1

Michelle Gillespie

Customer Service

What are the factors that influence motivation, attitudes, perceptions and skills of customer service staff working in student administration?

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Years of Service

Good Service

Front or Back of House

Background

Particular Elements Skills

Purpose

What I’m hoping to find out What are the motivations, attitudes, perceptions and skills of the staff working at Swinburne University towards customer service.

Intrinsic motivation

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Why this area interests me……

20 years experience 3 Universities

Student Facing Hospitality background

Service Orientated? Yes or No?

Some Examples Based on my experience……..

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What I hope to achieve

Student Centric How to develop staff to be

more student centric in their work practices

Training needs How to train and facilitate strong customer service

focus attributes in student administration staff.

Resource Materials Get insight into what

supporting materials are effective to achieving staff

who are knowledgeable and student centric

Recruitment How to recruit customer

focused student administration staff

Success! Attract and retain more

students

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What the research says

Motivation Attitudes Perceptions Skills

An understanding and appreciation of the impact

staff contribution has. Attitude is a learned

tendency

We can elicit compliance and customer service

behaviours by portraying behaviours

and a positive light

effective leadership requires three skills:

technical, human and conceptual

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Approach

Area of interest

Research

Survey

Analyse

Document

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Survey

Que

stio

ns

Questions

I am able to answer students' questions in a way that the student can easily understand and gives them what they need to know

Analysis When a student asks me a question that I can't answer, I tell them to go and ask someone else 32%

Student administration staff at Swinburne provide the best possible customer service

Analysis I could improve my customer

service skills 54%

2.6%

7.7%

28.2%

20.5%

20.5%

20.5%

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How many years have you worked in Student Administration?

Between 2-5 years

More than 15 years

Between 1-2 years Between 10-15 years

Between 1-2 years

Between 5-10 years

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What area did you work in prior to student administration?

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

This is my first job

Other university role

Hospitality

Retail

Banking and Finance

Manufacturing

Health

Sales and Marketing

Other

How would you describe your role at Swinburne?

Front office administrator working primarily on a service counter 12.8% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0%

12.8%

5.1%

30.8%

17.9%

15.4%

17.9%

Front office supervisor/manager with responsibility for service areas 15.4%

Back office administrator with infrequent direct contact with students 30.8%

Back office administrator with frequent direct contact with students 17.9%

Front office supervisor/manager with responsibility for service areas 15.4%

Back office administrator with frequent direct contact with students 17.9%

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I get a real buzz when I'm thanked by students and staff

2% 3%

0%

69%

26%

Strongly Disagree Disagree Not Sure Agree Strongly Agree

12 I enjoy working in Student Administration

Agree 69%

Disagree 5%

Not Sure 0%

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0

2 1

27

9

Strongly Agree 23%

Strongly Disagree 3%

13 Getting paid is the most important aspect of my job to me

Agree 10%

Disagree 19%

Not Sure 7%

Strongly Agree 1%

Strongly Disagree 2%

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

2

19

7

10

1

0

5

10

15

20

25

Strongly Disagree Disagree Not Sure Agree Strongly Agree

Analysis Agree that helping students is important to them. 23%

Knowing that I’m helping students is important to me

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When a student askes me a question that I can’t answer, I tell them to go and ask someone else

Almost Never 77%

Very Rarely 13%

Sometimes 8%

[CATEGORY NAME] [PERCENTAGE]

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I could improve my customer service skills

Agree

46%

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

4

6

8

18

3

Strongly Disagree Disagree Not Sure Agree Strongly Agree

I am able to answer students’ questions in a way that the student can easily understand and gives them

what they need

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Strongly Disagree Disagree Not Sure Agree Strongly Agree

0 0 0

28

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I get sufficient professional development to enable me to do my job well

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

3

9 9

15

3

Strongly Disagree

Disagree

Not Sure

Agree

Strongly Agree

I have the resources to do my job well

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

4

9

6

18

2

Strongly Disagree Disagree Not Sure Agree Strongly Agree

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Conclusions

21

Questions?