We are a vocational institution who specializes in providing industry with qualified technicians. Our external customers include industry partners who manufacture products our graduates maintain and franchised retailers who hire and employ graduates. Both are very important in that without them, we would not exist. The aforementioned customers are also important to our students because their future employment largely depends on those customers being familiar with our school and their commitment to hire our graduates. With that said, to some extent, our industry partners see us as a customer because we help them provide their dealer network with the quality and quantity of technicians needed to keep their product maintained. It is very symbiotic.
So true! You never know where the referrals are going to come from and treating every customer, internal or external, with exceptional service can only help. Thank you for your post!
Every single person we meet in group, individual, professional or non-professional setting are all external customers. A part of our students’ curriculum requires them to practice at our student clinic, where they have the opportunity to practice their learned skills with the public before the graduate from their program. How clients are treated from the time they walk in the door to the time they leave their appointment is very important. Not only would there be a potential for client referrals for our students to practice, but also prospective students. A relaxed, calm setting is necessary to greet the clients that visit our student clinic. They immediately greeted and assisted by our the school receptionist.
Thanks for sharing Jacqueline. There are a lot of opportunities to provide high-level service to our customers so that their 'word-of-mouth marketing' helps us rather than hurts us.
Our external customers are:
Students: our students pay tuition which provides money for us to pay our bills, payroll and make a profit.
Employers: our employers provide jobs for our students which are the whole reason that the students are enrolled at our school, to get a job!
Employers also provide word of mouth to other employers and maybe even potential students that our school has a great reputation and that they should hire from us or they should attend our school.
Clinic Clients: Our clinic clients provide hands on experience for our students as well as a small profit for our school. They also can spread the word about our school to other potential clinic clients, employers and students
The surrounding community:
The community is also a way to spread word about our school to potentially bring in all of the categories above.
The education is definitely a large part of out service to our students, but how do we serve them even before they become students?
Our external customers are our students and our paying clients. We serve our students by the education we give them. Our clients we supply services to.
Everyone we come in contact with that isn't an employee of the school...always leave them with the absolute best impression of our facility!!
I think most of my external customers are my fellow instructors. The more I prepare a student the better they are for other courses. I believe it is the same for them in preparing students for me. THere is more than not an intertwining of information in various courses and the fact that they here non-conflicting information from more than one instructor validifies the insturction
Are external costumers is students,the community and the students family. When they arrive the school we give them the information about the program that they are interesting and provide them with the best education.
Doris, sure, client that you work with directly would be external customers. Anyone else?
Dr. Jean Norris
It would be our clients.We provide prompt, courteous services that meet their needs.
Leann, that's a great opportunity for them. It looks like you want to give them additional ways to succeed.
Dr. Jean Norris
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANT GRADS TO TAKE THEIR RMA EXAM AT OUR SCHOOL AFTER GRADUATION.
Christal ,
Wow that's a great perspective! Never quite thought about it that way!
Dr. Jean Norris
I could list a lot of external customers for a school but for me as an adjunct faculty member I want to focus on myself because I am actually an external customer because I work for an organization that would hire the students. I tell the students that their time in class with me is actually like a 12 week job interview. I am looking at the quality of the schools education and how these students are prepared for the work at my organization.
Kathi, that is a great point. Everyone's got a friend, right? It sounds like you are able to communicate the value of education to others. Keep up the great work.
Dr. Jean Norris
I consider anyone I meet to be a partentional customer. I have an outgoing personality and can get anyone to talk. I encourage anyone to continue their education and I give reason like their own children and other factors.
Kimberly, you bring up some great points here. It's about tailoring the experience to the customer. It sounds like you are taking the time to understand your customers and communicate using their preferences. Great work!
Dr. Jean Norris
Kimberly, you bring up some great points here. It's about tailoring the experience to the customer. It sounds like you are taking the time to understand your customers and communicate using their preferences. Great work!
Dr. Jean Norris
