Academic Customer Service in a Nutshell

Administrators thinking about having us come to their campus for a workshop or presentation been asking for a "nutshell" definition of academic customer service. So here it is.

Academic customer service is far different than customer service in a retail environment. First of all, the customer is not always right as proven daily on tests and quizzes, and sometimes in their behavior. Academic customer service is far from coddling students too. And it is certainly not giving higher grades than are deserved.

Academic customer service is meeting the needs and demands of students which are created by what we promote in our marketing. If we say we have small classes then providing them is a promise we have made. Therefore it is meeting the promises we make to students for such things as personalized help, excellent instruction and treating every student with respect and kindness. It means greeting each student with a smile and an offer to be of assistance and being glad to see the students in our classrooms, offices and all over the campus.

It also means doing or jobs as well as we can to meet student needs whether that be classroom instruction, helping a student in th office or making certain the facilities are clean and at a level that makes students want to be at Mainland. It means putting students first because they really are more important than you or me. They are why the College exists and why we are here. They make us possible and provide the opportunity to make ourselves more valuable. We need to treat them in ways that match their importance.

For much more on what academic customer service is and how to make it work on your campus, get a copy of The Power of Retention and From Admissions to Graduation.