For a college, customer service relates to the service the college provides its students, and all members of the faculty and staff must be orientated on the college's services. The college must make sure it relates to its student base to satisfy students' needs and earn their loyalty to form a mutually beneficial partnership. One way to ensure this is to meet students' expectations -- and surpass them. Whatever the form it takes, it is necessary for a college to be student-centric if it wants to meet their needs.
Colleges should provide students and prospective students with the resources they need. For instance, the staff should provide students with the necessary forms or applications. And, if any student needs campus directions, staff members should be able to share a map or give directions. Also, faculty and staff should be clear with students clear about the college's policies and procedures, and students should be made aware of any changes in policy. They should provide prospective students with the latest information about the college.
Faculty should keep students informed about their current office hours by posting them on the Internet and on their office doors. They should stick to these reported hours and should keep appointments with students. If students leave messages for faculty, they should return the calls in a timely manner. If there is a waitlist for students who want to meet with certain faculty, the faculty should adhere to a defined process for dealing with this waitlist so students know what to expect.
There are also customer service standards for college faculty to adhere to in their classroom interactions with students. For one, faculty should not talk down to students. Also, it's not courteous to embarrass a student in front of other students. If necessary, faculty should follow up with a student outside the classroom. Another standard relates to tests, which are a part of college life. Faculty should be prompt about grading tests and providing helpful feedback to students.