Parents
Parents have tremendous influence over their children's school choices so should they be invited into the process with a different approach toward customer service?
Unfortunately alot of our students do not have the support of their parents for any decisions that they make. It is always refreshing when a parent is involved and we always make a point of thanking the parents for being part of the process. If the parent is actively involved in their life of their child they should be involved in the process. IF they are not involved the possiblilty that you will never see the prospective student again is very likely. The decision to attend school should be the students but if they rely on their parents for support the parent should be part of that decision and made to feel that their opinions and thoughts matter. They should feel comfortable when they leave that they have chosen the best school for their child to attend. They should also feel that their child is very important to us and that we will treat them with respect while delivering a quality education.
Once in a while when we have students and families touring they may stop in and I do get a chance to speak with them before hand. I think if we had more opportunity for this it would give them further insight into our opportunities here and to start to put faces to the people working with their students in advance. Elevating the confidence in the school.
Paul, What great things that your students say about your institution! If you had the chance, would you invite the parents in and speak with them, in the beginning of the whole student process?
Elizabeth Wheeler
As an instructor I don't often get to speak to parents prior to the student attending, but lots of our students will tour their families around to the classes on graduation day. I often hear from the parents then about how impressed they have been with the school and what has been available to the student while attending. I feel that this gives the parents a real sense of the value we offer at our school.
Amy, Great job of including everyone in on the process, and what is most important, you make it the student's decision. Great job.
Dr. Jean Norris
Yes, I do believe parents should be invited into the process as more often then not they are more concerned with "how much it will cost" and a misunderstanding of financial aid. I find it almost helps more to have parents in the information sessions so that way I can talk more about the financial aspect with them while hitting all the right points with the students. In the end, I always try ensure that it's what the student wants rather than what the parents want for them.
James, It is a great question, and information that is essential to know. Great job!
Dr. Jean Norris
I use these questions to open dialogue to try to find out how much support they are receiving from parents if any.
I agree also. Parents that are involved with education process help motivate their students to succeed
James, It's great to ask those questions. What if they are the parent?
Dr. Jean Norris
Bonita, Family can impact so greatly. How do you involve the parents?
Dr. Jean Norris
It truely depends on the age of the student - in addition the culture the student comes from - in addressing customer service to the parent read the signals - how much support and influence does the parent have?
Because many of our hygiene students are older, some married with chidren, I try to approach it from letting them tell me how much support they are getting from their parents. I use this approach to lead into that discussion.
Yes, parents/family could be a valuable support group for the student. There can be difficult academic/financial stresses for the students and their family could be a "go to" for them.
Leslie, That can be very true in many cases. How do work with students in this situation?
Dr. Jean Norris
In the past I've seen both. Sometimes the parents force the child to attend school and other times I find the parents don't want the child to attend school. It's unfortunate that today the parents are unsupportive or take control of their future. It's difficult for the prespective students to concentrate on their careers when the parents are involved sometimes.
James, Interesting. I'm curious, what is the reason for not directly asking about the parents?
Dr. Jean Norris
Question: I applaude you in your efforts in considering this as a career. What are some of the things that have guided you in this decision?
Question: Have you been mentored in this career path?
James, That is correct! What are some questions you can ask to find out about the parents?
Dr. Jean Norris
