CD of Video Online Seminar • Originally Broadcast November 12, 2007 • $259
90-minute recording of live online seminar available in CD or transcript format. Includes program handouts

If an institution doesn’t have good customer service, the institution’s going to lose students. For example, if prospective students try to get a question about financial aid answered but their calls aren't returned or they get stuck in red tape, they’re likely to enroll somewhere else. If current students get a sense that the staff and faculty in their major department don’t care about them, they’re likely to transfer to another school.

Customer service in higher education is different from customer service in other settings, so advice from the business world doesn’t always apply. There are certainly some business aspects to higher education, but in this setting sometimes the customer is wrong (on tests, for example). The key is in finding ways to convey that message in ways that make the "customer" (student) feel like a valued entity, and important in the life of the institution.

This program will help institution staff understand that academic customer service is key to increasing retention—which is key to improved population, revenue, and morale for students and employees.

Knowledge benefits for you:
• Learn how to use customer service to improve retention and enrollment
• Understand how customer service in academia differs from customer service in other settings
• Learn techniques that improve students’ first contact with their institutions
• Find ways to create a campus culture that makes students feel welcome
• Receive tips on communicating the importance of customer service to the rest of your campus
• Enjoy a fun but informative seminar that includes resources for further reading and study
• Have the chance to bring staff together to learn about and discuss this key retention topic

Who can benefit from hearing this seminar:
• Enrollment managers
• Admissions directors
• Registrars
• Financial aid administrators
• Administrative managers
• Supervisors
• Business officers
• Academic deans and provosts
• Directors of student recruitment and retention
• Student services directors
• Staffs of any office that interact with students—including student services, admissions, financial aid, and business offices, as well as academic departments

Listen to a preview

Featured Presenter:


Dr. Neal Raisman is the leading authority and consultant on customer service in higher education. Dr. Raisman’s number one selling book Embrace the Oxymoron: Customer Service in Higher Education has been purchased by 52% of all colleges in the U.S. His customer service blog, with its discussions of recent research and solutions to customer service issues, is widely read by colleges, universities and business that work with academia. And his years as a stand-up comedian make his writing always fun to read.

CD of Video Online Seminar • Originally Broadcast November 12, 2007 • $259
90-minute recording of live online seminar available in CD or transcript format. Includes program handouts