Friday, March 23, 2012

What We Do to Help Customer Service Excellence at Colleges

Each week we receive many inquiries on what we can do for schools to improve their customer service excellence and thus retention. So we decided to respond and let people know what it is we do among other things such as research so schools might be able to prevail themselves of you services. Here is a little boit on what we do.

You can do some of this yourself as discussed in an earlier article on DIY Yourself audits which can be found at http://academicmaps.blogspot.com/2008/01/diy-movement-in-customer-service.html

Here is some of what we do that can help you improve customer service excellence and retention (not to mention revenue)

 86 N. Cassady Ave.  Ste 18
Bexley, OH 43209
413.219.6939
Dr. Neal  Raisman is the founder and President of N. Raisman & Associates which since 1999 has been the leading provider of academic customer service solutions that increase retention, student success and morale along with institutional revenues in the US, Canada and Europe for over 450 universities, colleges, schools and the businesses that work with them.
Here are some of their services:
Every college is somehow unique. N.Raisman & Associates respects the differences and individuality of each campus and institution. We do not present boilerplate. Prior to any workshop or training program, an N.Raisman & Associates professional research your school and if possible, comes on campus to meet with students and other members of the college community. Only then will the presentations be planned and created so they meet your needs.
We also take into account the reality that there are times when not everyone can attend a workshop, training session or presentation at a given time. Students must be served so when this occurs, N.Raisman & Associates works with the school to schedule another session the same day at no added cost to the institution.                                   
WE GUARANTEE RESULTS!
Customer Service Retention Studies
Reception Areas Admissions Counseling
Financial Aid Registration Registrar's
Cafeteria Bookstore Website
We review these areas as well as every level of customer service such as:

We will also test Points of Contact such as
  • the University website;
  • collateral materials
  • telephone system and protocols, 
  • catalog,
  • signage provided to orient and direct on the campus;
  • entrance signage;
  • entrances and entrance areas;
  • interior directional signs;
  • entrances,
  • decompression zones,
  • lobbies,
  • campus flow;
  • parking lots,
  • walkways,
  • halls,
  • colors,
  • open spaces,
  • lighting,
  • landscape,
  • paths,
  • appearance of building exteriors,
  • appearance of building interiors, handicap compliance,
  • lobbies,
  • bathrooms,
  • common areas,
  • bookstore,
  • functional flow,
  • student space and its utilization,
  • observable safety concerns,
  • cleanliness and general appearance including paint.

As well as testing every level of student service including:
  • catalog information, ease of use and information retrieval,
  • website’s ease of use and navigation
  • email use and responses to,
  • wait time - how promptly people are recognized and served,
  • acknowledgment of student presence and manner of the recognition given,
  • welcoming and comfort level generated,
  • how courteous your people are,
  • how questions are responded to,
  • requested information provided promptly and graciously,
  • accurate directions given,
  • general demeanor, and attitude toward customers,
  • availability of information at point of contact,
  • point of contact knowledge of  University and/or where to get it if not available,
  • accuracy of information,
  • use of campus jargon or argot versus standard language,
  • language use, attitude, syntax, grammar, tone,
  • customer-first attitude,
  • time to completion required for successful interaction,
  • helpfulness and accuracy of written materials at points of contact,
  • location and availability of information and media,
  • people processes used with students,
  • administrative processes affecting students,
  • orderliness of the interaction and area of interaction,
  • telephone protocols used by students contacts to aid or detract from service to campus callers,
  • general telephone skills and return call response,
  • the environment provided for students in these areas and offices from layout and space through lighting and clutter as they affect the customer's sense of reflected value and service from entry to the campus through moving through it and finally the exiting experience.

The student services and customer service audit includes parts of the above with specific focus on primary active service providers and functions such as
  • Receptionists
  • Admissions
  • Advising/Counseling
  • Financial Aid
  • Registrar's
  • Cafeteria 
  • Housing
  • Administrative
  • Office appearance and physical services.

We will also test Points of Contact such as
  • the University website;
  • collateral materials
  • telephone system and protocols, 
  • catalog,
  • signage provided to orient and direct on the campus;
  • entrance signage;
  • entrances and entrance areas;
  • interior directional signs;
  • entrances,
  • decompression zones,
  • lobbies,
  • campus flow;
  • parking lots,
  • walkways,
  • halls,
  • colors,
  • open spaces,
  • lighting,
  • landscape,
  • paths,
  • appearance of building exteriors,
  • appearance of building interiors, handicap compliance,
  • lobbies,
  • bathrooms,
  • common areas,
  • bookstore,
  • functional flow,
  • student space and its utilization,
  • observable safety concerns,
  • cleanliness and general appearance including paint.

As well as testing every level of student as students service such as:
  • catalog information, ease of use and information retrieval,
  • website’s ease of use and navigation
  • email use and responses to,
  • wait time - how promptly people are recognized and served,
  • acknowledgment of student presence and manner of the recognition given,
  • welcoming and comfort level generated,
  • how courteous your people are,
  • how questions are responded to,
  • requested information provided promptly and graciously,
  • accurate directions given,
  • general demeanor, and attitude toward customers,
  • availability of information at point of contact,
  • point of contact knowledge of  University and/or where to get it if not available,
  • accuracy of information,
  • use of campus jargon or argot versus standard language,
  • language use, attitude, syntax, grammar, tone,
  • customer-first attitude,
  • time to completion required for successful interaction,
  • helpfulness and accuracy of written materials at points of contact,
  • location and availability of information and media,
  • people processes used with students,
  • administrative processes affecting students,
  • orderliness of the interaction and area of interaction,
  • telephone protocols used by students contacts to aid or detract from service to campus callers,
  • general telephone skills and return call response,
  • the environment provided for students in these areas and offices from layout and space through lighting and clutter as they affect the customer's sense of reflected value and service from entry to the campus through moving through it and finally the exiting experience.
Description: _Pic103
We also look at the objective correlatives of customer service and retention, facilities and the environment provided for students to make certain that nothing is overlooked. We use our trained academic shopping to bring a new set of eyes to your school and make sure we experience the total campus as a potential student would. From signage to flow, we cover it all. Then we provide intelligent, appropriate and affordable solutions to help you increase enrollment and retention.
NRaisman & Associates is the leader in helping you understand your customer service status and needs. Using various research models and surveys we help you really understand what students actually want. Our deliverables are not just numbers but practical and affordable solutions and remedies.

Need to focus a part or the entire institution around customer service or retention issues, NRaisman & Associates has the proven experience to help you accomplish your goals. We have done it for others and will do it for you using tested and proven, methods as well as some humor to keep everyone on task and happy.


Proven Success Catalysts
We know your college, its community and the students it serves are unique. So we honor that distinctive­ness in all the assistance we provide to be certain you will be successful.
We learn who you are, your objectives, goals, and anything that may be hindering your mission and full achievements. No boilerplate! All is custom designed to your college, its people and students. Our methods, techniques and approaches have all been proven to be catalysts to your greater success.

N.Raisman & Associates

Customer Service Retention Audit
Point of Contact Solution Studies
Objective Correlative Appraisals
Student/Employee Satisfaction Surveys
Area Service Focused Review
Web Evaluations
ACS Mini Audits
Retreat Facilitation
Coaching for ACS Success
Why They Leave Identification
Presentations on What is Academic Customer Service
Workshops
Training
Some of Our Clients
University of South Carolina  
Coppin State College
Georgia State University
Temple University
Monmouth University
Southern Florida University
University of New Brunswick (Canada) 
University of Louisiana – Monroe
Stony Brook University
University of Toledo
Broward College
University of Central Arkansas
Pratt Institute
University Massachusetts - Dartmouth
Chancellor of the State of Ohio
Texas A+M University– Laredo
ARAMARK Corporation
Alabama State University
Norwich University
Liberty University
C C ‘s of Baltimore County
London School of Finance
Lone Star College System
Lincoln Technical College
University of Maine – Fort Kent  
Columbus State Community College 
 Eaglegate Colleges
Hunter College of Nursing
Beckfield College
NACUBO
Corning Community College 
Westchester Community College
Cincinnati Area Consortium of Colleges + Universities  
Landsdowne College (UK)
Briarcliffe College
Manatee Community College 
Morrisville State College
ECPI Colleges of Technology
Snead Community College
Universite d’Angers (France)
Western Wyoming Community College
Mt. Wachusetts Community College…and hundreds more

UMass Dartmouth invited Dr. Neal Raisman to campus to present on "Service Excellence in Higher Ed"  as a catalyst event used to kick off a service excellence program.  Dr. Neal Raisman presents a very powerful but simple message about the impact that customer service can have on retention and the overall success of the university.  Participants embraced his philosophy as was noted with heads nods and hallway conversations after the session.  Not only did he have data to back up what he was saying, but Dr. Raisman spoke of specific examples based on his own personal experience working at a college as  Dean and President.  Our Leadership Team welcomed the "8 Rules of Customer Service", showing their eagerness to go to the next step in rolling Raisman's message out.  We could not have been more pleased with his eye-opening presentation.    Sheila Whitaker UMass-Dartmouth
If you want more information on NRaisman & Associates or to learn more about what you can do to improve academic customer service excellence on campus, get in touch with us or get a copy of our best selling book The Power of Retention. 



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