Customer Service for Schools
Serving through Potential External Policies, Part 1
Written by Paul Schaumburg from ideas by the Graves County Schools faculty and staff
- Develop induction plans to welcome and integrate new students.
- Create a “brag sheet” for each student to build up their self-esteem and make a positive experience.
- Assign a student or two to each member of the faculty and staff for “invisible mentoring.”
- Involve faculty and staff in one-on-one reading programs.
- Feature a thought for the day or similar idea to regularly focus your school family’s attention.
- Emphasize themes and special occasions including holidays to make things special for students. Enhance these special occasions with decorations.
- Recognize students with reward days for their achievements and “Caught Being Good” jars. Place names of students doing good things in a jar and draw names to recognize in special ways at the end of the week or month.
- Recognize students’ (and perhaps others’) birthdays by announcing them to all and by providing special privileges such as choosing a cafeteria dish for that day.
- Celebrate student-of-the-month assemblies by inviting parents and grandparents.
- Use leadership/character club students to greet and lead volunteers and other visitors for special events.
- Institute programs such as Farmington’s “Helping Hands.” Students collect and at week’s end count their change. The class with the most change wins a pizza party. Each class uses their change to purchase and deliver chicken nugget meals to the elderly on the following Wednesday.
- Prepare “Visitor Drops” from students – uplifting thoughts on slips of paper. Messages such as “Thanks for visiting us today!” and “You’re an important part of our school family!” could be drawn from a “Happy Cup.”
- Update web pages regularly.
- E-mail e-newsletters to interested people.
What other external policies might your school or school district consider adopting concerning customer service?