Misrepresentation
The advice i would give to a new employee is to get as much product knowledge and knowledge about rules and regulations as possible prior to speaking to any prospective students. That way you know whats right and whats wrong.
Joel,
Great to hear that you are providing such guidance and training. I think this is key to an institution's success.
Traci Lee
I train my staff that if they are unsure of the answer to seek management assistance and do not guess at the answer.
I would advise them to take the time to gather as much information and do as much research as possible before confidently starting the job. I would encourage them to ask questions and not to guess at any item that is asked that they are not 100% sure of.
My advice is that if you don't know an answer tell the prospective student that you do not know but will get the correct answer asap
I would tell them if they don't know the correct answer, tell the person they are talking to that you don't know but you will get that answer for them.
Even if we feel that our institution is the best, never tell a prespective student that our school is better than all the rest.
I would advise new employees to make sure they know the policies and procedures for the company and follow them accordingly. I usually tell new employees that this is not their school or their business and if they choose to work at this company, they should do things the way the company has requested them to be done. I would also advise them that it pays to do thing right and treat people the way you would like to be treated. My final bit of advice is to let them know the consequences attached to misrepresentation.
Tricia ,
I completely support any means for Admissions Reps to acquire product knowledge, particularly related to expanding their understanding of the details of any programs offered by the institution.
Traci Lee
Admissions Reps should have a chance to shadow in the specific program so they are aware of the details of the program. Program Directors are a great source of information to the Admissions Reps.
Don't be afraid to say "I DON'T KNOW"
I so agree with this. The Permissable Language is a great tool for all employees.
Take time to talk to the Admissions representatives at your school, along with program directors. Both groups of individuals can give you better insight into the do's and dont's of misrepresenting your institution.
I would tell an employee to always be honest with anyone who has questions or concerns about our institution, if you do not have an answer go find the correct one and be sure to read the employee hand guide before giving any information to assure that they are giving out accurate information.
part of the orientation process should cover this type of situation. Anyone who does not have an excact knowledge of what they are talking about should answer honestly that they do not know and that they will look in the catolog for the correct answer or offer to get the help of someone who may know the answer to the quetion.
As with anything, if you are unsure of the answer to a question, the worst thing for you to do is try to make up an answer. Instead, a simple, "I'm not sure, that's a good question. Let me find out for you" will more than suffice. It is better to delay an answer than to give an incorrect one.
We are in a important position to help people to better thier life and the lives of their family. This is a huge responsibilty. We must always do the right thing and be forthright with all the accurate information so they are able to make the right choice for their future. Never guess, never embelish and never just wing it. We are professionals learn the facts and continually review and study for our position.
As an instructor at my institution for 5+ years now, I am often providing advice to newer employees regarding representation of information about our school & the program I work in. First off, with so much to know about an institution's program, not to mention all of the nuances relating to institutional information & compliance, I would highly recommend a true training session to any new employee. Some good starting steps would be to read the policy & compliance manuals that are on hand, as well as speak to those who have been with the company for a long time.
As far as specific advice, honesty is the most obvious thing, meaning stick with the facts. Also, if you aren't sure of something, don't guess - just let the prospective student know that you don't have the answer but that you will get someone (i.e. supervisor, admissions, FA, or career services rep.) to give them the correct answer. Another thing would be to focus on the positives of your organization(in a realistic/no-exaggerated manner), rather than try to compare yourself to a competitor.
Honesty, integrity, & enthusiasm can go a long way to making a great impression about your institution without compromising rules, regulations, or ethics!
stacy,
I agree - and I also think that even current, long-time employees can use training and reminders on what is acceptable to say as it is easy to fall into terminology that could be misleading. For example, it is easy for an employee, in their positive attitude toward the institution, to inadvertently use words like "best" or "biggest" or other words that cannot always be validated and are subject to allegations of misrepresentation.
Traci Lee
I would tell any new employee to make sure that everything that they are saying is true an use the correct terms so that they may not be misleading.
Racheal,
I completely agree that using the catalog as the primary source of information ensures consistency and alignment with expectations.
Traci Lee
