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FROM CUSTOMERS TO GUESTS: Transforming Customer Service Approach in Higher Education
ENROLLMENT SERVICES @ THE WELCOME CENTER
AVERAGE COUNSELING VISITS PER YEAR
Financial Aid 41,000
Registrar 37,600
Business Service 19,500
Admissions 15,600
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CUSTOMER AND GUEST?
Guests are welcome visitors whom you host and provide an experience for.
Customers are statistics or have a transactional exchange, usually short term
TOP REASONS WHY STUDENTS LEAVE COLLEGE
PRESENTATION AGENDA
Creating a culture of service
Difficult Service experiences
Service Competencies and Consistency
Accounting for Diversity
Best practices and recommendations
CREATING A CULTURE OF SERVICE
1. External Customers• Parents• Students• Potential Students• High School• Media
2. Internal Customers• Faculty• Staff• Student Workers• Board members
A culture of service depends on policies, incentives and systems to support and sustain corporate community engagement efforts.
What does your leadership reward, permit or promote in terms of attention and support?
Our guests are more than students
CREATING A CULTURE OF SERVICE Don’t just point out the poor service or oversights.
Unless your training program shows concrete examples of good service, it won’t be effective.
Ask colleagues to nominate each other OR make the recognition data based. Use survey feedback as display around the office.
Secret shopping without the costs.
Leadership - chip in and help out at the front counter! Lead by example.
Rewards don’t always have to be money!
Barriers to Communication
Distractions
Cross cultural differences
Jargon/Acronym
Assumption/Poor Listening
Lack of interest
Attitude
ASSISTING WITH CHALLENGING GUESTSTYPE OF STUDENT STRATEGIES
Hostile or Aggressive Give them time to wind down and run out of steam… avoid a direct confrontation.
Take a deep breath and calm yourself.
The Know-it- All Expert: Help them consider alternative views while avoiding direct challenges to their expertise.
Do your homework, prepare well, discuss facts, in an orderly manner, and make sure that your information is accurate and complete.
Delivering “No” and Other Bad News
Phrases before saying… No; No we can’t.a.“Let me see what we can do”b.“Here’s other options to help you with that (…Solution…)”
Delivering methods.a.Provide a solution or options right after you explain the problem in the situation.b.Find a positive alternative.c.Be assertive, while showing politeness.
THE CONVERSATION CYCLE
ConversationCycle
Inform
Invite
Listen
Acknowledge
“We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say”
Inform: Provide information/explanation so that the other person knows what you are doing or planning to do.
“Good morning/afternoon/evening, Thanks for calling the University of Houston, Jane speaking.”
Invite: Invite the other person into the conversation or encourage them to make a response.
“How may I help you today?”
Listen: Stop all talking, actively listen to the customer.
Stop talking; don’t interrupt
Acknowledge: Verbally by saying “Verbally acknowledge what
they are saying by using: I appreciate; I understand; ok; I see, etc.”
FACE TO FACE COMMUNICATION EQUATION
PHONE COMMUNICATION EQUATION
Scripting, Do You Use it?
PROS AND CONS OF SCRIPTING
Pros Ensures quality and
consistency Increases the efficiency Provides clear communication Decreases liability Builds brand awareness Promotes new service offer
Cons Employees can sound like
robots Apologies are not perceived to
be sincere, they are instead seen fake
“Bad actors reading bad scripts”
SCRIPTING AT UH CENTRALDuring software outages or call campaigns
Scripts are developed so that all staff are able to provide consistent answers during uncertain times or to explain an error that may have occurred with the account.
Make sure the script :-Greeting and closing, using student name-Identifies staff and department-Explains process to student, apologizes if necessary-Discusses options, timelines and guidance-Discusses protection for the student, if needed (from disenrollment)-Provides personalized method of follow up (email directly at [email protected])-Explain that they will also receive courtesy email
When creating scripts for call campaigns, be conscious of what can escalate the situation and have solutions and reassurance built into the script preemptively.
SCRIPTING AT UH CENTRALScripting is used to answer SFA emails and chats
based on frequently asked topics:FERPAInternational Student AidBilling & Self Service guidesEnrollment ChangesDisbursement
Scripting is used during Call Center training for all ES staff-Greeting and closing, using student name-Confirming ID, offering staff name-Explaining process to student-Asking permission to transfer and providing contact info-Using customer’s name to thank them-Provide future guidance and close with courtesy
ENROLLMENT SERVICES DAILY REPORT
ENROLLMENT SERVICES DAILY REPORT
ENROLLMENT SERVICES DAILY REPORT
ACCOUNTING FOR DIVERSITYWe have the most diverse student body, but how much do we know about our guests?
- Gender identity and filling out FAFSA application (SSR)
- Pronouncing student names correctly (Nguyen, Ngozi, etc.)
- Understanding undocumented students, families, and barriers
- Student behavior at the counter may have cultural roots
- Student may be experiencing adjustments in their mental health counseling treatment
- Neighborhood the campus is based in
BEST PRACTICE: ONE STOP SHOPDO A 60 SECOND SERVICESCAPE AUDIT OF YOUR AREA:How do you want customers to feel when in the space? Greetings, traffic flow, signage, lighting, employee appearance, privacy?
PROS Student centered, not service centered Mirrors MyUH self-service Reduces Bounce between buildings Enrollment Services and Bursar office in one building Easier collaboration Reinforces school spirit and branding
FACTORS TO CONSIDER: Needs consistent cross training year round Student counseling privacy concerns Financial costs for set up Inadequate physical space to expand
CURRENT PRACTICES AND FUTURE SUGGESTIONSCurrent Suggestions
CONSISTENCY• Enrollment Services Daily Report• Enrollment Services All-Staff meeting• Call Center training for all staff• Scripting for emails and call campaigns
• Cross training within ES via shadowing• Front line managers meeting frequently• Reviewing historic policy and workflow• Policy standards test
DIVERSITY• We use preferred names for rosters • Diversity training required for performance
evaluations• Collaborate with other offices to review policy
CULTURE OF SERVICE• Spotlight good service• Branding of Customer Service Standard
• Secret Shoppers• Upper management and leadership assist with
students during Peak • Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Survey• Create management for accountability• Create a department wide on-boarding process
UTILIZING PEOPLESOFT• PeopleSoft Comments
