Tom Rebstock Assistant Manager Corporate Learning and Development tom.rebstock@tgslc.org

1. Simply the Best: Customer Service in Financial Aid Tom RebstockAssistant Manager Corporate Learning and Developmenttom.rebstock@tgslc.org

2. Is Customer Service Important? “The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer.” Peter Drucker 68% of lost customers go elsewhere because the people they deal with are indifferent to their needs. How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life

3. Do customer service principles from the business world apply to higher education? Customer Service in Higher Education: Embrace the Oxymoron by Neal Raisman, Ph.D. 72% of students who leave a college do so for customer service reasons. www.academicmaps.blogspot.com

4. Agenda • Identify your Customers • Define Customer Service in General • Customer Service in Business • Customer Service in Higher Education • Principles of Customer Service in Financial Aid • Best Practices for each Principle • Final Reflections

5. Identify Your Customers • INTERNAL • Co-workers • Other departments • Management • Administration • Faculty • EXTERNAL • Students • Parents • Employers • Govt. agencies • Community

6. BEST Easy, convenient Smile, friendly Fast, efficient Knowledgeable WORST Had to wait, hassle Bad attitude Rude, condescending Poor product Define Customer Service

7. What the Business Experts Say • KNOW your customers • FOCUS your business on customers • LISTEN to your customers • Use proper ETIQUETTE • RESOLVE issues promptly • Build long-term RELATIONSHIPS • DELIVER what you promise

8. Principles of Customer Service in Higher EducationNeal Raisman, Ph.D. • Students should be given courteous… attention… and valued as people. • Students should come before [other] goals. • The processes…of higher education should be…student-focused. • Be honest in all communications. • Students [are not] an inconvenience. • There must be a…match between the product and the customer.

9. Principles of Customer Service in Higher Education • Just because it was someone else…does not relieve you of doing what is right. • Students deserve an environment that is neat, bright, welcoming and safe • Students are not really customers • The customer is not always right • Satisfaction is not the gauge of successful customer service in a college • Do not cheapen the product in the name of customer service (no pandering). • To every problem there is more than one solution… LRP Publications 2002

10. Customer Service in Financial Aid

11. Keys to Customer Service in Financial Aid • Deliver accurate, complete information • Know all policies and regulations—the whole process • Listen actively and empathize with genuine concern • Respond to questions and process information promptly • Follow through on issues • Offer accessible and flexible services • Go above and beyond as an advocate for each student • Maintain a positive, service-oriented attitude • Personalize service based on each customer’s needs • Teamwork: • Serve with a unified voice • Collaborate with other departments

12. Exercise: Identify Your Best Practices In your small group: • Pick one of the Top 10 principles • Brainstorm a list of Best Practices to implement that principle • Share your list with the whole class

13. Best Practices Already doing: Could do: • ● • ● • ● • ●

14. Customer Service is Good Business • Customer service promotes student recruitment & retention. • Customer service helps organizations grow. • Customer service helps increase market share.

15. Reflection • Do I keep my customers in mind in every aspect of my job? • What can I do to provide greater customer service in my office?

16. Become a Customer Service Leader “Colleges that are student-centered and treat students as welcomed and respected customers, while making sure they get a great education, will have enrollment and retention success.” — Neal Raisman, Ph.D.

17. Thank you, and remember -- you ARE helping make educational dreams come true! Tom RebstockSenior Corporate Trainertom.rebstock@tgslc.org