Like it or not, parents pay tuition to send their children to private schools—and often have high expectations for that expense. They want to feel cared for by the school---confident that their children will be better positioned for future education and job opportunities because they chose a private-independent school.
Therefore, we have often stressed the importance of a “customer-service focused” culture. Your school culture is the front line of mission delivery and experience. When people feel that you genuinely care about them, they’re more likely to stay engaged and satisfied with your school.
This requires a focused mindset where faculty and staff have the skills and tools to support parents and students in every interaction. Creating a culture of customer service focus and effort starts with your school’s Leadership Team.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Customer Service Is Your Primary Differentiator
The last eight months have been tumultuous for everyone. Your school may be operating in a hybrid or fully remote learning model. You may not be able to allow people to visit your facilities and experience your programs. The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as a "great leveler.” Therefore, customer service might be your most vital differentiator.
For current families, customer service is paramount to your retention strategy. There may not be much else to distinguish you from the competition without the same activities, programs, and access to facilities you once had.
It would be best if you went above and beyond to take care of your current families right now. Teachers and leaders should continue to ensure families are adjusting well to an ever-changing landscape and that students feel supported in their classes.
For prospective families, virtual visits or one-on-ones will dictate what parents and students think of you. Demonstrate how you take care of your students, especially in uncertain times. Illustrate what you did for families when the pandemic hit and what you continue to do today.
When you master customer service, you convey your value—even when other programs and services aren’t available.
Tune in to live webinars every week during the school year to get specific, research-backed insight you can immediately apply at your school.
Make Customer-Service Acumen a Performance Expectation
Since customer service is so important, especially today, make it a non-negotiable for your employees. All teachers and staff members should have "customer-service acumen" listed as one of their Essential Expectations. This expectation would be in all interactions—not only with parents and students, but also all interactions between fellow faculty and staff, Board members, and grandparents must meet this standard.
Everyone connected to your school must think about customer service as integral to enrollment outcomes and your school’s success. When it comes to professional development, school leadership should devote time and resources as appropriate to help faculty and staff build their capacity.
Offer Professional Development and Training
Consider the following ideas to help your faculty and staff adopt a customer-service focused mindset.
- Create a book group. We recommend starting with service industry standards such as Disney's Be Our Guest or Ritz Carlton's The New Gold Standard. Both have been used with great success and can pierce the "bubble of uncertainty" to break down resistance barriers.
- Share stories. Consider featuring a five-minute service highlight at the beginning or end of each faculty meeting. Invite your staff members to share a customer service success story. This creates an ice breaker for starting meetings or an inspirational moment to wrap up the meeting. Establish the expectation that faculty could use similar strategies in their daily interactions to find similar success.
- Highlight successful employees. Identify customer-service champions who exceed expectations. For added fun, pass ownership of a totem, such as a small trophy.
Everyone must feel essential to the community. By elevating your customer-service culture, you have the opportunity to do something extraordinary. You can demonstrate value, service, and appreciation with actions that match your intentions. This helps bring your community together—attracting and retaining mission-appropriate families.
