1. Customer Service in Financial Aid
Presenters: Joshua Bordis, Assistant Director, UNH
Jessika Mantenuto, Assistant Director, UNH

2. Agenda What is Customer Service? Why is Customer Service Important?
Principles of Customer Service
How to Create a Plan
Next Steps
Why does customer service matter?

3. What is Customer Service?
Customer service is an interaction that takes place between a customer and your financial aid office.
This interaction can be in person, on the phone, through , or with written material (website).
This interaction defines the customer’s experience whether good or bad.
The perception of your level of customer service is reality
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4. What is Customer Service?
Remember:
You are a direct representative of the university.
Customer service isn’t about keeping score.
Winning the conversation v. helping the student
If providing great customer service were easy, everyone would do it!
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5. Why is Customer Service Important?
For Businesses:
Customer retention (Save $$$): cost 6 to 10 times more to lure a new customer than to retain an existing one
Free advertising (word of mouth): “referrals” or recommendations can persuade about 60% of consumers to try a new company if they believe they may receive better service
Reduces employee turnover/increases employee satisfaction: creates a positive feedback loop (happy employees provide good service which makes happy customers which make it more pleasant for employees and easier to provide good customer service)
Research data to support claims

6. Why is Customer Service Important?
For Colleges:
Student retention (save $$$): cost more to recruit a new student than to retain an existing one
Free advertising (word of mouth): “referrals” or recommendations can add value for students and (especially) parents to your college’s “brand”
Reduces employee turnover/increases employee satisfaction: creates a positive feedback loop (happy employees provide good service which makes happy students which make it more pleasant for employees and easier to provide good service)
Research data to support claims

7. Why is Customer Service Important?
For Everyone:
IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
Research data to support claims

8. 7 Principles of Customer Service
Greet all customers and respond promptly to inquiries
Listen and care
Be professional, positive, and service oriented
Provide accurate and complete information
Take ownership and follow through
Empower the customer to be self sufficient whenever possible
Ask to close the conversation

9. Principles of Customer Service
1) Greet all customers and respond promptly to inquiries
10/5 rule
Smile at all customers within 10 feet; Verbally acknowledge them within 5 feet
Customer should never be the first person to speak
Answer all s within 24 hours (48 hours during busy periods)
Start all s with “dear” and close with “sincerely”
Answer all phone calls within 3 rings
We live in a civilized society where greetings and acknowledging people are important!

10. Principles of Customer Service
2) Listen and care
Active listening
Don’t interrupt
Focus on helping the customer not on controlling the conversation
Listen first; help second
CARE!
Pretend to care

11. Principles of Customer Service
3) Be professional, positive, and service oriented
Smile (even when on the phone)
Magic words
“Please hang on one second”
“Thank you for waiting”
No cold transfers
Be positive!
Fake it till you make it
Leave your baggage at the door

12. Principles of Customer Service
4) Provide accurate and complete information
Don’t guess
Take down a phone number and call the person back
Anticipate questions that aren’t being asked
“But I was here and nobody told me that”
Summarize the conversation at the end and provide next action steps in an easy to remember format

13. Principles of Customer Service
5) Take ownership and follow through
Don’t bounce someone around from office to office
1 transfer rule
See the problem through all the way to the end
Manage expectations and meet those expectations
If you say something will take 3 days, do it in 3 days. If it will take 5 days, don’t say it will take 3 days.
YOU ARE THE COLLEGE!

14. Principles of Customer Service
6) Empower the customer to be self sufficient whenever possible
Educate your customers
Audit your website
Reviewing marketing material and pamphlets in your lobby or being handed out at events
Audit your portal
THEN USE IT!

15. Principles of Customer Service
7) Ask to close the conversation
Ask if everything is resolved
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Does that make sense?”
One customer at a time
End the transaction on a positive note
Customer satisfaction surveys

16. How to Create a Plan Acknowledge the following truths:
Customer service isn’t a grassroots bottom up movement
Providing great service requires institutional dedication
Great service requires an ongoing commitment
Changing the level of service you provide requires a culture change

17. How to Create a Plan Assess your current level of service
Create customer satisfaction surveys
Review areas needing improvement
Experience the service you are providing from your customers point of view
File a FAFSA
Attempt entrance/exit counseling
Access your student portal(s)

18. How to Create a Plan
Define your standards using the 7 Principles of Customer Service
Use specific feedback from customers
Use input from employees
Elementary School model
When staff partakes in the process of creating what they deem as reasonable standards, they are more likely to believe in and follow those standards

19. How to Create a Plan Train Everybody Existing staff
Customer service retreat
Weekly staff meetings
Incorporate into new employee training
Appoint a “Customer Service ambassador” to track and monitor service levels
Training isn’t about fixing everything overnight; it is about creating a foundation of understanding upon which good service habits can be built

20. How to Create a Plan Reward It!
Don’t punish bad customer service. Reward good customer service!
Thank your employees in public forums
Prizes for employees with the most positive customer reviews
Provide additional training opportunities for employees not embracing the culture change
Consider role changes for staff whose weakness is customer service

21. How to Create a Plan
Assess
Define
Reward
Train

22. Next Steps Directors/Associate Directors: Create a plan
Begin Implementation
Counselors/Assistant Directors
Take individual responsibility for providing great service
Pressure decision makers

23. QUESTIONS/CONVERSATION?