tawandamusarurwa
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning” – Bill Gates
FOLLOWING on from last week’s article, which explored who the real customers for learning institutions’ were, it is important that employees of these institutions know how to provide a positive customer experience.
Customer service is integral to any business entity.
However, the education sector was not usually among them.
In a sense, this is an outdated mentality that was common when schools were scarce and parents had little or no choice but use the next available school.
This has, however, changed, with more private players entering the education space in recent years.
If a particular school fails to provide as per its customer’s expectations, there is a likelihood of transfers by both students and school staff.
An unsatisfactory service may lead parents to take their children to other schools, or take the complaints to a higher office or even social media.
It should never reach that stage because this will ruin the school’s reputation and force authorities to institute disciplinary action.
Here are some of the reasons why educational institutions must possess customer service skills:
1. Reputation
A single complaint by either a parent or student that finds its way on social media is enough to send a school’s reputation up in smoke.
Sometimes, it can be that authorities at the school have misplaced priorities regarding their core mandate, which may dent the school’s brand.
Any school that is competitively or profitably run must always strive to protect its brand so that it is not ruined by negative publicity.
This includes perception management.
Customer perception has an effect on the enrolment and, consequently, funding of the organisation.
Consider a school that hires highly qualified and competent educators such as headmasters/mistresses that have a track record of producing distinctive pass rates wherever they are employed.
This alone appeals to parents and learners.
For instance, there is a school in Masvingo that has gained a reputation for producing straight-A students both at Ordinary and Advanced Level.
Although students who are enrolled there pass with flying colours, chatter has been circulating that the institution’s studying regime is military-like because the educators tend to be very strict.
In other words, the school has managed to build its brand reputation on purity of clear and quality educational goals.
2. Student Enrolment
Schools always battle it out to be the best when it comes to rankings, and I have noticed that each year when the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) releases results for both Ordinary and Advanced Level, the newspapers run a top 100 ranking of all the schools in the country.
It is a good move, which I personally think helps to motivate other educational institutions to improve on their ranking.
However, this also seems to put pressure on the top-ranked schools when it comes to their future enrolment.
As a way of maintaining the top spot, these schools tend to take students who are already academically gifted.
When enrolling Form One or Lower Six learners, certain schools have certain minimum passes and standards that they only consider.
Remember, schools that continually experience a decline in enrolment will eventually close down, and this is common in poorly run private schools.
In order to avert such closures, schools must offer good customer service; that is to say, the school authorities (from administrators, teachers and support staff) must work collectively to satisfy the needs and wants of both the parents and students.
When schools deliver according to expectations, enrolment rarely drops, and they will be able to retain students up until they leave for tertiary education.
3. Competition
As more players scramble to provide educational services, it is now a dog-eat-dog situation, especially for private schools. In decades past, it was necessary that students physically attend brick-and-mortar schools, but nowadays students can learn online and still acquire the requisite qualifications.
With more options available for students, traditional schools must become more competitive.
If a school wants to stand out against its competition, it must have the right customer service skills.
These skills will help it to go above and beyond in ensuring it fosters positive customer experiences for its targeted customers.
Above all, it is the responsibility of educators to satisfy their customers by providing a learning experience that is not only positive but also in accordance with the curriculum.
***Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments, suggestions and training, she can be reached on [email protected] or on +263 712 979 461, 0719 978 335, 0772 978 335
Online Reporter