Using Technology For Ss & Mktg

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 CollegeRio Salado College

Kishia Brock

Kishia.brock@riosalado.edu

May 8, 2008

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).