Our incoming call process entails a few options, once i meet with a student I provide them with my direct extension so that they can get in touch with me easily. Otherwise, calls can either be routed directly to my line or through our front desk administrative assistants.
So it sounds as if you and your team do a great job of building rapport and getting to know a person over the phone. Excellent service!
Well when a prospective student calls in we are very personal with them. We do probe a lot to determine the need of the student. Everyone in the office does an excellent job in doing so. Each student is handle individually by a rep which is able to meet the students needs. Even students who are transfered to othe departments we try to understand their needs and direct them to the correct person.
So it sounds as if you have some great things going on as well as a challenge. First, it's wonderful the goal is to answer by the second ring - very nice! The fact that your office is the central triage area can certainly make it hard to offer the level of customer service that you strive for. Any ideas on how to change this to service the prospective student better as well as others?
All phones in the office ring when inbound calls come in. We have two front office people who are very quick with answering the calls on the first ring. If they are unable to answer the phone someone else will pick up. The rule in the office is to make sure the call is picked up no later then the second ring.Unfortunately the inbound calls are not just for Admissions but more for the entire campus. So there are hundreds of calls that come through daily that are transfered to all departments.
I wish that the inbound caller would use the options menu more then just pressing 0 with help us controlling the number of calls transfered to different departments.
That sounds like a plan! Perhaps your students will also feel your energy and excitement through the phone too! Good luck!
Good luck ad let me know how it turns out! At the end of the day it's helpful that you realize your processes could use some refinement. The next step is to take action! Maybe it will work; maybe not - but at least you try.
Dr. Norris,
Thank you for your reply. I do have an opportunity to improve my phone presence for sure! Since my tone is soft, I have to add a higher pitch every now and again.
I hear you. I guess we seriously need to revisit the process. If we cannot make the system do what we need, maybe we can at least have the front desk pass the information on before transferring the call. I really like the idea of ringing multiple phones at the same time. I will look into that too. Thanks - Brian
This sounds like an interesting process, Nina. It also sounds as if you have an opportunity to improve your phone presence. It's so easy to sound monotone when you say the same things over and over, isn't it?
At times calls are warm transferred to me from a call center. I will initially greet the student and take down personal information. I will then proceed with listening to what program the student wants to learn more about and uncover the driving force to further their education. I could improve on adding more tonal variation, as I catch myself at times sounding monotone.
This is an interesting process, Brian and a less than customer-service oriented approach, I'm afraid. I'm curious if there is a way within your process to consider other options such as reps being assigned to "call duty" throughout the day; or what about tracking information in a centralized database so you don't need to ask for it twice; perhaps another thought would be to have it ring on all phones at the same time and the first one who picks it up WINS (versus the hunt group function). What are your thoughts?
Our inbound call process involves the front desk person getting a name and phone number. Then it roles to our Education Coordinators phone after phone. If no one answers, it goes back to the front desk. When I hear the calls through our tracking system. It takes a long time to get from the front dest to an actual Education Coordinator. This bothers me and I am not sure how to fix it or deal with it better. In addition, although the prospective student does not seem annoyed with this we ask the students name, how to spell it, and their phone number twice. Once when they call the front desk and again when the Education Coordinator answers the phone. Do you have any advise on how to smooth the transition?
Sounds like a system that is working for you and your team. Great news! What is the process when no one is in the office?
Our inbound call system is designed so that anyone can answer the phone unless an individual dials a particular extension. The phone rings throughout the day within our admissions department and generally each call is answered within the first or second ring. Our department works very well together so warm transfers are a common practice and if a transfer is unavailable we all willing to take messages.
Caller ID however, would definitely be a plus for the few missed calls.
I guess it's good for the prospective student that their called is answered promptly. So many businesses miss this opportunity however you bring up a good point - how to get back with those who don't leave a message. What can you do to resolve (or at least lesson) this given you don't have caller id, Peter?
The inbound call system is designed for every phone to ring in our department unless a direct extension is dialed. This is good so that all calls are answered however if your finger is not fast enough you never get to answer an inbound call. Another change I would like to make is Caller ID on our phones so we can call back students who did not leave messages.
Hi Priscilla! Yes, sounding more personable over the phone will help prospects, students and others feel more "connected" and thereby begin the process of building a relationship. This "tweak" to your process can go a long way in building value and alleviating negative attitudes. Thanks for the response!
I usually listen to the questions being asked and try to direct the call to the correct party or try to assist as much as i can. I could possible learn how to sound more personable over the phone
