Customers must have the best possible experience when they are choosing a school. The focus should be firmly on constant improvement of service by all staff along with developing innovative learning experiences that create value for families.

The relationship between service quality, customer satisfaction and profitability are intrinsically linked. Service Quality can have both positive and negative outcomes depending on the level of service and whether it is meeting or exceeding a customer’s expectation. Schools often forget they are service providers as well as educators. From the registrar, school receptionist, teachers, coaches through to the Principal, each interaction you have with a parent or student influences their perception of your brand.

Good Service sets you apart from your competitors Bad Service can lead to poor reputation, low enrolments and retention issues.

So, what do we mean when we speak of Service Quality?

Service researchers argue – that service quality is dependent on service process and service delivery, both must be consistent to influence customer perception. Service quality is often defined from a customer’s perspective as a high standard of performance that consistently meets or exceeds customers’ expectations.

Do all your staff consistently deliver high levels of service? In a school setting, students are the customers as well as their parents. With every touch point, we are constantly creating an image of the school; it’s staff and facilities. From service at the tuckshop, meetings with career advisors, teaching staff and even the Dean of Students, each interaction leaves a lasting impression on your customers (students) and their overall perception of the service quality associated with your brand. Gone are the days where teachers are there only to teach. Today they need to add value to the student’s experience and a display a high level of professionalism at all times including:

• Expectations around presentation: role model Providing positive interactions: student/teacher
• Possessing a high level of communication skills: timely replies to parent emails, support for students around assessment and understanding concepts
• Expertise/ knowledge in their subject area
• Delivering a high standard of lessons: engaging students with exciting content that is relevant and relatable

These are all aspects of service quality and students as well as parents will measure your delivery against their perception of a high standard and their expectation of your school.

Customer experiences, influence customer satisfaction levels and intern the perception of value offered by your school compared to your competitors.

So how is service quality, productivity and profitability related?

Research by Jochen Wirtz and Christopher Lovelock into service marketing highlight that there is often a trade-off between productivity and customer satisfaction. An example would be if a school increases teacher’s workloads making them work longer and faster resulting in students feeling rushed or unwanted. There is often a trade-off between higher productivity and customer satisfaction which has resulted in negative customer experience and lower customer satisfaction.

So, is customer service the answer to more satisfied students and parents?

Start by reinventing customer experience: stress with all staff how important it is to engage students and parents, how to add value to their educational experience of a brand, how to create desire and demand that will help drive enrolments and intern profitability. As leaders within schools getting the balance right is hard, and it is in constant flux. Happy, valued staff, work harder and are more productive which results in more satisfied engaged students. High levels of customer satisfaction create customer loyalty and positive word of mouth.

More student’s, greater funds, better programs and facilities it’s that simple.

In today’s ever-changing world consumers want customisation, personalisation and instant gratification. The expectation around service and value is high due to the full range of choices, especially in the education sector and schools. Embed the concept of delivering exceptional service in every element of your school offer, and it might just be the key to your success.

Everything can be messaged instantly to a global audience. Love, it or hate it, digital media is here to stay; it is here to enhance our customer experience with our beloved brands.