COLLEGE of EDUCATION

Maintaining Good Customer Service and Meeting Compliance Retreat/Training Support Staff April 16, 2010

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Discussion Topics:

• Who are our clients?• Roles and responsibilities – faculty and staff• Obligations and challenges – faculty and staff• How we all contribute• Good customer service model• How to serve better• Compliance• Difficult clients and circumstances• Unusual requests

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Identifying people we serve

Who are our clients?1. Faculty2. Administrators 3. Students

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Roles and Responsibilities

Faculty– Teach – Advise and Mentor– Research / Publish– Service

• Academic (committees, governance, professional organizations, advisory councils)

• Community (local schools, local groups and organizations)

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Support staff

– Assist department heads/directors with management responsibilities– Assist faculty with research or teaching needs– Ensure compliance is met to maintain a “risk” safe environment– Monitor and balance budgets– Alert department heads of potential problems– Purchase materials– Pay for goods and services– HR functions (payroll, hiring and other issues)– Meetings and training to stay up to date with changes– Other duties as assigned…..

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• Obligations and Challenges

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Faculty

teaching Advising/mentoring

research

meetings publishing

Collaborating with peers

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Support staff

communicating & coordinating

Problem solving

managing budgets and grants

meetingsHelping others safeguarding

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We all contribute…..

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Faculty contributions

1. Institution’s academic and research prestige

2. External funding (grants, F&A, scholarships and endowments)

3. Through research faculty generate greater administrative support (more jobs)

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Supporting staff contributions

1. Problem solving support2. Manage day to day operation – keep things

moving forward3. Support faculty teaching activities4. Support managing grants. Good support allows

faculty to seek multiple sponsored research grants.

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Maintaining Good Customer Service and Meeting Compliance

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Good customer service model

A good model makes the customer feel:

• welcomed• we listen to their needs• they are respected and appreciated• their problems will be taken care of

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How can we serve best?

• Resourceful – knowing where to go, who to call – builds trust• Knowledgeable (policies and procedures) – builds trust• Attentive and understanding to their needs – builds trust• Committed to helping others achieve their goals – builds trust• Keeping internal processes effective but simple • Enjoying solving problems – empowers, sense of fulfillment• Exercising good judgment when making decisions or advising – builds trust • Building a relationship with faculty; get to know them and their projects – builds trust• Listening attentively and asking questions – builds trust• Visible and responsive – builds trust• Reasonable and flexible – builds trust• Providing solutions, not adding to the problem – builds trust

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Why compliance?Compliance policies help organizations:• Adhere to laws, rules and regulations to prevent unacceptable or illegal practices, which

in turn• Prevent or punish transgressions, which in turn• Ensure a safe risk environment

Laws, regulations and guidelines are:• very clear or common sense - embezzling funds, buying flowers from state funds,

cost sharing from a federal grant to another federal grant• interpretation/good judgment – supplies used in promoting recruitment from state funds

Bottom Line: Ethics and compliance -> less risk -> good reputation -> profitable

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Myths and misconceptions:

• Being a good person is good enough.• If my boss says something is ok, then it is ok• I am going to approve this purchase because most likely it will not be

caught in an audit.• Training is not necessary. I can always find the regs or guidelines on the

web.• We have invested time training faculty and staff. It should last a few

years.

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Balancing compliance responsibilities and faculty needs and demandsA true balancing act !• Committed to help faculty achieve their goals without jeopardizing compliance• Avoid thinking that faculty are trying to get away with something • Avoid holding initiatives and programs from moving forward because we are over

analyzing

Understand what the person is asking for and the purpose • Ask questions!• Identify a true need versus a “would be nice to have”• Examples of true need:

Essential for classroom instruction deliveryBenefits students learning Essential for data collection (may or may not be included in the

proposal)

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Know your rules and regs • Make a decision within a reasonable amount of time

Document everything• Keep back-up documentation and justifications with invoices for future

audit trails

When in doubt, contact BMCS• Financials – Lili and Scott• Human Resources – Natalie• Contracts and Grants – Stephanie and Josh

When having to say “It cannot be done”• Provide a good explanation, preferably with support documentation• Be firm but kind and understanding

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Resources:• Rules and regs, policies and procedures, guidelines on the web• Contacts:

– Contracts and Grants– Controller’s Office– Budget Office– BMCS

Transgressions:• Get the facts correct. Do not assume.• Report to Assistant Dean for Finance immediately.

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Dealing with unlike circumstances or unusual requests• Get the facts – understand what is needed and why• Do not assume anything – ask until satisfied• Research the matter – what do the spending guidelines say?• Do not ignore the matter – seek help • If grant related, is it in the proposal’s budget? • Consult with BMCS• When something cannot be done, explain why and do so in

a kind way. • If it cannot be done, do not yield to pressure even if the

pressure comes from your supervisor. Seek help !

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Dealing with difficult clients or circumstances

• Listen attentively and respectfully• Acknowledge the situation or problem• No matter what, do not lose your “cool”• Do not take it personally• Provide a solution as soon as possible• Follow up as soon as possible to ensure problem has been

resolved• Learn from the experience and implement changes if

necessary to avoid repeating

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You are not alone! BMCS will help.

Josh AgnerLili CollazoJeff Croteau

Stephanie JacksonNatalie WorthAnne Reese