We are in the age of demand for consistent, exceptional service. Schools and School Districts that develop a culture of extraordinary customer service experiences and happy relationship retention will be the winners.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected customer service in several ways. Due to business closures, reduced operations, and personnel shortages, customers have experienced frustration and dissatisfaction with the service they receive. Long wait times, delayed email responses, unreturned phone calls, rude interactions, lack of empathy, and limited managers or support staff availability have all contributed to declining customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the need for improving the customer experience and relationships with school students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and school district leaders is crucial for maintaining a successful school environment and school district. In many schools nationwide, the customer experience has mutated into high on-edge emotional engagements with low levels of mindfulness or accountability, and this has profoundly impacted the potential for quality education, service, and relationship building for all. It may take some time for schools and school districts struggling with the customer experience to fully recover and begin delivering consistent extraordinary service at all levels.
“Put all excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable.” ~ Zig Ziglar
Improving the customer experience is vital for any school or school district that wants to continuously succeed, retain students and teachers, deliver a high-quality education experience, and grow healthy customer relationships daily. There are many ways to reach this goal, but combining the following methods would be a good starting point:
Start with a ‘Want to Win’ Attitude
When it comes to quality customer service, having the right attitude is crucial. As a customer, I appreciate being greeted with a friendly smile and a willingness to help. It makes me feel valued and important. So, as someone providing customer service, it’s important to remember that your attitude can make or break the customer experience at your school or school district office. Always strive to be helpful, patient, and understanding. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and think about how you would want to be treated. With a ‘Want to Win’ Attitude, you can positively impact someone’s day and leave a lasting extraordinary customer experience impression.
Train and Refrain
It is important to ensure that all employees are trained to provide extraordinary customer service experiences. This includes refraining from negative customer service habits such as speaking rudely or dismissively to customers, ignoring their concerns, not using effective listening skills, or failing to follow up on issues in a timely manner. Your school or school district can build strong customer relationships and improve customer outcomes and quality education success by prioritizing excellent customer service and providing ongoing training and support.
Assess and Refresh
It’s always a good idea to assess and refresh your current customer service practices to ensure that you’re meeting and exceeding your customers’ needs and providing the best possible experience. Start by collecting feedback from your customers through surveys, social media, and other channels to get a sense of what they think of your current practices and culture. Use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and develop a plan for addressing them.
Ensure your teams (teachers, staff, administrators, special committees, and school district leaders) are equipped with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively. This might include providing additional training or coaching, updating your knowledge base, or investing in new customer service software. By regularly assessing and refreshing your customer service practices, you can ensure that you and your team members provide the best possible experience for your customers and build strong, positive relationships with them.
Reach the Point of Extraordinary
I recently visited a Chick-fil-A restaurant and was blown away by their exceptional customer service. The employees were friendly and welcoming and went above and beyond to ensure I had a great experience. They even checked on me multiple times during my meal to ensure everything was satisfactory. This level of customer service is truly remarkable and sets Chick-fil-A apart from other fast-food chains. I will definitely be returning to Chick-fil-A in the future and highly recommend it to others.
Any school or school district can do a few key things to reach the point of extraordinary customer service. First and foremost, by providing clear communication, timely feedback, and personalized attention, schools can ensure that everyone feels valued and supported. It’s important to listen carefully to feedback and concerns from all stakeholders (school students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, school district leaders, and community leaders), and to address any issues promptly and respectfully. By fostering positive relationships and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment, schools can create a culture of success and achievement for all stakeholders.
Sustain What Matters Most to Everyone
When it comes to the customer experience, meeting the needs and expectations of customers is vital. External and internal customers want to feel valued and respected, and addressing their concerns promptly and efficiently is always beneficial. Providing personalized solutions and surpassing their expectations can also make a significant impact.
To sustain what matters most to everyone, ongoingly invest in employee customer service training and development. Encourage and empower employees at all levels, to work daily to maintain a positive school or school district customer service reputation. Each team member must learn to care a whole lot about – consistent – quality customer service. Use a customer-centric approach that prioritizes empathy, communication, effective listening, equity, mindfulness, professionalism, kindness, respect, open-mindedness, and accountability throughout your school or school district.
Reminder: We are in the age of demand for consistent, exceptional service. Schools and School Districts that develop a culture of extraordinary customer service experiences and happy relationship retention will be the winners.
Are you currently working on any particular initiatives to enhance the customer experience at your school, early childhood development center/agency, or throughout your school district? Put your school’s or school district’s customer service culture on a path to cultivating enduring winning relationships with highly-satisfied external and internal customers. If your team, department, or school district leaders need guidance, recommendations, or professional development training, do not hesitate to contact me. I am always here to assist in any way I can.
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Hi! Was this blog post helpful or inspiring to you? What effective strategies are you and your team using to improve the customer experience at your place of work? Please feel free to share your feedback or input by commenting below. Thank you in advance for sharing.
About the Author: Ty Howard,
Mr. Untie the Knots®,
True Greatness Is — As True Greatness Does!
Ty Howard is America’s Untie the Knots® Consultant and Capturing Greatness and Working with Passion Expert. Over the past 25 years, he has spoken to nearly three million education professionals, students, student leaders, student-athletes, teenagers, parents, fatherhood groups, youth development professionals, and associations across the nation and around the world. For information on his programs and services, visit http://capturinggreatness.com.
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