Approximately 200 University of Maryland Eastern Shore frontline staff, managers and senior leadership participated in a workshop focusing on improving service excellence throughout the campus community.
The two-day seminar, entitled “Hawk Connections,” addressed a number of scenarios in which staff can utilize best practices to enhance front-facing customer service. The training was held in the Richard A. Henson Center.
“Our students are the reason that we are here, and without them none of this is possible,” said UMES President Heidi M. Anderson. “Improving our service quality, especially in challenging circumstances, improves our ability to attract and retain students. It also is a morale booster for everyone. Great service,” she noted, “can put a smile on your face.”
Subjects discussed during the first day of the session included the impact of customer service in higher education, how policies and practices affect customer service in higher education, and how active listening and good communication strategies can lead to positive customer service interactions.
“The goal overall is to enhance the student experience,” said Dr. Heath Boice-Pardee, Head of Practice, Service Excellence, for Academic Impressions, which presented the workshop. “We want to make sure that UMES has the tools to determine how to do that in a tailored way that fits this campus.”
Day two of the training centered on inclusive practices in customer service, the measurement and assessment of the culture of customer service, and assisting difficult customers.
Of the 200 employees who participated in the first two days of the seminar, 50 were selected as facilitators to help expand the reach of the training throughout the entire campus community.
This week, the staff and faculty will take an examination based on the information learned over the two days. Each participant who passes the exam will receive certification in service excellence after successful completion.
Amy Giordano, Senior Learning and Development Manager for Academic Impressions, was amazed by the empathy and strong sense of purpose she observed from UMES faculty, staff, and leadership in their respective roles.
“I have chills,” she said after listening to some of the examples discussed in a breakout session. “The spirit in this room you don’t find everywhere. The care and commitment I hear and feel in this room is amazing. The energy in this room is unreal.”
Boice-Pardee said that many of the processes and best practices learned in the training can be implemented incrementally while others are part of a longer-term initiative.
“Some of the customer service methods can be enacted right now,” he said. “Some of them are easy and simple where you can go back and change your voicemail greeting to a kinder, gentler message and it can be done right away.
Other changes, he noted, will take time as they’re implemented in stages and evaluated for effectiveness.
