using technology for ss & mktg
DESCRIPTION
Improving student services with technologyTRANSCRIPT
Using Technology to Improve Student Services: Better Quality and Better
Results
Naj Shaik
Karen Vignare
Kishia Brock
Marketing Environment: Higher Education
Competitive online/distance learning marketplace– more institutions offering online programs– dot.coms positioning as a low cost alternative
Internet / Web has empowered students – students have a large selections of programs– Institutions are less in control
Convergence towards “Hybrid” ModelsConsortium Model: inter-institutional collaborations
Education: Core & Supporting Services
Core Service: Teaching and learning that occurs in a(n) (un)structured virtual / traditional class is the core component.
Supporting Services: Services critical to student learning experience include information about courses, advising, registrations, student account, orientation, help-desk, complaint handling, feedback and placement.– Students frequently come into contact with these
services [known as “touch points” or “moments of truth”] for the duration of study at the institution.
– Services create added value to the students and determine the quality of learning experiences.
Student Profile
• Students are smart shoppers and expect quality learning experiences.
• Students can actively participate in the co-creation and re-mixing of new content.
• Non-traditional students – a sizable presence on campus– those with a degree enroll to update skills– enroll part-time, temporarily stop-out, and
transfer between institutions
Internet (Web 1.0) Marketing: Methods• Web Advertisements
– Banner Swapping / Exchanges– Affiliate Web sites, Spot Leasing– Pop-up / Splash Screen
• Search Engine Ad Word– Keyword Search (optional placement ads)– Embedded search links
• E-mails– Unsolicited Targeted & Un-targeted e-mails– Targeted opt-in e-mails
• Chat Rooms and E-Zine Ads• Mobile Phones & GPS Technology
Effectiveness Internet (Web 1.0) Marketing• Institution’s Perspective
– Increasing competition among institutions – Competitors match incentives & promotions– Marketing campaigns are loosing
effectiveness• Student’s Perspective
– Flooded with advertisements and promotions– Paying less attention to marketing campaigns– Blocking & filtering ad and promotion
messages
What: Relationship Marketing
All marketing activities, directed to establishing, developing, and maintaining successful relational exchanges.
• Purpose: attract, maintain and enhance student relationships.
• Goal: is to transform indifferent students into loyal alumni.
• Strategy: balanced emphasis on student enrollment and student retention strategies.
Shaik, N. (2005). Marketing Distance Learning Programs & Courses: A Relationship Marketing Strategy. Distance Learning Administration 2005 Conference, Georgia.
Relationship Marketing: Organizational Level
• Goal: create non-imitable and superior value to the student.
• Process management: – the complete chain of activities has to be
coordinated and managed as one total process.
– requires collaboration among functions and departments responsible for student teaching and learning.
– Student Relationship Management SystemGummesson, E. (1999). Total Relationship Marketing. Rethinking Marketing
Management: From 4Ps to 30Rs. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.Shaik (2005). Service Center – A Student Relationship Management
Application. The 11th Sloan-C International Conference on Asynchronous Learning Networks, Florida, USA.
Relationship Marketing: Student Level
• Building Relationships– Human interactions over the duration of the
student stay at the institution are most important in building relationships.
• Maintaining & Enhancing Relationships– Type and quality of educational services are
critical to successful maintenance and enhancement of student relationships.
Gummesson, E. (1999). Total Relationship Marketing. Rethinking Marketing Management: From 4Ps to 30Rs. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Why: Relationship Marketing?• Competitive advantage
– competitors cannot replicate value-added services that are unique to the institution.
• Revenue from retention– satisfied students complete the program and
generate a steady stream of revenue.– additional cost of marketing is zero to the
institution.• Revenue from enrollments
– loyal alumni generate revenue through referrals.– cost of viral marketing is zero to the institution.
Noel-Levitz, Inc. (2004). Retention Savings Worksheet. USA Group Noel-Levitz, Inc.Urban, G. (Winter 2004). The Emerging Era of Customer Advocacy. MIT Sloan Management
Review.
Who: Relationship Marketing
Full-time marketers (limited contact with students) Marketing DepartmentRecruitment Staff
Part-time marketers (frequent contacts with students) Mid-level ManagementAdmissions StaffRegistration & Student Accounts StaffOrientation & Advising StaffFaculty & Instructional Support StaffHelp-desk Staff
Grönroos, C. (2000). Service Management and Marketing. NY: John Wiley
(Relationship) Marketing: Misconceptions
Why do I need to be a marketer?• My job is to assist with the registration - enrolling
students to courses.• Student orientation has nothing to do with
marketing. • Student advising and marketing are two very
different activities and processes.• I am hired to teach students. • I am not qualified to perform marketing tasks.• This is not a call center. • I am not a telemarketer.
What is Marketing?
Marketing is 90% attitude and 10% technique.A marketing attitude of mind is required
across the institution.Every institution has the capabilities to
cultivate the attitude. It does not cost a lot. Internet Marketing by staff vs. outsourcing to
internet marketing services consultants.Create value added services to support quality
teaching and learning experiences.Provide a non-imitable and memorable
experience to the students.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Tool to tie all the tools together
• All data—marketing, potential students, communications with all, registered students, completion, any interactions with helpdesk
• Need philosophy to accompany a customer mindset
• Now its is time for data mining
Educational Systems
Admissions
Financial &
AdministrativeStudent Records
CRM or Data mining
Software Support
• Maximizer
• Essentially an E-CRM tool
• Allows for all e-marketing
• All service pre and post student affiliation
• Tracking/Resolution Tools (Cases and Notes)
Marketing & Service
• Keeping customers are essential– Knowing which customer to keep– Loyal and profitable– Support – Online self-help
Datamining
• CRM and Data mining
• Using data to predict best students
• Creating profiles
• Creating additional psychographics to attract the students
Rio Salado College, Established in 1978
• Total annual headcount- 61,000– Online learners - 28,000
• 450 unique course– Classes start every
Monday
• 12 associate degrees• Post Baccalaureate
degree
Rio’s Online Student:• The Digital Native
– Female– Average Age 26– Working– Time Strapped– Savvy Online
Consumer– Returning student
Rio Student Services Model
Convenience Flexibility Sense of connection with the institutionSense of connection with the institution Sense of connection with other learners in Sense of connection with other learners in
the institutionthe institution Online learning success tips Help with technology
Online Online LearningLearningOnline Online LearningLearning
Beede, M., & Burnett, D. (1999) Beede, M., & Burnett, D. (1999) Planning for Student Services: Best Practices for the 21st Planning for Student Services: Best Practices for the 21st Century.Century. Ann Arbor: Society for College and University Planning.Ann Arbor: Society for College and University Planning.
Relationship ManagementHow we do it!
• Systems approach
• One source of data, electronic– Student can pull data
• “Push” technology
• Technology – enable not as solution – Electronic advising system, Chat, online
student union (orientation, social networking)
Technology and Services• Self-service (admissions/enrollment)
• Online chat– 24/7 library, helpdesk,
• Online Advisement System
• CRM– Prospect - alumni
• Online student lounge– Online orientation, social network, clubs
Customer Relationship Management -Initial Design
• Phase 0
– Create MS CRM environment HW
– Design security model and roles
– Deliver technical training to administrators and IT staff
– Develop back-up and recovery plan
• Phase I
– Design and develop user interfaces
– Develop workflows
– Data Integration w/Matrix, ESF, Helpdesk, RioLearn
– Early Warning Detection – At-Risk Factors
– Report Design and Development
– Develop end user training plans
Customer Relationship Management – continued
Phase II Create a flexible materials request page Design and Develop CRM User Interfaces Develop workflows
Phase III LSQ Integration Automated Risk assessments / Workflows
Phase IV Corporate sales team integration with CRM Goldmine Data Migration
Customer Relation Management Tool (CRM)
Information Requests
Customer Relation Management Tool (CRM)
RioGram – “push” communication
Why DL_sQUAL?
• SERVQUAL (1988)• E-S-Qual (2005)• Why Distance Learning Service Quality?• Purpose & Objectives of Research
SERVQUAL (1988) / E-S-Qual (2005)
• Service quality is different from manufacturing product quality.
• SERVQUAL developed for measuring inter-personal nature of service encounters in face-to-face interactions.
• Online (eCommerce) service interactions are different from in-store (in-person) interactions.
• E-S-Qual was developed for measuring interpersonal nature of service interactions in eCommerce environment.
Why Distance Learning Service Quality?
• Complex mosaic of services encompassing both on-site and online service interactions.
• Wide range of online service interactions unique to online distance learning.
• Inter-personal on-site service encounters such as:– campus orientation, admissions, advising
• Inter-personal online service encounters such as:– online registration, online payments, online course
delivery (WebCT), online virtual communities.
• SERVQUAL and E-S-Qual are not directly applicable to online distance learning.
Constructs
EFA: Factor Loadings & Alpha values
Future Directions
• This study is part of an ongoing research collaboration.
• Further content validation using rigorous factor analysis methodologies has been scheduled.
• Objective is to standardize the scale. • Share the DL_sQual questionnaire with distance
learning institutions to promote service quality. • Goal is to increase student enrollments and
retention in distance learning programs.
Selected References1. Shaik, N. (2005). Marketing Distance Learning Programs &
Courses: A Relationship Marketing Strategy. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 8(2), Summer 2005.
2. Shaik, N., Lowe, S., & Pinegar, K. (2006). DL_sQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Measuring Service Quality of Online Distance Learning Programs. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 9(2), Summer 2006.
3. Sheth, J., & Parvatiyar, A. (2000). Handbook of Relationship Marketing. Sage Pub.
4. Parasuraman, A., Berry, L., & Zeithaml, V. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1). 12-40.
5. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V., & Malhotra, A. (2005). E-S-Qual: A multiple-item scale for assessing electronic service quality. Journal of Service Research. 7(3).