Texas A&M University-Commerce cares about customer service. With the recent launching of the “We Care” campaign, A&M-Commerce is focusing on the value of what good customer service means to students.
“Customer service is critical. Today’s student has many choices for higher education providers,” Dr. Mary Hendrix, Interim Provost & Vice-President for Academic and Student Affairs, said.
“We must distinguish ourselves as the institution that treats students with dignity and respect and that responds for students’ requests for assistance.”
According to Hendrix, if students have a customer service issue with a faculty or staff member, they should first try to address the issue at the source.
If the student feels that the initial effort to reconcile the issue is unsuccessful, then the student should follow the chain of command through the department head and dean. Students can also report any concerns through the “We Care” Web site.
All entries into the “We Care” Web site are directed to and managed by Dr. Deborrah Hebert, Assistant Vice President & Dean of Student Affairs.
The “We Care” Web site asks specific questions about positive or negative experiences, and then asks the student to suggest possible solutions or changes that can change a negative outcome into a positive one.
The Web site does ask for personal contact information; however, the information is not shared with others. Information is needed to provide feedback.
For a faculty or staff member who has a complaint lodged against them, the issue will be addressed by the supervisor. According to Hendrix, the “We Care” campaign was launched last year so that students could tell the University what is being done well and what areas need improvement.
“President Jones is focused on access and success of students and believes strongly that we must focus on customer service,” Hendrix said.
According to Hendrix, A&M-Commerce does have a system of checks and balances to gauge customer service satisfaction amongst students. The University conducts surveys and facilitates focus groups in order to gain perspective on how the students are feeling about the level of service they receive.The University has training sessions for faculty and staff to help increase customer service awareness, and also to enhance interpersonal skills.
A&M- Commerce will also be bringing Dr. P.M. Forni, author of “Choosing civility,” to campus Oct. 22, as the convocation speaker.
Any student that wishes to provide A&M-Commerce with feedback should visit the “We Care” Web site at http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/home/university/WeCare