Communication Policy

SCHOOL CLIENT CHARTER 

(Communication Policy)

Customer Service Standards

THIS IS OUR PLEDGE AND COMMITMENT IN OUR QUEST TO REACH AND DELIVER OUR BRAND PROMISE AS ENSHRINED IN OUR SCHOOLS VALUES BELOW:

1.      ACHIEVEMENT

2.      ENDURANCE

3.      COOPERATION

4.      RESPECT

5.      EMPATHY

6.      TOLERANCE

Below are our operating standards and procedures as far as interacting with our clients and customers is concerned.

A)   Live Telephone Or Video Calls

Purpose: To provide consistency in telephone and video calls

  We will:

1. Ensure that all calls are answered as promptly as possible

2. Always answer with a friendly greeting using our name.

3. Listen and attend to the caller’s requests or issues and assist accordingly

4. Allow callers to express themselves freely.

5. Try to avoid placing callers on or at least limit hold time.

6. Take messages when needed and be sure to note the date and time of the call, the caller’s contact information and nature of call e.g. personal, business, urgent etc

7. Always ask callers if there is anything else we can assist them with and thank them for calling before hanging up.

8. Not entertain or attend to any video calls (Whatsapp/zoom etc) unless it is a scheduled meeting that has a link and password communicated to us in time.

B) Telephone Voice Messages

 We will:

1. Ensure that our voicemail is updated, informative and functional to be able to receive messages in the case we are unreachable due to reasons beyond our control.

2. Be able to return all calls as promptly as possible as and no later than 2 working days.

3. For the purpose of record keeping, feedback by clients in the form of complaints and suggestions can be recorded for future referencing and actioning.

C)    E-Mails

 We will:

1. Try to respond to all e-mails and correspondence in writing within two working days.

2. Personalize email responses by referencing the customer’s questions and using their name in the response.

3. When referencing the school’s website, provide the link to the page where the specific information the customer is seeking can be found and get the information they are looking for.

4. For the purpose of record keeping, clients’ complaints and suggestions maybe printed out for filing, further referencing and actioning by relevant authorities.

D)   Hard Copy Written Correspondence

We will:

1. Try to respond to you in a timely manner i.e. within 2 working days where possible.

2. Where a substantive response to the correspondence is unlikely to be furnished promptly, we will contact you and tell you why   and which department/office or authority is dealing with your query or matter.

3. School Headed (letterhead) paper will be used whenever such correspondence is being made and shall carry the school stamp where necessary.

E)     Internal And Personal Day To Day Communication At Work Place

Purpose: To ensure appropriate communication and interaction between colleagues and all internal customers.

We will always remember:

1. That Students and employees are also customers too.

2. The above stated telephone; email and written communications standards apply to them as well.

3. To remain courteous and respectful during interaction with colleagues and internal customers.

F)     Walk - In Customers And All Visitors

PURPOSE: To ensure a welcoming environment for all visitors/parents/officials

We will:

1. Greet everyone with a smile and a positive, friendly salutation.

2. Treat all visitors with respect and remain courteous throughout the interaction period

3. Maintain eye contact and speak clearly and in plain simple English avoiding slang or abbreviations or language that one does not understand.

4. Ask all visitors for positive identification, proof of appointment booking, purpose of visit prior to allowing access to the school premises.

5. Ensure that all visitors sign in using the school visitor’s log book

6. Ensure that if visitors where officials write feedback on the services that we are rendering for further considerations by the management.

7. Give visitors specific names and or directions when referring them to another person, department or location outside the administration block.

G)   Upset Customers

Purpose: To help work through difficult situations for parents, pupils, colleagues, officials and visitors over the phone and face-to-face.

We will:

1. Not accept violence, abuse, or threatening behaviour towards our staff or other school users, such acts will be dealt with appropriately, including visitors/parents being asked to leave the school site immediately. We reserve the right of admission and to inform the police to arbitrate and wherever possible.

2. Allow customers to express their concerns in a calm manner and pledge to listen before speaking.

3. Empathise with individuals and try by all means not to get into an argument with customers

4. Always uphold professionalism, advice all our staff to maintain professional demeanour at all times.

5. Repeat and rephrase what an individual is saying to make sure that we understand what is being communicated.

6. Refrain from pointing fingers and assigning blame to anyone in any case

7. Focus on providing options and alternatives in a bid to try and satisfy all our customers as much as we can.

8. Refer an individual to a colleague with a higher level of authority, if we can’t reach a solution right away.

9. Always welcome suggestions and recommendations in order to improve our service delivery.

10.                        Thank the individual for bringing the issue to our attention and pledge to make a follow up until the matter has been resolved.

“WE ARE BUCKRIDGE PRIVATE SCHOOL, THE PRIDE IN BUSH”