But..."Is the customer always right?
There is no doubt in my mind that the Student IS the customer. That said, that student is now a more informed and demanding customer. With more options for learners emerging every day the student has more choices for their learning. With more choices, students become more demanding. As learning get more flexible (asynchronous learning) and personalized, todays student expectation for flexible and personalized learning increases. The question stands, however: “Is the Customer always right†As a former Hospitality professional, and a current Hospitality educator and administrator the answer to that is “Noâ€. In order for our product to be of value we need to maintain standards. We set these standards as does our accreditation body. We can create personalized and flexible learning experiences but after we do so we need enforce the standards that we set. So if a student feels the policy on submitting late work or need cite sources properly, than no that student is not “rightâ€. In order to meet (or exceed!) customer satisfaction we need be sure that students have a realistic expectations. These expectations are formed in the enrollment, orientation, and in the first class or two.
So, “yes†the student is the customer. “Noâ€, the student is not always right. We need to set expectations and adhere to policies so students develop a realistic perception of what the school can and cannot do…and, just as importantly, what the is expected of them.
To a certain extent, yes. This idea needs further development and needs to be treated carefully.
Hi James,
They are not always right, and it should be explained to them when they are not right.
Patricia Scales
What I have found more to be true; after teaching for 11 years and working in a customer service type industry for 20 more years. The customer is not always right. But rather their "perception" is always right. If the customer is upset because something was not done to customer expectation then there was a breakdown in communication somewhere along the way from when the customer started and when they felt dissatisfaction. Something was not explained fully, and let the customer set their own expectation which may not be realistic. I have found that making sure both sides of a discussion are listening eliminates alot of head aches later.
For example, I will explain something to a customer and then ask feedback questions to make sure the customer understands what is happening and what realistic expectations are for services that are rendered. I have found that it may take a little longer, but the customers are happy with me and the product.
Hi Scott,
Experience is the best teacher. You have a great grasp on how to deal with customers. You have to deal with students the same way.
Patricia Scales
Many times the student feels as if he was a customer in a retail business, expecting to get exactly what he wants in the way that he wants. However they fail to realize that what they want and what they really need may be not be the same. The way I handle this is usually remind them of the long term goal of where they want to be, and that the path to that goal may take some turns that weren't anticipated, due to the fact that the ways that we develop our skills are based upon the unique individuals that we are.
Hi Robert,
Great advice to share with students. Students are not always right, and we have to get them to undersand that they are not always right, but we do everything in their best interest.
Patricia Scales
I agree. The student needs to be reminded why they are there. What were their goals when they took the course. I have an anecdote where I discuss going back in time to before "the customer is always right" and satisfaction guanranteed" were ever uttered and having a "conversation" (a baseball bat is involved)with the orignators of the concept. After the laughter subsides we have a serious discussion of the concept.
Hi Gerry,
Even adult students need to be reminded! Students have to be encouraged to keep their eyes on the prize!!
Patricia Scales
Great post. The 'saying' is a figurative one, not a literal one. It is meant to motivate the service industries' employee to recognize that the customer needs to be revered. It never matters whether the customer was treated poorly, all that matters is that the customer feels they were treated poorly. Having all the cards on the table and being up front about rules/policies/procedures can avoid misunderstandings in the future and help the customer feel they are being respected. The trick is recognizing where the customer is likely to become confused or frustrated and address those concerns ahead of time. Once the customer feels let down any organization will struggle to regain the customer's confidence.
Hi Ben,
You try to always keep the student happy, but sometimes they are just not going to like rules/policies/procedures. As an employee, we must enforce all three and at the same time try to keep a happy student.
Patricia Scales
