I agree with part of youe view. I believe you are walking a fine line getting too personal. This should be kept to a bare minimum being conscious to stay away from that gray fuzzy area which sould lead to possible issues or conflict.
Sorry but I cannot agree with this position. In any business situation this is not always probable or possible. It is impossible to provide 100% satisfaction to all the people all of the time. Their should be realistic, understandable, measurable, beleivable, and more importantly attainable goals in place by administration. These should always be followed by instructors and subsequently measured using a controlling mechanism for evaluation.
I feel like we do not have to tell the students they are customers, they are smart enough to already know that that is exactly what they are. But the services and products we provide are only beneficial to them if they are utilized properly and as intended and if the student positively cooperates in the process. In no other time in history have consumers been more informed or more interested about researching the products in which they seek to indulge. We can attribute this to the wealth and access to information in an online capapcity...basically at their fingertips. This is the same for prospective students. The vast majority invest a lot of money and time in this product and as a customer or client (whatever you want to call it) we owe them the very best. In order to gauge my performance in self evaluation, I ask myself a few questions. Did I provide the students with best possible learning environment? Did the students get their money's worth? Did I do my best in keeping the overall goals of the organization in my sight and provide the curriculum according to the catalog and the objectives of the class?
alot of it deals with expectations.. the student is there for more than a burger and fries,,, It is not a matter of 1.00 to 5.00 investment... if he doesnt like your hanburger he can just throw it away and go to the next place,,, this represents a customer that will be at your counter for quite some time,,, and as his expectations are not met,,, he can become more difficult to deal with,,, if he becomes completely dissatisfied,, then you have bad advertisement from this customer for a long time to come...the value of the purchase also changes, as the economy or politcs change,,, or even the maturity of the student grows... next we have to look at the student as the product as well... others are watching the developement of your products and sevices,, and they are measureing your quality by what you turn out as a student.something the industry is interested in emploing,, purchasing.,,, for them selves... the longgevity of the product can come into play now,,, inspite of the fast food service the student wanted from your facility,,, we must not lower ourselves to the level of a machine to perform without any human feeling or emotion,,, this product must with stand storms and changinge times.if we can create a product that is truely ready for the market,,, then it will be able to withstand anything the world wants to throw at it,
In the education sense, a customer is one who is a direct beneficiary of a service or as one who must be dealt with. Looking at it this way, it is evident that the student should receive the attention that is necessary to help them meet their educational goals.
Hi Barbara,
I love building relationships with my students, and I always call our relationships strictly professional in nature, regardless what I know about them personally. I keep my peronalization at a minimal with my students.
Patricia Scales
It is so crucial to recognize each student as an individual with a particular learning style and experiences, as well as personal issues that can impede or enhance the learning experience. When you develop a personal relationship with them, you can play a greater role in their success.
Barbara Page
Hi Cheryl,
Absolutely! Students really are the most important people in the building. They are our customers that we must take good care of.
Patricia Scales
I believe that the student in an educational setting is considered the customer. You want to fulfill their needs.
Hi Wayne,
Absolutely! It is key to get to know your students to determine how they best learn. Each student is different, and we must cater to each in oder to reach them all.
Patricia Scales
Educational students must be viewed as unigue customers. There similarities with business customers, but there are significants differences. Like business customers, educational customers want good service and a good product. However, the business customer is not an active participant. Where as the educational student must be! Interpersonal relationships must be established to: understand learning styles, understand motivational needs, and identify possible barriers to success. This is necessary to facilitate the educational student's interactive participation.
Hi Brianne,
We follow a similar protocol at my institution. Placement meets with our new students during the first two weeks of class to establish rapport building and to get them excited about their new upcoming career.
Patricia Scales
In Career Services, we define customer service as a commitment to provide friendly, knowledgeable service and assistance. We achieve this by conducting a New Student Interview with students individually when they begin their education so we can learn their personal goals and backgrounds in an effort to provide them service that is catered to their individual needs. This initial meeting also allows us to grow our relationship with students by making them feel welcome to our office so they continue to see us through their time here.
Hi Vu,
You are right! Students are extraordinary customers, and we must treat them with great importance.
Patricia Scales
Student is special customer, they buy knowledge ans skill. this is not regular customer
Hi Patricia,
It means more to a student when they feel as though they have a say in their education. They are really the most important people in the building.
Patricia Scales
The student is a consumer of the knowledge we are sharing. They must take an active part in acquiring that knowledge which is where we differ from the traditional consumer model.
Hi Anne,
As adult learners who are paying for their education, we have to impress them from the beginning that their investment will bring about a return.
Patricia Scales
HI PATRICIA,
It is very heartfelt when graduates return and let you know how succesful they are from gaining an education. We are in the business to change lives for the better.
Patricia Scales
customer service as defined in an educational setting is described as one who benefits from a sevice, i could not agree more, if a student decides to attend school, and is serious about their education i believe they will bebefit, i strongly believe this, i have students that will return to my classroom, to tell me how well they are doing as a result of their education, for me this is very rewarding, makes me very proud of that student, those student bought into their education and reached the goals they hoped to received.
