Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/987104
Subscribe at careercollegecentral.com 43 T hink about it . . . some of the best businesses are those who provide "aer-the-sale" service. What businesses pop into your mind? Amazon: ey are king of customer service, offering automatic refunds, price guarantees, and free shipping. Hilton: Every staff member warmly acknowledges you, they readily admit mistakes, and they instantly rectify problems and provide compensatory benefits. Apple: Customer loyalty is key. ey've gone so far as opening a personalized support portal where you can view every Apple product you have ever bought to receive support. at's what we are doing when we provide an alumni community: We are offering aer-the-sale service. It's not enough to say "thanks" or "let's keep in touch" aer a sale is complete. Long-term success is built on real and lasting customer relationships. is is why many of us call it "alumni relations." We are continuing our relationship with our graduates by paying attention to their needs, offering services, providing a place for feedback or questions, offering gestures of appreciation, and, in the process, we are building loyalty and pride. TYPICAL AFTER-THE-SALE SERVICE Provide a place for feedback and questions Offer small gestures of appreciation Provide free training or ongoing services Opportunities to share positive experiences Provide branded promotional products Create community: shared experiences, services, chat rooms ALUMNI COMMUNITY OFFERINGS Alumni website Alumni gifts (pens, mugs, water bottles, t-shirts) Continuing education, graduate career services Alumni success stories Alumni apparel—and opportunities to wear it with pride Alumni community (alumni events, networking, community involvement) What are the benefits of after-the-sale service and alumni communities? • Both generate loyalty and increase brand value. • ey help promote word of mouth recommendations and referrals. • Both provide an opportunity for a future sale and for a future relationship (with potential students, instructors, and employers). • ey're chances to strengthen the bond between the school and its graduates. What are common obstacles that career colleges face when deciding to offer after-the-sale service? • It requires a commitment from the CEO or leadership team. ey must see the value first! • ere may need to be a change in the culture of the organization and how they promote customer service. • It requires a commitment to service and it costs money. Is it worth the investment? e best businesses are those who provide aer-the-sale service. at's what we are doing when we provide an alumni community. You cannot measure the cost of a happy customer and you cannot put a price tag on loyalty. Your alumni are walking, breathing advertisements of your institution. Keep them happy and keep them connected! Word-of-mouth marketing is important. Right now about 30- 40% of our new students come from referrals. If we are willing to commit time and resources to an alumni program that helps our institution stay connected to our graduates and provides the support they need, we will see that number increase! Now is the time to invest in designing a robust aer-the-sale service program for your institution—an ALUMNI PROGRAM! e payoff will be well worth it! JUNE GUDEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER June Gudeman is the alumni coordinator at Pima Medical Institute. She began just over 10 years ago, creating PMI's alumni program from the ground up. She focuses much of her efforts on gathering alumni success stories and creatively sharing them with prospective and current students, as well as the PMI staff and community at large. You can contact her at jgudeman@pmi.edu.