Customer Centricity in International Schools

What does customer centricity in international schools mean? Many schools around the world would consider themselves customer-centric, but few know the real meaning of being customer-centric. Why is this, and how can you initiate the change?

One definition of a customer-centric policy could be: ‘All decisions, actions, and policies at all levels within a school need to be linked to an overarching goal of complete customer satisfaction.’ Breaking this down a little further, we can see those customer-centric schools make all their decisions – from the boardroom to the breezeways – with their customers’ needs in mind.

Examples where poor customer-centricity could exist include:

• Unnecessarily cumbersome admissions processes

• Parent communications systems and procedures

• Student-administration communications channels

• Extra-curricular activity offerings

• Changes to faculty contracts or perks without consultation

These examples, while not comprehensive, show how easy it is to forget that everything a school does needs to revolve around its customers. It is also important to note that there are both internal and external customers within a school setting. Recognizing who your customers are is a critical step in becoming a customer-centric school.

All too often, schools make decisions based on limited information, what's best for the board, or what's best for the bottom line - at least in the short term. A reputation for customer-centricity is hard-won and easily lost - keeping your customers, internal and external, at the core of all your decisions will yield long-term gains. If, for example, your school changes its medical coverage to a cheaper option that doesn't cover some of the essentials needed as an expatriate teacher, it may yield short-term gains but, in the long-term, it could have the opposite effect. I've often seen sought after and experienced teachers make decisions based on details such as medical coverage - if you are not attracting and retaining the best teachers, there is a chance that your reputation in the market could suffer and, as such, have a knock-on effect in regards to future enrollment. While this is a simplistic example, it highlights how one decision could have a butterfly effect on so many other aspects of the school.

So, what can schools do to improve on their customer-centricity?

1. Embed the policy in the core values of the school.

2. Continuously train faculty and staff on how to work with internal and external customers.

3. Review, Reassess, and Improve. Your customers are your best source of information – find an easy way to get their feedback, take it to heart, and make the necessary changes. Always ask yourself, are these changes based on the fundamental question – is this good for my customers?

To be a customer-centric school starts from the top and filters down to every level. It does take time, and it does take effort. For those who want to survive and thrive in this competitive climate, there is no other option. Without customers, what do you have?

Need help with your customer-centricity initiatives. Contact us today and let's see how we can put the customer first in your school.