The State of Customer Service in Universities

Student behind laptop

Higher education costs a lot of money these days and you can read or hear about tuition costs or student credit payments everywhere you go.

Gaining knowledge is a privilege that opens many doors for one’s future career to prosper so maintaining its quality requires some crowdfunding. To improve this quality students have to pay tuition which is getting higher every year, so many started asking if current studying costs are really justifiable. Everybody wants to get value for their invested money which means high quality of services that any university can offer to its students. The colleges around the country are aware that they have to keep up with student’s expectations so they are making efforts to adjust and upgrade their level of customer service.

Free Education For All

The dream of free education or free access to knowledge is a noble one but in reality, it is very hard to achieve it while maintaining the quality of studies. If a university cares about providing its students the latest top-quality services, some cash needs to be invested, and that cash comes from tuition costs. Organizing campus, lectures, or distributing books costs money, as well as using university libraries or recreation areas. The school cafeteria is the place where each student can feel the level of his college investments by observing the quality of his prepared meals. Some universities offer free parking space for their students and wi-fi or basic healthcare has become a standard for schools around the country.

There are many complaints these days concerning the quality of customer service at universities and their approach in handling this issue. Some students are concerned that they pay too much money without getting equal value in services in return. Some even say that one can get a free education online that is of the same quality as traditional education. All the universities these days are selling their authority and diplomas at high prices, while online education is starting to catch up with them. This may be the general opinion among many students, especially in IT studies, as some entry-level jobs in this industry do not even require having a bachelor’s diploma.

Modernizing Education

Many Ivy League universities provide their students with top-notch modern lectures and give them access to a vast database of knowledge. Maintenance or upgrade of these databases is essential for the quality of one’s studies. Universities should however provide their pupils with proper sources for their studies and digitalize the process of obtaining these precious data.

The lack of modern thinking is the number one concern among students when it comes to customer service that they expect. Many bureaucratic procedures are obsolete and frustrating and take too much time or paperwork. Even checking in can take too long, or resolving simple complaints while enrolling in one’s next semester. These are the little issues that bug each student who is planning to enter a certain college, and they can be resolved by modernizing service departments and treating students like customers. Each student wants to feel secured and provided and comfortable in his new home where he might spend a couple of years studying, learning, and meeting new people.

Student studying at university

Taking Proactive Approach

This relationship between students and universities should be like comradery and not like serving customers at 7-Eleven. We are in this together, so the process of integrating students into the campus, providing lectures, and every kind of support is a two-way street. If having a better level of customer service improves the overall quality of higher education, that means we shall make better professionals and experts of all sorts in the future. Students pay tuition, they use all presented services, so this level of provided services needs to be top-notch. From signing up to receiving your diploma, it should be one big journey that universities and scholars take together.

Universities should provide help regarding every step you take during your studies so there should be an open discussion about this because it seems that they are selling themselves short. Understanding this issue takes time, as our education system has become one money-making machine, instead of being one free knowledge depository. Perhaps, with our joint efforts, we can change this and make our college experience much more pleasant than it is. Each college customer service should give special importance to the feedback it gets from its pupils. They should listen to their complaints and use this feedback to upgrade or improve the level of their services.

Upgrading higher education is a process concerning national interests, as universities are breeding grounds for people who will shape our future one day. It is unimaginable that customer service departments today do not keep in touch with modern technology or student’s needs. From that moment when applying for admission to the moment of graduation, every interaction on campus should be smooth and easy. It is important that we talk about this and make some changes together. Moving forward, upgrading our ways of thinking, making procedures easy, or eliminating bureaucracy are all goals that we should be striving toward.

About the Author

Susanne Inglewood, MA, CBA, a contributing writer at the Paperell website that helps with essay and other academic paper. She is specialized in education, culture, and online learning. Susanne is a former teacher and an online lecturer with more than 15 years of experience in tutoring and lecturing. She is passionate about helping eager young minds to explore and use their full potential.

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