HABEs
I think it is very easy for instructors to forget our student are customers. We tend to think of them as people who should be wanting to learn, forgetting that they may not know 'how' to learn or how to study. I am frequently surprised at how busy and crowded my students homes are and how little time they have to study; let alone know how to organize sufficiently enough to study well.
Kathryn,
Good points! One of the most important things we can teach or students is how to balance their responsibilities.
Jeffrey Schillinger
After reading this, I am going to try to view and treat my students as clients or customers and give them exceptional customer service.
Debbie,
Thank you for taking on this attitude. You will see a big difference.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I am constantly learning how about the students. I never forget that they are customers because some of them are constantly reminding me that they pay a huge sum of money.These are the students that do not do well and drop out because they think their education should be "giving to them" and do not study of do their homework. I have some students that "don't have a lot of money and get assistance for their education. These are the students that succeed because they want a career and be independent. Regardless of the category they fall in I treat them as a person who want to succeed and provide them with the best education knowlege to help them be successful. If we stop and think about it we all are customers unless we are the "owners". Therefore as an instructor it is our job to provide them with knowledge that will help them succeed in obtaining their career.
Some instructors feel that students feel obligated that their instructors should care more because they are being paid. It's important to realize they are customers and desever mentorship as well as instruction.
Pandora,
Treating all students like they will be successful is an important part of them actually being successful.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Bill,
Some folks think referencing our students as "customers" lowers their status when compared to the term "student." I like to reference them as "student-customer" to placate both positions.
Jeffrey Schillinger
When placing students for externship, I keep in mind that each student has habits. Some positive some negative. When I place a student who tries to be on time each day but is challeged by the heavy traffic near their home I will definitely keep in mind that this student's "habit" of running late may create a negative view of them at a site that is too far from their home and will place them closer to home. I then will encourage them to be on time as this is very important to the employer and they shouldnt be challenged by traffic since this is near their home.
I agree with you, I ask my student to make time to study, to ask the family for help, let them know that mommy have to do homework and she need silent. Ask a husband to watch the children. They need to ready to learn.
As a new instructor I hadn't thought of my students as customers. I now realize that they are paying for my services and deserve the highest amount of "customer srevice" I can provide. I will start making myself more available for my students, and taking into account what happens outside of the classroom.
Julia,
Some folks think calling students "customers" demeans them. I feel the opposite is true.
Jeffrey Schillinger
