Responding to Student Inquiries: Tools and TechniquesMichele Brown Victor JaneyElizabeth MeekinEstrella RicciSession 21

Federal Student Aid Information Center: Mission and ServicesProvides timely, accurate information and services:Federal Student Aid - general and individual informationAssistance with:Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)Personal Identification Number (PIN)Student Aid Report (SAR)Student loan historyPublication requestsContact information for: National Student Loan Data System web site, Direct Loan centers, guaranty and state agencies, etc.

Federal Student Aid Information Center Locations and Customer Service HoursMonday Friday8 am 12 midnightSaturday9 am 6 pm Extended Weekend Hours Based on need and time of year

Coralville, IA

Lawrence, KSPhoenix, AZ

How We Serve Students NeedsInteractive Voice Response Unit24/7 IVRU servicesAgent Assisted Services- Phone calls to 1-800-4-FED-AID Responded to 5,394,706 customer calls through 8/2006- E-mail for FAFSA on the WEBResponded to 441,678 e-mails through 08/2006- Online Live Help for FAFSA on the WEB and PIN sitesCompleted over 89,765 CHAT interactions through 08/2006 - Respond to 8 MILLION inquiries yearly450 Customer Service RepresentativesEnglish and Spanish Services

When Customers Call . . .Our Customer Service Representatives (CSR):Greet callers and assess their needsRequest identifiers to comply with the Privacy ActUse resources to answer callers questionsMay refer callers to the correct entityEnter type of call and leave customer service recordEnd the calls with the appropriate closing

Training Overview Broad range of people to train - build skills and confidence:Experience with Federal Student AidSome prior exposure, e.g. students, parentsNovice level, no prior exposureComputer skills and experience levels vary Customer service skills and people orientation varyReferencing and sourcing skills may be newBroad Federal Student Aid content a challenge Case Study: Lawrence siteNovember 2005 August 2006: 10 classesHow many people trained: 296

Purpose of TrainingLinks actual calls to the training curriculum, with assessment and ongoing feedback at regular intervalsTraining design to prepare staff for actual call experiences beyond the classroom incubatorIntegrates actual call experiences with navigating the reference tools, databases, web sites, etc.Generates confidence in new skills and abilities

Training the TrainersUse of Core TrainersClassroom Team: Two trainers for each classDiversity of skill areasCross-trained in skills to support the teamMust be able to multi-taskKnowledgeable of how people learn

Training MethodsOur Customer Service Representatives Receive:Initial employee skills assessmentInitial employee trainingRefresher trainingAnnual update trainingAnnual in-service trainingSupervisor trainingOngoing call monitoring and coachingTwenty annual Federal Student Aid Handbook weekly refresher quizzesAd Hoc training for new programs (e.g. HERA ACG)

Training PreparationPeople preparationSkills identificationRecruitmentContent preparationTraining materials based on current Federal Student Aid informationListen to:CustomersFinancial Aid CommunityOur employeesAnnual training refresh

Behavioral Goals

Customer Service AttributeExamplesPhone and people skillsToneGrammar AttitudeAdherence to required proceduresStandard greetingPrivacy ActStandard responsesProblem solving skills and knowledgeProbing questionsClear resolutionsAppropriate optionsGeneral call expectationsSchool year verificationReview application PIN status checkEnter call record

Training Program: OverviewPre-training AssessmentPart I: Content BuildingPart II: Technical Skill BuildingPart III: Enrichment: Training Never Ends

Note: Part I and Part II: In-classroom training

Pre-Training AssessmentCompleted by all trainees on first day of trainingAssesses individual strengths and learning opportunitiesProvides trainers an assessment of the level of experience for the whole training classServes as a guidepost for trainers to identify which critical training topics to focus on

Part I: Content BuildingOrientation to content: referencing Department of Education content resources Presented chronologically to match the Federal Student Aid processModular units for comprehension and flexibilityDaily quizzes with follow-up next morningMonitoring/coaching with CSR on live callsEscalated skill tasking

Training ToolsSpecific tools in the FSAIC TrainingReference materialsHelp textKnowledge systemRecorded callsStandard responses

Content BuildingApplicant FAFSA form School FAA Day 1-3: Paper FAFSA Renewal FAFSA FOTW COTW ROTW PIN EDEDay 4: Eligibility Gen Eligibility EFC SAR-ISIR Pell ACG SMARTDay 5: Award Package State Aid Campus-Based Aid Verification Institutional Eligibility Title IV Foreign Schools CPS ApplicantCPSSchoolDynamic Triangle:

Part II: Technical Skill BuildingOrientation to systems: screens, phones, websites, databases, FAFSA on the WebNavigationTroubleshootingDiagnosingDaily quizzes with follow-up next morningExtended monitoring/coaching time

Part III: Training never endsBridging the Grand Canyon of forgetfulness with ongoing reviewsSuper-Queue immediate on-call support from a more experienced agentKnowledge base updatesGroup meetings: current or hot topicsEmails with updated informationWeekly call monitoring and calibration feedbackCyclical in nature: new information annually

AssessmentsPre-testing: Federal Student Aid and computer experiencePost-testing: content (general, screens), technicalDaily quiz with next-day follow-upError analysisDaily live and recorded calls, coaching feedbackSupervisor monitoringLive and recorded (automated call recording system)Sit-by and remotePeer monitoringTarget groups: specialized training needs

Commitment to Quality: Call MonitoringPeer monitoring (regular on-going)Weekly joint monitoring sessions with staff, management, Federal Student Aid One percent on inbound FSAIC calls each monthSupervisor monitoring calibration monthly between contact centers ensures consistency

Supervisor CalibrationFacilitated evaluation of calls among supervisorsResults tracked for all supervisors and reviewed in the team calibrationBenefits: Supervisors share knowledge and techniquesConsistent evaluation criteria throughout the enterpriseCalibration categories:Did the CSR follow required procedures and call expectations?Did the CSR use desired customer service skills and problem solving skills?

FAFSA: Paper and Online (FOTW):Mini Module[Recorded Call Tied to Module]Review both paper and online FAFSAFile a FAFSA for practical experienceReview differences in question order between paper and online versionsEncourage online submission (to improve accuracy due to skip-logic, logic checking, security and speed of turn-around response)

Expected Family Contribution Mini Module[Recorded Call Tied to Module]Explain the Expected Family ContributionEach CSR does a practice calculation to understand the processClarity of eligibility Process of applying and being notifiedExplain the role of the school:Award amountAward distributionDecisions concerning individual situationsStandard response

Academic Competitiveness Grant Mini Module[Recorded Call Tied to Module]Module construction allows for seamless integration of new Higher Education Reconciliation Act content into each training sessionACG Script for consistency of response

Professional Judgment Mini Module[Recorded Call Tied to Module]Expressions of referral:Thats something you may wish to speak with your FAA about.Role clarity: We do not make decisions concerning eligibility.Were here to help you fill out the FAFSA, make corrections on your SAR, etc.

Thanks for the Opportunity to ShareWe appreciate your feedback and comments. We can be reached at:

Michele BrownMichele.Brown@ed.govVictor JaneyVictor.Janey@pearson.com