Building and Implementing a Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications Practical Application of a Framework to Inform Customers and Manage Expectations Blake Adams Director of User Services University of West Georgia

Building and Implementing a Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications Overview Background Shared Challenges What we can we do? Building and Implementing a Framework Case Study/ Communications Framework – Implementing at UWG Challenges, Lessons learned, Emerging Trends Conversation

My Background Director of User Services 20 years of experience in Customer Service, 15 in Information Technology

About West Georgia A comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia Founded in 1906 as Fourth District A&M School 11,700 students, and over 1,100 faculty/staff. ITS has about 60 full time staff, and many student employees. We provide all of the technology support for campus – Banner, , campus web presence, desktop support, classroom and AV support, campus computer labs, the data & telephone networks, etc.

Shared Challenges What challenges are you facing in communication right now? Customer Needs Growing Department Resources Shrinking Expectations Increasing – Speed to Resolution of Issue/Request Methods of Communication Continuously Changing – How do you tailor every message to every customer in a one to many medium? Customers and Services Providers – are we speaking the same language? How much is too much, or not enough? No one with in IT holding the title of Communicator We are Tasked With Planning for the Unplanned Failure to Communicate = Reputational Risk

Best Practices Best Practices: Value Touch Points (Julie Mohr) What Improves the customer experience? – Off shore/outsourced service/help desk? – Interactive Voice Response Systems? – Well trained staff? – A place to find what they need? Quick Map to Improving Customer Experience – Consider Every Touch Point – Status Message – Highest rated value Touch Point – Active Listening – Second highest rated

What can we do about the Challenges we Face? Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – How do we speak to our users?/How do they listen? (Know your audience) Strategic Communication Plan – Templates (Consistency), Clarified expectations, etc Clarify Service Offerings – What do you do? What services do you provide or support? – How can a customer find the status of the services? Calendar of Maintenance – Announce Planned Outages of Service – Record Unplanned Outages of Services – Publish a Standing Maintenance Schedule Alternative – Mass Communication – Twitter – Facebook – Sharepoint – Text Messaging – Face to Face Partnerships within your department – Build relationship and trust – Allow Subject Matter Experts to focus on Subject Matter – Customer Service/Service Desk/Help Desk – Must focus on communication Drive Help/Service Desk functions from inbound function (reactive) to outbound (proactive) function.

How do we tackle the problem? How do we implement all of these changes? Hint – Heres the framework

Building a Framework A well though out, repeatable plan Not this This

Building a Framework Brainstorm First A shotgun approach will not work Organize Second

Building a Framework A solo mission will not work.

Building a Framework Find – or be – a champion. Communicate the Vision Review progress Bring in the right help at the right time Break down barriers

Building a Framework Organize based on quick wins/low hanging fruit Follow by bigger picture ideas.

Building a Framework Plan for a culture shift. Get buy in. Be patient.

Building a Framework Deploy, Market, Revise, Repeat.

A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications Service/Status Page – The Customers Home Base for Information

A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications

Brand name and describe Enterprise/Mission Critical Services Establish informal OLAs for communications and handoff Build Calendar of Maintenance (Scheduled Events/Outages) Status Page Service Interruption Message (SIM) Communication Templates (Format and Content) Branded Closings Defined ownership of status page and SIM updates Defined Announcement Frequency Service Level Guidelines – Communication Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed Anchor Tools RELIANCE: HIGH

A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications Formalize OLAs for communication/handoff/response/resolution Social Media Integration – RSS Feeds – Twitter – Facebook Online Customer Self Service – Right Sized Service Catalog – Top FAQs Published and Visible (easy to find) – Integrated/Subscribeable- Global Issue Communication Service Level Guidelines – Services – Fully defined SLGs for each branded service New Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed RELIANCE: Moderate

A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications Service Desk Level Monitoring of Mission Critical Services Mission Critical Emergency Text Messaging (Opt In) Standardized, documented communication procedures 3 rd Party System/Services Support Agreements Comprehensive review of Service Level Agreements, Operating Level Agreements, 3 rd Party Agreements New Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed RELIANCE: Low

A Repeatable Framework for Campus Communications Mobile Application Integrations (Status Updates) Knowledge Level Management – Frequently Asked Questions – Extended Research New Communication Channels, Consider for Inclusion New Value Touch Points Defined and Marketed RELIANCE: Supplemental

Lessons Learned and Emerging Trends Develop an IT Strategic Communication Plan. Automation is improving, consider adding where appropriate. Leverage texting by capturing cell phone numbers during registration. Distinguish between what customer wants to know and what you want customer to know. Craft the same message in different voices (styles) for different audiences. Speak the language they understand. Manage internal IT communication as well as external communication. Consider how much time you can put into social media monitoring before using it as a venue for communication.

Thank you! Now lets continue our conversation…