community college | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 8

Home  /  Educate on Profits  /  community college

Energy v. Apathy - 4/22/25


I asked a couple friends who are much more scientifically-oriented the question: What is energy?  I didn’t mean E=MC2.  I meant physiologically, what is energy? They described a lot of things that sounded really good, yet far too advanced for my non-medical mind. Part of the reason why energy is of Read more

Prep Enough to Personalize - 4/15/25


Everybody loves Howie.  He is an account rep for the local air conditioning and heating company.  When I say Everybody loves Howie, I’m definitely talking about the customers.  His co-workers love him too, but customers are especially fond of him.  They seem to really enjoy their conversations with him, Read more

Get Your Customers to Brag, Not Bolt - 4/8/25


Here are two customer retention concepts that we discuss with some sports clients: BIRG and CORF.  BIRG is Basking In Reflected Glory.  CORF is Cutting Off Reflected Failure. You want BIRG.  You want the customers feeling so good about your organization that they want to be a part of your Read more

Narrow Your Focus to Seek Excellence - 4/1/25


You’ve probably heard companies use phrases such as: “We want to go from being good to great.”  Maybe they’ve said: “We strive for perfection, and although we’ll never reach perfection, maybe we can achieve excellence along the way.” These organizations find some kind of a catch phrase or slogan, but Read more

Avoid the Unfriendly Ghost - 3/25/25


Last week we talked about the qualities of “PERKI Customer Service,” essentially what attitudes and actions are characteristics of those who provide great customer service.  This week, let’s take the opposite approach.  What are some of the mistakes that people make?  Maybe these are mistakes of omission or commission; Read more

PERKI Customer Service - 3/18/25


After having worked on hundreds of projects over the years with thousands of thousands of individuals, some things become pretty clear. There are certain traits held by people who are great in customer service.  Look at this list, and do a self-assessment.  Which apply to you? Positive and Patient Do you Read more

It Helps to Downshift - 3/11/25


One of the first tips I heard when I was learning how to drive related to what to do when the brakes fail - downshift.  Shifting into a lower gear can slow down a moving vehicle.  I would explain this in technical terms to you, but considering I’m not Read more

Patience is… - 3/4/25


Patience is a…pain in the neck.  Why is it so hard to be patient?  Those of us who work in customer service know that we constantly have to show patience with our customers.  We’re ready to move to the next step or the solution because we’ve heard this issue Read more

Everybody Doesn’t - 2/25/25


Joey received the compliment, but he was confused.  Paula, his boss, and Joey had their monthly one-on-one meeting, and Paula noted that, although he was new, Joey was already doing a great job!  While there were learning curves on some of the organizational policies and the technology that he Read more

A Simple Phrase to Transform Your Customer Feedback Approach - 2/18/25


I went to a restaurant called Big Ed’s (no relation) in Raleigh, NC recently.  It’s basically country cooking with fantastic breakfast options!  On the menu there was a quote that said: If you enjoyed your meal, tell a friend.  If not, please tell us. That was an excellent statement that embodies Read more

•••••

Educate on Profits

Posted on February 4, 2010 in Business Advice, Education 1 Comment

Peter Waller, Chief Executive Officer of Corinthian Colleges, was speaking about the recent performance of the organization in terms of its financials late last year (http://seekingalpha.com/article/186144-corinthian-colleges-inc-f2q10-qtr-end-12-31-09-earnings-call-transcript). And one of the key areas he addressed as a part of that discussion was the improvement in student satisfaction.

Before I go further, what this CEO did was to link (early on in his conversation) financial performance to student/customer satisfaction.

To put meat behind his belief in the cause/effect relationships between these two measures of performance, he noted several major initiatives focused on driving increases in student satisfaction such as: ‘Major increases in faculty development, increased investment in student services personnel, investments in new technology in the classroom, and increased wireless bandwidth at the campuses.’ He stated that "We will continue to focus on creating an outstanding experience to students at every campus and every program. We believe that if our students are satisfied and find value in our services; we will continue to grow and ultimately create value for shareholders."

This is a leader who understands the link between satisfaction and financial performance. He measures that link. He invests in those things which should drive up student satisfaction, knowing how that impacts business success. He gets it.

Many leaders discuss the importance of customer service. But do they measure it? Do they make strategic decisions which may – short-term – cost money or require resources? Do they change operations, processes, and people to improve student or customer satisfaction because they understand the link to profits?

If the answers in your organization are "No, No, and No," then your leaders may need to gain a better understanding of what truly drives long-term success.

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more information at: http://www.cssamerica.com/


Understanding the “Community” Aspect of Community College

Posted on September 11, 2009 in Business Advice, Education Please leave a comment

When most people think of college, they think of going to an institution to learn. They think of the classes and the schoolbooks. They think of teachers and the classroom environment. In the world of community colleges, life is no different. However, when you think of the term “community college,” at some point we need to focus on the word “community.”

The word “community” is important because the community college typically supports a relatively small geographic region. It typically supports a population of people in close proximity.  What is said about the college, what is believed about the college can be transmitted from person to person very quickly in a community.  And so much of the success of community colleges is the success (or lack thereof) of that word-of-mouth – the conversation that takes place between family members and friends and co-workers about what experiences are like at a community college.

And that word-of-mouth is important.  It’s important because it helps to either raise the profile in a positive way such that people are drawn to the college, or it can bring down the general perception of the college such that individuals are unwilling to even give the college a chance.  And the perception that led to that word-of-mouth is often a perception in the mind of existing students who potentially could drop out or come back for additional courses. The perception is in the mind of potentially qualified employees who are considering where to work. If they hear great things, then they might apply for a job. If they hear awful word-of-mouth, then they may go elsewhere. So the perception that the community has of the community college can impact volumes, revenues, retention rates, and the ability to acquire and retain highly qualified employees.

Community colleges need to make sure they understand the drivers of the perception that others have of the institution, they need to understand how to develop relationships with the community, they need to understand how to create a culture of responsiveness and customer service, and they need to make sure that they are measuring this perception and acting on trends over time.

Make sure that the community has a positive perception of your organization.

Interested in improving your company’s customer service?  See more information at:  http://www.cssamerica.com/


« Previous   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8