You Are the School!
Submitted by Allyson Wynne, Citibank, The Student Loan Corporation

Students will judge the entire school by the kind of experience they have with you! The school has neither personality nor voice—except yours! Many students deal with the Financial Aid Office before they’ve met their professors. You may very well be the first person they meet and you have the power to make or break that interaction! The Financial Aid Office often holds the key as to whether the student is able to attend your school or not. You (figuratively speaking) possess the key for the students future…You are the school!

When anyone comes to the office or calls the school and talks to you, you are the school to them. They will tell others what “the school” did or didn’t do for them. They won’t be talking to the university president—they will be talking to you! So, what can you do to set a positive tone for your university? Provide outstanding customer care!

How do you provide exceptional service to your customers?...By understanding what your student and/or parent customer wants. The following is a list of items that always receive high marks on customer service surveys:

Competence – You have the ability to deliver the service advertised by the sign on your door: “Financial Aid.” Students know that “Financial Aid” doesn’t mean bags of money. It does mean help with a difficult and critical hurdle.

Attentiveness – They want to be recognized as present and, when it’s their turn, they want you to give them your full attention and concern. This is not an automatic. Its eye contact, body language, and focus on the conversation, sensitivity to nuances. Most Financial Aid Offices are open and busy places. You have to make an effort not to be distracted.

Taking Ownership – They want you to take responsibility for addressing their need. They don’t want excuses or buck-passing. Never say “It’s not my job.” You can refer them to someone else and still keep ownership. “I’m Mr. Jones. If by chance you run into a problem, come back to me and we’ll figure it out together.”

Respect – They want to be treated like human beings. They don’t want to feel scolded or talked down to. The risk of patronizing a student is real because in the Financial Aid Office, you have the power position: age, turf, title, control of the resources, and knowledge about the processes.

Sensitivity – They appreciate being heard out. They appreciate having their emotions and individuality recognized and taken into account. Dealing with financial aid issues is scary stuff for students. You may have done this 1,000 times, but for them, it’s a first. Using their name helps.

Kept Promises – They want you to do what you say you’ll do and when you say you’ll do it. Don’t make promises you can’t keep and don’t forget to follow-up and follow-through.

Here are some additional tools to keep in mind when interfacing with a student customer: Be a good listener and give the customer your full attention. Accept responsibility, do everything you can to be helpful. The customer doesn’t care who is to blame; they want the problem fixed. Try to avoid the “poison phrases” that customers don’t like to hear. For example: I don’t know. We can’t do that. Who told you that? When you wait until the last minute…

Keep in mind when communicating that your words account for only 8% of the meaning, tone of voice contributes to 37% to the meaning of your message, and body language accounts for 55% of what you are communicating to a customer. These numbers can be summarized by the age-old saying, “It’s not so much what you say, but how you say it!” Practice saying this sentence: “Where have you been?” Say it to yourself as though you are angry, then happy, and then surprised. As you will see in doing this exercise, the words are the same. It is your tone of voice and your expression that is really “speaking” here.

The Golden Rule for customer care is to treat each student as you would want someone else to treat your son or daughter. If you really care about the student, you will give good customer service!

Allyson Wynne is a Professional Development Manager with Citibank – The Student Loan Corporation. She regularly presents seminars for financial aid office personnel.