Dison, Director of Research Development, Arkansas State University
Jenny Estes, Accountant, Sponsored Programs Accounting, Arkansas State University
Nikki Turner, Director, Sponsored Programs Accounting, Arkansas State University

3. Why is This important? Greater productivity for our faculty
Higher morale in the Research Administration Office
Less frustration for the institution as a whole

4. What is a Service focused office?

5. What does a Service Focused Office NOT Look Like?
Unresponsive
No understanding of other people’s perspectives
Assumes answers without getting all of the details
Demands action too early

6. What does a Service Focused Office Look Like?
Maintains a professional demeanor at all times
Verbally
Nonverbally
Maintains an open mind about faculty and staff’s questions and concerns

7. What does a Service Focused Office Look Like?
Encourages open and respectful dialogue between Research Administrators and the people you serve
Maintains an emphasis on compliance while respecting the unique situations of every project

8. Obstacles & opportunities

9. Problems to Overcome
Bad attitudes and misinformation about your department
Information silos within your department
Vague sponsor and institutional directives that are hard to interpret

10. Problems to Overcome
Difficult attitudes within the office towards service
Miscommunication
Disorganization that inhibits the office’s ability to obtain information

11. Solutions Maintain a customer service focus from the top down
Remember that co-workers are customers, too!
Become an advocate for your department – let others know when a team member has done something outstanding

12. Solutions Create as organized environment as possible
Identify bottlenecks and work on process improvements to alleviate them
Never let “We’ve always done it that way” be a reason for continuing a process

13. SOLUTIONS
Cross-train staff so that small questions or problems can be solved even when someone is out
Learn when to pick your battles –
compliance vs. preference
Remember that many people like to understand the “why” behind the answer

14. Solutions E-mail rules Don’t assume people can read your tone
Edit, edit, edit!
Have a second person read your
Use as specific language as possible – limit acronyms and technical jargon

15. Customer service focus is a continual journey, not a destination!

16. Thank you for your time! Questions? Please e-mail us at