Operation Friendly

OPERATION FRIENDLY

Some practical advice as universities prepare to welcome back students and families. It is important to set a good example for campus culture. One of the easy ways to demonstrate this commitment is to make a conscientious effort when interfacing with students, colleagues and the general public.

Although there are several initiatives that a university can undertake, one of the easiest ways is to be consistent in the way we manage telephone protocol. Often taken for granted, the manner in which a telephone call is answered and responded tells much about a campus culture. A consistent and collegial manner that identifies the office and the person answering the telephone can go along way to improving accountability and culture. A simple technique like the following could pay big dividends.

1.   Depending upon the time of day, answer the call with a “good morning,” “good afternoon,” or “good evening”.

2.   Identify the office being called; Office of Admissions; Office of Financial Aid; Office of Academic Affairs; Office of the President; etc.

3.   The individuals answering the telephone should identify themselves by at least their first name.

4.   We should ask the caller: How can I help you?

5.   The typical response to a call: Good morning, Office of the President, Mike speaking, How can I help you?

In many cases the caller will need to be connected to another office for additional information. Good customer service should go the extra mile in how the university manages transfer calls. 

1.   First, we should ask for the caller telephone number before we transfer the call to insure in case of a miss connect we can call the person back.

2.   Second, we should place the caller on hold and check with the connecting office that someone is available to speak with the caller.

3.   If there is someone available at the connecting office, we should transfer the call and provide both the contact person name and telephone number to the caller.

4.   If there is not a person at the connecting office, we should provide the telephone number and the contacting person name to the caller.

5.   The originating office should follow-up with the caller to ensure their issue has been resolved.