Best Practices in Customer Service Guidelines for Advancement Services DRAFT -----

Transcription

1 Best Practices in Customer Service Guidelines for Advancement Services DRAFT Date: November 22, 2015 Prepared By: Lynne Becker with Aaron Forrest Category: Management Comments To: Lynne Becker Comment Period: December 1, 2015 to February 29, 2016 Description of Practice: Guiding principles for excellent customer service Prospective Users of Practice: All inclusive Advancement Services operations including Business Services, Advancement Reporting and Analysis, Strategic Talent Management and Systems Support, Donor and Alumni Records, Stewardship and Prospect Management and Research Issue Addressed: The often haphazard approach to customer service as a result of limited resources and lack of a well-planned, deliberate approach to meeting our customer needs. Desired Outcome: Mindful customer service planning, training and delivery in each of our areas AASP Recommendation: Note: Using Gail s preferred outline format for Best Practice(s) Customer Service Guiding Principles for Business Services Respond in a Timely and Professional Manner Responses that are clear and precise, communicated in a way that customer is receptive Timely, prompt and courteous An accurate representation of what is (not what should or should have been)

2 Positive attitude: smile, be welcoming and inviting Create an enjoyable work atmosphere Attentive to Customer Needs to Provide What, When, Why and How Solutions Team is knowledgeable/proficient in systems and policies to be able to provide meaningful help How can we say yes or negotiate an alternative Make doing business with us easy Provide High Quality Outcomes Facilitate outcomes that drive/support success Whatever it takes action Don t pass the buck Own the customer (if possible) Teach. Improve training. Customer Service Advancement Reporting and Analysis Positive Attitude Trust There is always time to make for a customer Smile/laugh and have fun Consider tone of voice and tone of Responsiveness to questions/requests within hours Ensure that we have the tools to communicate well, ensure that we understand one another Make it easy to work with us and the data Understand Customer Needs Make sure to understand requests The customer is always right (be prepared for a change to initial request) Work with customer to gauge overall needs associated with event/list/mailing/report Help ensure customer is clear about what they need The customer is never wrong (if product delivered is not what the customer wanted, it is not an acceptable product) Meet the Customer Need Provide accurate data/reports There is always a solution Meet the requested deadline Advancement Reporting and Analysis Reliability here to support whatever is needed and provide the right information Customer Service Strategic Talent Management and Systems Support Collaboration Trust and cooperation Transparency: share information Flexibility and agility o Helpfulness in answering questions o Helping beyond our scope when needed o Accommodating so we can say yes Have fun! Enjoy, smile, engage

3 Communication Professionalism o Demonstrate understanding of the customer s need o Help the customer feel confident about our understanding Listen attentively Timely response o Responsive within hours o Timeliness in giving appropriate training Feedback o Accepting feedback without defensiveness o Learning to frame feedback and identify the problem Strive for High Quality Outcomes Follow up o Own the problem and the hand-off o Reliability, including follow through with special requests Problem avoidance o Quality assurance; accuracy in giving answers o Technology updates o Mitigate risk o Being proactive Focus on finding solutions Customer Service Donor and Alumni Records Knowledgeable Assist gift officers and donors with gift and matching claim information Answer college/department questions Share knowledge Provide accurate feedback or gift handling (builds donor confidence in the organization) Gifts entered timely and correctly; timely receipting of all gifts Accommodate Customer Needs Efficient within processes/guidelines, here s what we can do Ensure that we have heard customer request/feedback Respond appropriately; demonstrate that we are concerned about the issues at hand Positive attitude: helpful, kind, keep donors happy Work together for common good/goals Responsive Ensure customers receive timely reply or service. and phone calls handled ASAP. Holding account transfers completed in a timely fashion once information is received. Focus on interdepartmental relationships. Customer Service Guiding Principles for Stewardship Understand the Customer s Needs Clarifies customer input

4 Sets (frames) expectations Resets expectations as needed Works Efficiently for High Quality Outcomes Built for ease of customer engagement (easy to work with) Mission driven Streamlined Focused on problem solving Delivered by High Functioning Team Professional in all aspects Timely, prompt service Practices relationship building, leadership and trust Has a positive attitude Customer Service Prospect Management and Research Understand Customer Needs Attention to detail: pay close attention to what the customer is needing Effective communications: tell me more about, help me understand Ask questions as needed; be respectful Get to know your customer; the better you become at anticipating needs Accommodating: always look for ways to help. As long as a request is reasonable, tell then you can do it. Partner and collaborate with all stakeholders Knowledgeable Must be informed and willing to share information Proficient at Best Practices Understand Division goals, projects and fundraising priorities Proficient with or updating/researching tools and resources Communicate regularly Quality Work Provide customers with high quality products(s) that help them to do a better job Accurate, error-free, professional image Protect the privacy of donors Relevant, correct information Reliable: meet commitments and timelines Responsive and timely Customer Service General Partnership Building and Subsequent Benefits Customer service is an opportunity to establish a relationship, share tools and information, and (hopefully) result in a feedback loop with Advancement Services and our customers leading to a decreased frequency of errors or data problems. It is only through knowing our customers and their needs well that we can work toward doing things right the first time. A preventative vs. detective control is best. For example: accommodating with a smile to clean up the issues created by event staff is great and good. However, proactively establishing

5 relationships and sending staff to attend event staff meetings where they are planning events (before the issues occur) is better. Establishing relationships and providing folks with the tools they need to do it right are always something to focus on instead of just fixing it after the fact over and over again. Sample Policies & Procedures/Resources: Note: Need examples of Policies and Procedures from our respective Best Practice Committee Chairs Why Customer Relations is Important in Higher Education by Teri Yanovitch Three reasons why customer service is important to higher education: 1. prestige and image 2. social, moral and ethical responsibility 3. financial viability So, what can be done? Higher education must create a culture of customer service that will define their brand and image. The following leadership actions will ingrain it into the fabric of the institution: Continuous communication and awareness Recruiting right fit employees Orientation and training Measurement and goal setting Recognition Accountability A Theory for Higher Education A Customer Service Model Tarleton State University by Reggie Hall The purpose of this paper is to propose a modern theory of higher education utilizing a customer service model. The theoretical framework for a customer service model includes constructs such as; marketing strategies, support services and continuous improvement. University of Houston Guidelines for Advancement Team Members 1. Be on the Advancement Team a. Be clear about your role on the team b. Think about how we can work together c. Share ideas d. Share credit 2. Be on the UH team

6 a. Be Tier One b. Know that UH depends on us to get to the next level 3. Consider yourself a professional a. Know your strengths and weaknesses b. Develop a plan to learn something new every quarter c. Know what is expected of you 4. Take responsibility for your role a. Know what happens because you are at UH b. Think about each day as a time to accomplish something important c. Never waste a day 5. Manage with data a. Determine the most important and helpful metrics together b. Look at the data early and often c. Develop protocols 6. Spend time on relationships a. Really get to know team members b. Meet our advocates each month, especially faculty and alumni 7. Make deadlines matter a. Use them to secure gifts b. Use them for tracking data c. Respect them when you ve been asked to work within a timeframe 8. Have fun a. This can and should be fun b. When it isn t fun, seek help to turn that around 9. Communicate wisely a. Keep each other informed b. Communicate downwards and manage up c. Be clear and direct with each other, especially when we don t agree 10. Trust a. Can you count on me? b. Can I count on you? c. Do we have each other s back?