Edward, Great awareness! Thank you for sharing in the forum!
Dr. Jean Norris
External customers include alumni, guest presenters, vendors, or simply anyone who has a direct connection with the school. This could also be anyone within the local community who is aware of your establishment. Being in Southern California in a well populated area, there are many people who are aware of our school whether it be next door businesses, or businesses/people that are 50+ miles away. I do my best on being a professional representative of the school. I'm more polite in certain areas when I have my uniform on. That has a huge impact than people perceive.
It was helpful to think of the hospitals where we send our students as "customers." They take our students for training, provide mentoring for them, and employ our students Interesting way to look at the term "customer service."
Shana, it sounds like you are well versed on your external community. What are some of the things you do to recognize them?
Dr. Jean Norris
The external customers at my school are the students, hospitals' staff and managers and the vendors.
Faye,
These are all great ways to recognize external clients. What value do you feel this provides the external clients?
Dr. Jean Norris
I work at a culinary school and our external customers are everyone in the hospitality and hotels, restuarants and resorts. We work extremely hard to build relationships for our students. We invite them to career expos and also invite them into the college for a tour so they are familiar with our campus. Building relationships with employers and HR directors as well as executive chefs works well for our students. Allowing students to network with the employers opens opportunities for our current students and graduates.
Darci,
Serving your students well is a great practice! However, who are your other external customers? For example, internships sites, companies that partner with your school to hire your grads, etc.
Dr. Jean Norris
Leberth,
Wow, how great! Thank you for sharing.
Dr. Jean Norris
Robert,
Very true! What are some things you do to recognize your external customers?
Dr. Jean Norris
I am always aware of who I may run into outside of school and that I may influence them one way or the other to attend or be interested in attending our school. My students are my first priority as external customers.
At our school with provide our students with necessary skill needed in spa and health industry. Our external clients are the spas, wellness centers and rehabilitation clinics in our community. To sever our external customers we provide the best educational setting possible to our students which in turns allows our external customer to have the best available candidates for hire at their disposal. Our reputation have even put us in situation where our external customers will only hire our students.
The external customers are the businesses that surround us. If we make a good impression with them they could be a big referral source for us.
Amanda,
This is a great practice. How else do you recognize your external clients for allowing your students to practice with them?
Dr. Jean Norris
The external customers in my department are the clinic clients. Appointments are booked for them so that the students have hands on practice before they graduate and test for their licenses. The clinic staff makes their best efforts to help to make sure that the clients have a positive experience, but to also put the students practical education first.
We are as well, and have the similar external customers. We work with alot of different populations and people and I like the fact that this portion of the class mentioned that.
As you mentioned Thomas, clinic is for of external customers- who as mentioned will tell another 9 people about this opprotunity- which may lead to people looking for a career to come to the campus as well.
We've gotten several students from clinic services- from when a family member or friend has had a service and referred them to this opprotunity.
And I absolutely loved the resolution with the employer. As a career services manager we've had situations in which there has been an employer who did have an unfortunate sitution with a graduate- and this is absolutely correct- our employers are our customers as well as our students- and its important to keep them satisfied and staff so that they continue to want our services- strectching back to the first module again where great customer service leads to repeat services.
treva,
Thank you for sharing! Assisting external customers goes beyond students, too. How do you recognize non-student external customers?
Dr. Jean Norris
Katherine,
Excellent! What else do you think your school can do to service external customers?
Dr. Jean Norris
We have many external customers at our school. They range from charities, salons, spas, hospitals, chiropractors, retirement communities, clinic clients, our alumni and the list can just go on and on. We build rapports with all these communities and give them the best of the best from our students. Which is smart, professional, responsible, and compassionate students.
We ave many external customers. Future stuents, Student clinic clients, future employers for our students. We serve them in any way possible. For example, some future students might need to move closer to the school,so we will help them find closer places to live.
