Viewing the Student as a Customer
WOW!
It was so interesting for me to view my students as my customer! I have always thought of them as someone who HAD to be in school and that I was doing them a "favor" (not providing a "service").
It makes total sense that if I change how I percieve them, it wil in turn change how I treat them.
Most of our students are paying alot of money to be in school and I should view my roll as the reason.
Very enlightening!
My responses to students have improved to be always "positive" this makes the academic experience rewarding. Any of us who have undergrad or graduate degrees can attest to the facilitators who treated each of us properly.
I think that in any business there is a consumer, and a product or service. Although not so obvious, students are the consumers of the school, and without them the school will not succeed; therefore, it's essential to do, under feasible circumstances, what the consumer wants, and this means understanding how they feel, how they shop, etc. Focusing business around the consumer is a win-win for both sides.
Let me present an alternative answer. Although having the 'student as a customer' mindset is useful from a retention and marketing perspective, the student is also a client, much like a doctor or lawyer has clients. They come to college because they have problems, mostly economic. Career college students are not attending to have fun like they sometimes do in some public universities. They are also often at a big disadvantage. This applies not only to the way they learn, but the way they carry themselves, their attire, their use of language and a myriad of daily personal obstacles; lack of family support, babysitter challenges, health challenges, and even gas money to get to school. I am in awe everyday of the resilience of some of my students.
Having an additional perspective on a student as a client, helps us as teachers to see a student holistically. We need to think to ourselves, 'what about this student might prevent them from having a career in the industry?' For example, we would never tell a retail customer that their breath stinks, or that they need to take a bath, or wear clean clothes. Yet, that is exactly what we should do if someone is a student client. They are paying us to reshape them, mentally, socially and emotionally to compete for world class jobs that are literally globally competitive. To fail at this is to not give the 'customer' what they are paying for.
I agree we Manufacture a product. The student is our product. When we finish our product should be first quality and our customer (an automotive garage) should want our product to be in there garage. I take pride when I see a student having a great job and Happy. A by product will be that they make lots of money!!!!!!!!!!
Viewing our students as customer should make us aware of how we are treating them daily. Everyone deserve to be treated with respect even if they are students.
Keeping a student viewed as a customer also allows us to remember what it was like when we were students and what would have helped us.
Relating my own personal thoughts and emotions to the "customer" aspect of the school enviornment helps me focus on providing the best overall experience for the student. My daughter recently attended school and was worried about what to expect. Additionally, a friend who is very dear to me chose to attend school and sought my advice. I told both of them that school would be a great decision, that they should apply themselves, and that instructors and staff would stand behind them. My daughter enjoyed her experience very much. My friend on the other hand had ONE horribly uncomfortable situation with an instructor. My friend wanted to quit and I was devastated. I assured my friend that this was likely a "one time occurrance" and that I felt my friend was clearly cut out for the career they were attending school for. My friend has since continued school and has had a much more enjoyable time, and is learning a lot. But this is always in the back of my mind. I want the students to KNOW their decision to attend school was the correct one, and that we all stand behind them.
It sounds like you are really in this for the students! Even though you have a personal connection to those mentioned in your post. It's important at the end of the regardless of the relationship, that each student get what they need from their institution, like you said. Thank you for your post!
