 Governor Sonny Perdue launched a new “Customer Service Improvement Initiative” that began on August 1, 2006. He has asked every state agency, including the University System of Georgia, to assist in achieving the goal of making Georgia the best-managed state in the country. One aspect in reaching this goal is addressing how we as state employees serve our customers. It is the Governor’s desire that this initiative serve as both a catalyst and a vehicle to create a fundamental change in our culture towards better customer service across all areas of service. Click here to read the Governor's remarks. The CSI initiative’s overall goal is to provide easier access to services, faster processes so customers can get business done quickly and friendlier service in a customer-oriented culture. In the case of the University System of Georgia, those areas include student services, community service, research, business services, healthcare and sporting events, to name just a few examples. Chancellor Erroll B. Davis, Jr. is in full support of the Governor’s initiative and has asked each institute within the University System to appoint an on campus Customer Service Champion. Kennesaw State University is joining this statewide effort in providing better services to its students as well as to other KSU constituents and has appointed Linda Lyons, Director of the Center for University Learning as its CS Champion. Linda will be responsible in working with units on campus to identify and develop a customer service improvement plan that will address the unit’s specific customers as well as assess the unit’s services. These plans will engage the views of the customers and employees and will also produce a clear and measurable outline in tracking the unit’s progress towards improving customer service at KSU. The Center for University Learning will also be offering to the KSU community several workshops through its catalog training courses that address those key attributes for enhancing customer service skills. This web site will outline the progress of KSU’s participation in the CS initiative as well as highlight outstanding customer service performances. It will also list all press releases that are related to the CS initiative, allow for your participation in our Shining Star Staff Recognition Program, and give access to review the customer service plans for each participating KSU unit.
The University System of Georgia’s web
site is also available for you to review the CS initiative at
www.customerfocus.usg.edu.
This site will allow you to monitor the progress being made with
customer service improvements throughout the system as well as to
view the customer satisfaction scores of USG campuses.
Kennesaw’s units that have participated in the customer service initiative include: The Office of Student Financial Aid
– fiscal year 07
Governor Perdue Announces Excellence In Customer Service Awards State recognition/awards Kennesaw State University have received for Customer Service: The Chancellor’s 2007 Customer Service Recognition Awards:
State recognition/awards Kennesaw State University have received for Customer Service:
Kennesaw State University’s
continuous emphasis on its positive strides toward excellence in
customer service has complemented Kennesaw’s growth and visibility
to the outside community. |
Summary of Kennesaw State
University’s Customer Service Initiative
Kennesaw State University is a
growing university that serves primarily northwest Georgia and
Atlanta. Prior to the implementation of Governor Perdue’s state-wide
customer service initiative, Kennesaw had long embraced the concept
of providing high-quality customer service to its internal and
external constituents. Several customer-focused programs have been
successfully implemented at Kennesaw, all in which have demonstrated
exemplary customer service.
Kennesaw’s Coles College of
Business implemented a process improvement initiative that resulted
in significantly improved customer service to its students by
providing them a schedule of course offerings that better served
their needs. The project team applied Six Sigma techniques to
develop a schedule of courses to better fulfill student demand in
terms of the courses offered, the number of sections and seats for
each course, the times courses are offered, and modes of delivery.
Enrollment has grown significantly in the last ten years which has
created similar increases in faculty/staff recruitment and hires. To
alleviate extensive new hire procedures, the “New Hires Project” was
initiated which provided a new hire with full access to online
campus services, information, and resources on their first day of
work at KSU. 
The financial aid team put in place
a customer service plan that addressed and reduced students’ wait
time for seeing counselors, created a Financial Aid Information Fair
event, and implemented a redesign of the office lobby area to be
more welcoming and user-friendly
atmosphere when both internal and
external customers visited the unit. To create a positive team
spirit among its employees, KSU established the Shining Star
Recognition Program to acknowledge individuals who often go beyond
the call of duty in their job performance. The implementation of
this program allows for a mechanism to be put in place that
acknowledges and rewards outstanding work performance in the areas
of customer service, communication, and in building relationships.
Customer Service training Programs
that the Center for University Learning conducts to enhance skill
development in customer service behaviors include; providing high
quality customer service, telephone techniques, how to handle
difficult situations and behaviors, conflict resolution, and Lean
Six Sigma. The Lean Six Sigma series provides units to work with
facilitators to improve on a process within their service area. All
workshops are open to Kennesaw’s staff and faculty and can be
customized for specific units’ service area.