National conference to explore customer service excellence

The event, Inspiring Excellent Customer Service in Higher Education 2015, will be held at the University’s Rose Bowl building on Wednesday 10 June and will be an opportunity to examine the importance of customer service for universities as well as hearing from leaders in customer service outside of the higher education sector.

Karen Walker, Customer Services Director at first direct, will be delivering a keynote address where she’ll share why first direct were voted top for ‘Customer Service’ in a Which? survey of the top 100 brands in the UK.  Other sessions include Bekki Simpson, Training Manager at Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate, sharing insights into how they receive and act on customer feedback and Professor Susan Price, Vice Chancellor at Leeds Beckett, sharing the University’s journey to achieving the Customer Service Excellence Standard.

Demand for places on the conference has been higher than anticipated with no remaining places now available for the event.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Jenny Share, Secretary and Registrar at Leeds Beckett University said: “We are delighted to be able to host this important conference to share our learning journey around customer service.  We are hoping to encourage debate around what we can learn from leaders in customer service outside of the sector and also from each other.”

Since May 2013, Leeds Beckett University has held the Customer Service Excellence (CSE) Standard, becoming one of only two UK universities to hold the standard across the whole institution.   For the last two years, the university has successfully met all its surveillance requirements to maintain the accreditation. The Customer Service Excellence Standard is a government standard that offers a practical tool for driving customer-focused change within an organisation.  The Standard tests, in great depth, those areas that research has indicated are a priority for customers, with particular focus on delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude.

Speaking about the award of the CSE Standard, Professor Susan Price, Vice Chancellor at Leeds Beckett University, said: "We were delighted to have been successful in achieving the Customer Service Excellence standard and that our passion and commitment to our customers, and in particular our students, has been recognised. Achieving the standard wasn’t the end of the process, it was just the beginning for us and we are continuing to drive continuous improvement through initiatives which will benefit the customers we serve."