Communication has been shown consistently to be a key element of
retention for online and other remote learners. A lack of communication
between students and instructors, unanswered questions, or shuffling
of students from one place or phone to another without meeting their
needs has been cited as a major cause for course drops. “Some
administrators and faculty members attribute the lower rates in
distance-education courses to demographics, saying that distance-education
students are often older, and thus busier, than traditional college
students. However, others blame the nature of distance education,
arguing that online and television courses will never be able to
supply the personal interaction that some students crave”.
Setting up a communication center – based on website, e-mail,
and phone-based services – can be a key element of assuring
that communication occurs, helping students receive the support
they need. Some communication centers offer students a virtual “one-stop-shop”
for support services where a simple call can provide the financial
aid, advisement, and registration support to begin classes. Once
registered, students can reach other services electronically and
may be contacted regularly from the center to assure connection
and communication continues.
Types of Communication Centers
Communication centers come in a variety of types, styles and sizes
and can be tailored to accommodate the needs of the college and
the resources available to manage it. A communication center may
be set up as an inbound and/or outbound call center. Or, it may
be set up as a full service communication center which would be
more efficient and appropriate for online students.
Inbound Call Center
A communication center that primarily focuses on managing incoming
calls will receive those calls and answer basic or routine questions
but transfer a large portion of the calls for more specific information.
Many colleges and universities operate with this model of centralizing
incoming calls but do not take the concept to the next level; extended
services. The caller will often have to be transferred numerous
times to resolve a variety of questions that will likely involve
different departments. For example, a student may initially call
with a basic question (i.e. hours of operation) and then ask about
financial aid. Once transferred to the Financial Aid Office, it
may be determined that the student must complete an admission application
resulting in a transfer to the Admissions or Registrar’s Office.
Inbound call centers help to centralize incoming calls but only
temporarily relieve the burden on individual departments because
they often result in transferred calls. Another disadvantage in
having an inbound call center is that they do not directly assist
in recruitment and retention efforts as an outbound call center
does.
Outbound Call Center
Outbound call centers focus on making contacts on behalf of various
departments and aiding in recruitment and retention efforts. An
outbound communication center can be designed to fulfill requests
for information (by phone or email) from students and/or other departments
within the college. Outgoing calls and emails managed in one area
are an efficient way to notify students of upcoming events, alert
them to unusual or unexpected class information such as cancelled
classes, changed meeting times or classrooms, etc. A few examples
of contacts that can be made for various departments include:
• Recruiters: prospective student contacts; fulfilling requests
for information
• Business Office: notification of various payment due dates
and options for students dropped for non payment
• Registrar’s Office: returned mail/incorrect address
verification; clarification of information on admission application
• Financial Aid: availability of funds; clarification of information
on financial aid application
• Instructors: student failure to access WebCT/Blackboard
• Advisors: schedule appointments
• Testing: contacts for failure to show up for scheduled tests
Live person contacts to prospective students can have a dramatic
effect in the recruitment process. Prospective students may be the
traditional student who is a recent high school graduate; an older
student who needs to update job skills; or even seniors taking classes
for fun. In any case, prospective students who have expressed an
interest in furthering their education are often in a delicate position
in which contact with a live person can tip the scale in favor of
them taking the next step to enroll. Recent high school graduates
are often nervous about the future and uncertain about career possibilities.
Non-traditional students often lack confidence in their ability
to fit in based on their age or the length of time they have been
out of school. A live person contact can alleviate fears by answering
questions and providing information and encouragement. A full service
communication center can possibly resolve all questions and assist
the student with procedures to get enrolled with fewer, if any,
transfers.
Full Service Communication Center
In many cases, inbound and/or outbound call centers focus on answering
or making calls but do not focus on resolving problems as their
primary goal. Full service communication centers are a combination
of the inbound and outbound call center models with the additional
service of immediate resolution of problems and minimal transfers.
A student may seek support for multiple issues, from technical difficulties
with online delivery of courses to information on financial aid
deadlines, and the institution could contact the student with critical
information. The size and goals of the institution will determine
the best type of communication center to set up and what benefits
the institution will realize. However, providing support for online
students in the most convenient and accessible manner while eliminating
the need to transfer calls to another department is one of the most
critical reasons for setting up a communication center. With knowledgeable
and empowered agents who can resolve both procedural and technical
problems, a full service communication center can provide exceptional
customer service and aid in the recruitment and retention of students.
In all types of communication centers whether inbound, outbound
or full service, the level of service provided will be determined
by the structure and purpose of the institution.
Call Tracking
By centralizing communication, colleges can diagnose a technical
problem with a system more rapidly than if the reports were being
made in several departments across the campus or college system.
A reliable call tracking phone system is critical in analyzing call
volume and planning the staffing of a communication center. The
ability to obtain data through a communication center is an important
benefit to the college to ensure efficiency and effectiveness of
the staff. Researching call volume and traffic by analyzing the
number and type of requests, response to marketing campaigns, etc.
can help the institution recognize trends, peak periods, and is
an efficient use of college resources. In addition, this type of
tracking allows administration to make more effective staffing,
marketing, advertising, and purchase decisions. The following charts
are examples of the software used at Amarillo College for this purpose.
Figure one shows the number of calls by day for the week of June
4-9, 2007 and includes how many calls were abandoned. The data in
this chart is captured from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm and includes times
of the day that the center is not open, which is one reason for
some of the abandoned calls. For further analysis, Figure 2 indicates
call volume and abandoned calls during specific times of the day.
Figure 1
An hourly comparison of call volume on June 4, 2007 indicates that
between 3:00 – 4:00 pm abandoned calls increased slightly.
This is may be due to shift changes and breaks or other shortages
in staff due to vacations, unexpected absences or training. A manager
can research possible reasons and make adjustments to the staffing
schedule if the abandoned call rate is unacceptable. Historical
data can be used to compare call volume and staffing needs from
previous years or registration times.
Figure 2
Benefits to the Institution
Providing a live person to answer the phone, that is knowledgeable
and empowered to resolve problems without transferring the caller
all over campus, is an enormous public relations benefit to the
institution. Providing prompt answers to questions and first call
resolution to problems results in exceptional customer service and
improves customer satisfaction.
Specific benefits realized by Amarillo College’s communication
center are:
• Cost savings through efficient use of human resources by
sharing AskAC staff with the walk-in service center
• Cost savings by shifting the processing of routine data
in various departments to the evenings by AskAC staff as opposed
to during the busiest times of the day
• Student satisfaction as a result of first call resolution
to problems and reductions in transferred calls
• Extended hours of operation and live person contacts for
all departments resulting in an increase in quality of in person
services and increased efficiency
• Departments can focus on critical work that needs to be
accomplished (i.e. Financial Aid awards) rather than answering the
phone
• Another method of delivery of services to students that
gives them choices in the way they want to be served (in person,
on the phone, by email and/or chat feature)
Some of the retention and recruitment oriented services provided
by the communication center are:
• Assistance in navigating the website (registration and
login in problems) during extended hours
• Follow-up contacts for student problems identified by instructors,
advisors, or as a result of a student call
• Outgoing calls to notify students of upcoming special registrations
or other student activities
• Contacts for program advisors and instructors
• High school contacts
The Inbound Communication Center: Amarillo College –
Ask AC
On September 1, 2005, Amarillo College, with a core group of employees
chosen from three different service areas within the college, established
an inbound communication center. The Assistance Center (still in
operation), established in July 1998, is a combined walk-in only
service center that provides registration, payment and financial
aid services. The START (Student Tracking and Recruitment Team)
Center (replaced by AskAC), established in the summer of 2001, was
a prospective call center that worked closely with the recruiters
making outbound calls and fulfilling requests for information. The
college operator was transferred to AskAC along with all incoming
calls that went to the college’s main phone number. Combining
the two service centers with the operator was the beginning of AskAC,
Amarillo College’s original inbound communication center.
As a result of the success in managing all incoming calls and the
increased training of staff and transfer of college processes, it
has become a full service communication center.
In addition to the main college former START Center phone numbers,
AskAC now answers the Registrar’s, Financial Aid, Distance
Education Helpdesk and one of the off campus Assistance Center’s
main phone numbers. There have been and continue to be obstacles
and challenges to overcome but the end result is a tremendous benefit
for the student and the institution.
Challenges
Initial challenges for AskAC began with determining the leadership,
job duties, pay grades, hours of operation and training needs while
managing the staffing for extended hours without adding any new
employees. Staffing challenges included how many employees would
be needed and if they should be full or part time.
Many areas within the college were skeptical that it could be possible
to provide so much service in one department and obtaining “buy-in”
took some time. As each department saw the results from other departments,
they began to contact AskAC for help with data entry and/or phone
service.
Physical location was not a problem initially but currently AskAC
has outgrown the space. Finding adequate space is still a challenge
because other departments are facing similar challenges and relocating
multiple offices will be necessary.
The overall vision at Amarillo College is to provide “anytime,
anywhere” student service. There will always be challenges
but the possibilities are limitless if there is leadership support
and some “out of the box” type thinking. No matter what
approach an institution chooses, it is clear that a communication
center is a successful way to provide service in a more efficient
way, especially for the distance learner with a nontraditional schedule.
Setting Up a Communication Center
A communication center will take a lot of time and planning to
set up. The first order of business for any institution is to decide
the mission and scope of the center. Staffing concerns, physical
location, and other issues will need to be decided. The largest
concerns will come from the scope of work the communication center
will handle.
One consideration is that call volume will not be a steady variable
so centers must have “meaningful work” to accomplish
during slower business times. Institutions can benefit from the
additional data-entry personnel, recruiting calls, and personal
contacts to prospective students. These representatives can also
be trained to respond to email inquiries, to handle technical support
for online courses and other computer related issues for students
and employees.
Services Provided
One of the first issues that will arise with the development of
a communication center will be the determination of the level of
empowerment of the personnel within the department. Depending on
the level of empowerment, students could be served for most issues
without having to transfer the call to someone else in the institution.
Resetting passwords; checking holds; taking payments; clearing business
office holds; clearing students for registration; and scheduling
appointments for testing or advising are all options that an institution
can choose to make a part of their service center.
Empowering the center’s staff is often an evolutionary process.
Job descriptions and grading are determined by the level of service
that will eventually be provided in the communication center. However,
when the center first opens all services will likely not be implemented.
Amarillo College’s approach to solving this problem is an
example of a solution that has worked well. Amarillo College’s
Human Resources developed an innovative approach to advancing personnel
to the next grade level as additional services and responsibilities
were implemented. The positions were graded and posted according
to the end goal for service to be provided with the entry level
position two grades lower. Initially, staff hired was informed that
as new services were added to their responsibilities, they would
advance to the next grade level at the supervisor’s discretion,
however, they must advance within a two year time limit. As a communication
center develops, and new hires begin their jobs with more job duties
than were expected in the beginning, the advancing grade model may
no longer be necessary unless the institution chooses to use it
as a model for gradual learning of the job.
Staffing and Hours of Operation
Another issue to be decided when creating a communication center
is determining staffing needs and hours of operation. A mix of full
and part time staff will provide the desired level of experience
while keeping costs down. In most cases, part-time and full-time
staff has the same skills. Having some part time staff whose hours
can be extended during busy times is an added benefit that results
in cost savings and efficiency for the institution. Staffing the
communication center with student workers can be a cost saving option,
but students can bear little responsibility especially with sensitive
or confidential information in relation to current FERPA regulations.
Also student workers are less likely to remain in the communication
center long enough to develop the necessary job skills. Depending
upon the level of empowerment within the service center, professional
staff may be required.
Communication centers must offer extended hours of operation to
include evenings and weekends which is especially important for
distance education students. Amarillo College determined the optimal
hours of operation by analyzing the call volume through the phone
system tracking. Original hours were 8:00 am–6:00 pm (Monday–Friday),
but have been extended to 7:00 am–9:00 pm (Monday–Thursday),
7:00 am–6:00 pm (Friday), and 10:00 am–3:00 pm (Saturday).
Research of other college’s helpdesks indicates similar approaches
to extended hours. South Texas College is more limited: 7:30 am–6:00
pm (Monday–Thursday), closing at 5:00 pm on Friday and no
weekend service . The University of Wisconsin’s helpdesk hours
are more aggressive: 8:00 am–11:00 pm (Monday–Thursday),
1:00 pm–5:00 pm (Saturday), and 1:00 pm–9:00 pm (Sunday)
. Since human resources are essential to providing extended hours,
continued analysis of the call volume and possible reorganization
of college-wide staffing will determine if Amarillo College can
increase service hours.
Planning and Administrative Support
The critical factor with an endeavor of this magnitude is administrative
support. Without a clear direction and supportive leadership, situations
can arise where the center is expected to handle problems they are
not given the tools to manage. It is also critical to obtain “buy-in”
from the leaders of various departments within the college. By bringing
on department leadership, pooling the knowledge base and cross-training
the staff of the service center, it is possible to implement a communication
center without hiring additional personnel.
Creating a committee during the construction period for the center
is an important step in effective planning and a smooth transition.
The committee responsibilities should include research of other
institutions that have implemented a similar communication center
or live helpdesk and making contacts with key personnel to determine
best practices. The Amarillo College committee visited a local call
center to get an idea of the scope of the endeavor and a visual
of how the center might operate. The committee also researched information
available on the web for best practices in providing online student
services such as WICHE’s Guide
to Developing Online Student Services. The committee was comprised
of key student services staff and administrators that would be involved
in the implementation of the communication center. Although establishing
a committee can be a major obstacle to smaller institutions where
every person is critical in their position, the benefits will outweigh
the problems.
Another element of planning is determining the staffing. This can
be tricky since financial resources are limited in most institutions.
The finances required in setting up and staffing a communication
center is the biggest obstacle to work out. Amarillo College was
able to implement a communication center without adding any new
positions by combining resources and job responsibilities from various
departments. The college benefits in a more efficient use of college
resources when transferred personnel retain some or most of their
original duties while providing the services and staffing required
for extended hours in the communication center.
Amarillo College Model
AskAC started its communication center with five full time staff
and has grown to seven full time and four part time employees through
reorganization and transfers of staff and responsibilities. Personnel
were reassigned from various departments according to the following
timeline:
Year 1 – START Center (3), operator (1) and the Assistance
Center Director
Year 2 – DE Helpdesk (2); Registrar’s Office (2PT)
Year 3 – Assistance Center (2PT)
Technology
Phone System
Managing calls with a phone system that provides specific information
on the number of calls answered and abandoned, peak calling times
and call types is an effective tool in scheduling staff and determining
the best hours of operation. It is important to have a well-trained
staff, versed in phone support for the institution’s online
course delivery systems (WebCT/Blackboard). Any computer-based technology
that a student would interface with will need technical support.
Staff must be able to understand those systems well enough to provide
assistance via phone or email.
Website Self-service Features
In addition to a well-created department website, self-service
features such as a knowledgebase, message boards, chat, and email
are essential tools in providing instant support for distance education
students. A knowledgebase allows students to ask a question and
receive a response without the need to contact the communication
center by phone, email or chat. Message boards provide the technology
for students to interact and help each other. This can be especially
important for online students who do not get the face-to-face contact
with other students. Chat features offer another option for getting
instant information and are becoming a customer expectation for
quick service. A poll asking if a chat feature would be used was
posted on Amarillo College’s website and everyone responded
with yes. As a result, an open source chat feature was then posted
on the Distance Education, Registration and Financial Aid web pages
with instant success and positive responses. This provided the information
necessary to make the final decision to purchase the chat feature
available with the current phone system.
Developing Website Content: Amarillo College Process
Technology is a critical element in providing online support for
distance education students. Use of the content on the college web
page can be a useful tool for agents in communicating accurate information
in a timely manner.
Amarillo College implemented a Content Management System (CMS)
with branches set up for every department. Administrators from each
department were selected and trained in the processes for entering
information on the website. The project took approximately two years
to complete due to training and not all branches went live at the
same time. At Amarillo College, it was determined that it makes
more sense to have each department responsible for maintaining the
content on their web pages rather than a webmaster who is not as
familiar with the content.
All Amarillo College employees use the website information to answer
questions and direct students to the information on the web so they
can self serve. The AskAC staff has developed frequently asked questions
(FAQ’s) from the web content to use as a training tool for
new employees. Creating the FAQ’s was originally intended
as an exercise for current staff to become familiar with where to
find information quickly and provide answers without transfers but
the FAQ’s eventually became used as a self-service tool. Since
the website information is critical to providing accurate and complete
information in a timely manner, navigating the website in-training
is essential.
Conclusion
Colleges and Universities struggle to continue constant growth,
both in physical size and technology with limited resources. One
of the growing pains that all institutions of higher education have
felt as students have begun utilizing distance education options
is the lack of personal, face-to-face service. A communication center
is a way to synthesize that customer service over a distance while
becoming more efficient with financial and human resources.
References
Amarillo College (AskAC information) http://www.actx.edu/
Carr, Sarah. As Distance Education Comes of Age, the Challenge is
Keeping the Students. February 11, 2000. The Chronicle of Higher
Education. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v46/i23/23a00101.htm
Guide to Developing Online Student Services (General Information)
http://www.wiche.edu/telecom/resources/publications/guide/guide.htm
South Texas College (Helpdesk hours) http://www.southtexascollege.edu/itshelp/
University of Wisconsin (Helpdesk hours) http://online.uwc.edu/StudentServices/
