Monday, September 06, 2010

Engage Staff with Customer Service to Extend Labor Day

Okay. Labor Day is over so we can go back to forgetting about the laborers, the workers and especially the staff at the college. Likely we celebrated them by just giving them the day off like everyone else but I am willing to bet that there were some schools that made people work on labor day. There were phones to answer. Rooms to ready. Parking lots to…well forget the parking lots.


Anyhow, Labor Day should remind us that we need to focus on the workers at the college or university more. They need to feel engaged almost as much as students. The major difference is that staff is a secondary customer of a college or university. They are there just like everyone else to serve the primary customer. The students some of whom will be arriving in droves for the start of the academic year with too much stuff for the electrical grid very soon.


So How Do We Engage Staff?
A simple start is to spend the first few minutes of the day asking everyone, individually please, how was your Labor Day weekend? Do anything interesting? I mean managers and administrators will ask one another so why not ask everyone else? If you feel that talking with staff like clerical folks is somehow below you, you need to get your head out of your butt and realize you depend on them to make you look good. Head up butt is never a good look by the way And the view is not pretty.


Take the time to engage your staff and one another no matter what your job is. Smile at everyone and just ask how their weekend was. Not just this first day of the week; but every first day of a week and a random Wednesday or even Thursday just ask how the family is. "How's little Billy doing with his first year of work? Hear that Sarah is enjoying school. Is Sam still in jail....Well, maybe not that but you get the idea.


You can even be creative and as if someone has anything interesting planned for the weekend on a Friday. And them here’s the full circle part. On Monday as how it was. You will be amazed at how the people who you work with will want to work more and better with you. It’s that old engagement stuff.


Try it. It works.


Fee Free Presentations
Who knew free could be such a strong incentive to be concerned with improving retention and academic customer service. Out of the 12 days I offered fee free presentations on the topics, only two remain open – October 11 and 12. What a great way to get bookings for presentations and not make any money? My business guy tells me this is not a great business model.


Anyhow, if you would like a fee free presentation at your college or university on October 11 or 12, just get back to me ASAP. Remember all I ask is that you cover travel, hotel and food. If youy think the presentation was worthwhile and had value, you can provide an honoiraium but it is not required.


So if you want a fee free presentation CONTACT ME ASAP by clicking here or call 413.29.6939.



IF THIS ARTICLE MAKES SENSE TO YOU, YOU WILL WANT TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE BEST-SELLING NEW BOOK ON RETENTION AND ACADEMIC CUSTOMER SERVICE THE POWER OF RETENTION: MORE CUSTOMER SERVICE IN HIGHER EDUCATION  by clicking here
AcademicMAPS is the leader in increasing student retention, enrollment and revenue through research training and academic customer service solutions for colleges, universities and career colleges in the US, Canada, and Europe as well as businesses that seek to work with them 
We increase your success


“We had hoped we’d improve our retention by 3% but with the help of Dr. Raisman, we increased it by 5%.” Rachel Albert, Provost, University of Maine-Farmington

“Neal led a retreat that initiated customer service and retention as a real focus for us and gave us a clear plan. Then he followed up with presentations and workshops that kicked us all into high gear. We recommend with no reservations; just success.”Susan Mesheau, Executive Director U First: Integrated Recruitment & Retention University of New Brunswick

“Thank you so much for the wonderful workshop at Lincoln Technical Institute. It served to re-center ideas in a great way. I perceived it to be a morale booster, breath of fresh air, and a burst of passion.” 
Shelly S, Lincoln Technical Institute


No comments: