Service from a Distance

2/25/13 Service from a Distance

Increasingly, we conduct business with and provide services to our students in online  environments. We utilize the obvious email and web-site help forums but also social media and now Skype. For those of us who have been working in face-to-face student service and customer service jobs for a long time may find these virtual communications mediums a little uncomfortable. But this is the reality of the expectations of our digital native customers. We are used to “connecting” with our students in-person. We know and see the benefits of that personal connection. Yet, students don’t always feel the need to connect interpersonally with a human. Frequently they just want their needs met and have a built-in expectation that we would provide just as excellent and comprehensive service online as we do in-person. This, then, leaves us with (at least) two challenges… Provide outstanding service online and be cognizant of the consideration that many of our F2F customers might not be comfortable interacting in online environments. Are we meeting that challenge and exceeding those expectations?