Hi Thomas,
We most certainly must set our students up for the workplace. We are responsible for our students success.
Patricia Scales
Hi Terri,
I agree! I let my students know that the placement director is only one avenue to a job and that they must do their due diligence to land employment.
Patricia Scales
I am in total agreement with John when he says our students are more of a product. I work in an automotive training school and I cannot just teach them what they want to learn, but must also teach them what will be necessary for them to be successful in their career. A look at the bigger picture is to realize that they need to be a product the industry wants. Employers have a say in our curriculum and we adjust it so the graduate is someone that they want to hire as soon as they graduate. In an educational setting the school has two customers for that seat. First, the person paying for the seat, and secondly, and just as important is the industry. If we just teach to what students feel they want to learn, we are not doing them justice. The industry needs to be satisfied with the product of our teachings or the person will not be hired. Without that, the student’s effort to become educated has been nullified. Good customer service is important, but keep in mind that in the long run, if we are not the school that can train a person for a career and end up putting that person in the job market, have we really serviced that customer?
I agree that it is the student's responsibility to participate in the learning process. In my experience working in career focused schools, some adult learners have unrealistic expectations. For example; I have worked in the career services arena for quite some time and have seen that many adult learners expect for their career services advisors to "find them a job". There is a fine line between coaching, advising and delivering career focused information and "finding someone a job". Ultimately the career services teams see the students as customers and will do everything they can to prepare students (many career changers)for employment but cannot be successful without the student's participation. Would you agree?
Hi Dawn,
It is good that your students know that you are there for them, but they must put forth great effort to produce positive results.
Patricia Scales
I agree - everyone in class is given the same instruction and information - it's what they do with that instruction moving forward that can set them apart from their peers. I'm always here to assist and guide but I want the student to have the satisfaction of knowing they did their best and the results are from their efforts.
I feel it is a balancing act, giving the student what they want yet still getting them to understand the requirements expected of them. Not only in their classes but also the expectations future employers will have in regards to their skills and ability.
I believe that any good teacher would agree that the students should be treated as a "customer" in the sense that they are aware that we are there for their needs and to help them achieve their educational goals in whatever way we can. They, in fact, are paying for our and the educational institution's services and should have an expectation of excellent "customer" service. HOWEVER, getting their money's worth for expertise, respect, advice etc is not the same as paying for an automatic passing grade in every class they take...not only should a student expect the best (100%) from the staff and instructors, but they, in turn, need to give their best(100%) to really get out of any course what they need.
Hi Jason,
Performance is key, and standards should never be lowered. Students need to really be held in high regards. You get from students what you expect.
Patricia Scales
Were that only true. When people begin to put more value on "emotional" well being because the student is the "customer" as opposed to a student actually being able to perform the standard begins to slip.
The focus in vocational training needs to be focused on the student being able to perform and if we have done that then they will also be emotionally developed.
Hi Terry,
I concur! The student is certainly not always right, and we must have our teachable moments.
Patricia Scales
H Jason,
Regardless as to how we classify students, we must hold them to very high standards in order to prepare them for the real world.
Patricia Scales
When people classify students as customers then there begins a shift in behavior towards delivering what the "customer" wants and NOT necessarily what the "customer" needs. I have seen this shift and when you begin to compromise your standards because the student has become the customer you are not doing the student service. I agree with Rocky that the end user of our product, that is industry, is truly our customer and that the student is a product that we shape and mold. There are times when we cannot be compromising since that could compromise the quality of the product that we are putting out.
Customer service in an educational setting is difficult. The students are paying to come here which does give them some right to be treated as a customer, on the other hand we as instructors need to treat them as students, which means "the customer is not always right". We also have a responceability to the industry to produce a product that they are willing to hire.
Hi Ulises,
Having a good rapport with students is certainly a way to offer superior customer service.
Patricia Scales
Hi Angie,
Students need us, and we must provide impeccable customer service to them in every way. To a lot of our students we are everything to them.
Patricia Scales
The idea of seeing students as customer is to ensure the success of our education institutions. Now a days, customer service has been minimized to a smile, the proper approach to the customer, & the appropriate functionality of the object on sale. That is what differentiates the education industry approach. It is imperative for our success as institutions to ensure that we listen beyond the student confusion to find the real needs of the student and properly providing a solution to their inquiries. Once both the institution and student achieve this goal, they can share their responsibility that will lead them to successful students that have a well-rounded background to represent the institution on the job market.
Customer service in education means that the institution and instructors are both focusing on educating students. Institutions focus on providing the resources necessary to keep the student focused on school. Instructors focus on providing information and establish a good interpersonal relationship with the students.
Hi Rocklan,
I love your bottom line! We can not always please our students, but we can certainly help them achieve success!!
Patricia Scales
Hi Tom,
Great point made. I tend to like that term as well. We are definitely student focused providing them with what they need.
Patricia Scales
