The Use of Technology by Your Students Isn’t After Hours Help Desk
Changing student demographics and after hours help desk support
Most students today do not fall in the traditional 18-24 age cohort. They juggle more responsibilities than their predecessors, are older, earn degrees while raising families and work full or part-time jobs to pay for their education. All of these changes in the student body demographics mean that today’s non-traditional students don’t study at the same time, don’t attend all the classes on-campus and their usage of technology isn’t also limited to the regular business hours. This fact makes after hours help desk support services critical for students as well as institutional success.
Meet your student expectations
According to an article, 72% of the students leave a college or university because of poor customer service. The figure hints at the importance of 24×7 student tech support in a student’s lifecycle.
Besides, amidst the increasing commercialization and rising education costs, students want the best value for their money. They expect an institution to provide them all the skills that will enhance their prospects of getting a higher return on investment. While they are gaining these skills, students want the same customized, customer-centric approach they experience in the outside world. Thus, after hours help desk support becomes an indispensable service offering if you want to meet your students’ ever-rising expectations.
Should low service utilization during after-hours deter you?
Low service utilization during after-hours doesn’t reduce the value of the service. Only a fraction of your students might be facing tech issues after regular working hours, but this shouldn’t deter you from providing tech support even then also. As a higher education institution, you should have round-the-clock support to assure your end-users that they aren’t alone in their academic journey irrespective of the number of students availing it.
Moreover, after-hours help desk support helps you build credibility. Your students start having faith in your institution when they know that you care about their challenges and are available 24×7 to ensure a seamless student experience for them.
Ensure a positive academic experience with after-hours support
Emergencies can occur at any time. There might be a network outage. Your LMS can stop working. A student’s laptop might become nonfunctional. In case of any such downtimes, if your institution doesn’t have after hours help desk support, your end users might have to wait overnight or even over a weekend to get their issues resolved. This delay can have a significant impact on your students’ and faculty’s learning and teaching experience which is why you need after hours IT support. After all, students who have access to support at all the hours are bound to have a positive academic experience.
For example, understanding the importance of after-hours support, Grinnell College outsourced the services to facilitate an “anytime, anywhere access” support framework for its students. The move has not only improved the college’s student experience, but it has also increased its student satisfaction rates. Watch the webinar to learn how.
Increase retention rates, generate more revenue
When your students’ problems don’t go unheard, they are likely to be more satisfied. Satisfied students are certain to stay in the same institution. Thus, the money that goes into the enrollment campaigns will yield the expected results and translate into increased retention rates for your institution. Increased retention and graduation rates, in turn, will generate more revenue. Thus, after-hours IT support not only helps you increase your retention and graduation numbers, but it also has significant implications on your institution’s fiscal position!
BlackBeltHelp After-Hours Services: Always On, Always Available
Make sure that somebody is always there to support your student, faculty member, and administrator even during non-business hours and weekends with BlackBeltHelp after hours help desk support.
Anthony Banford is an esteemed executive with 19 years of experience in technology, consulting, and education. He begins his latest chapter as Chief Revenue Officer at BlackBeltHelp, aiming to innovate in the higher education support industry. His move follows a successful stint as Head of Revenue at StudentBridge since March 2023, where he significantly contributed to the company’s merger with Full Measure Education, enhancing its service offerings.
Todd Hollrah joins BlackBeltHelp bringing 25+ years of experience managing service delivery operations for several Fortune 500 clients around the globe. After a distinguished career as an executive in the BPO industry, Todd will provide critical insight into building an exceptional customer experience combining both live voice and automated solutions.
Inspired by a family computer that always needed fixing, Chris Uthe has submerged himself in business and technology for the last 20 years. His first company, a PC repair and networking business, was started at just 16 and successfully fueled a deep interest in solving problems as he helped business customers throughout his hometown adopt technology into their business. He would go on to successfully run a media & managed IT company before joining the Ed Tech industry with a successful 13-year tenure within an ERP/SIS company leading the Student Portal & Learning Management division. His last startup, EdSolio, helped to fuel the winds of competency-based education by providing a comprehensive view of a student’s work and achievements. Chris is now focused on creating successful learners by ensuring the highest quality help and support through the use of AI backed toolsets spending the last 3 years in the student engagement and support markets.
Quaiser Absar is the Chief Technology Officer and Director of Institutional Computing at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia.
Bringing in over 2 decades of experience with him, Manish has ensured seamless operations in terms of client delivery, reporting & analytics, quality, training, and transitions with a special focus on technical integrations to help reduce costs and improve the bottom-line.
Anthony has served higher education in diverse, leadership roles for over 30 years and has helped organizations thrive through his expertise in developing, analyzing, and executing growth strategies. Prior to joining BlackBeltHelp, he served in College Administration as well as in leadership roles within Blackboard Student Services and Ellucian, Inc.
Accomplished IT Specialist and Manager with extensive experience in a higher education setting and demonstrated abilities to effectively manage both student and professional staff. Self-motivated problem solver, who is skilled in managing many issues and prioritizing their importance to find resolutions in a timely and effective manner. Possesses strong abilities to adapt to new technologies by extrapolating from existing experience. Possess first-rate communication and collaboration skills to work with diverse groups effectively.
Lila Buytendorp has been serving as the Director of User Services at Moraine Park Technical College (MPTC) since 2000. In this role she is responsible for staff & lab desktop computing and end user support. She guides and supports technology based on the curriculum needs and ensures technology is implemented to support the emerging needs of the college. She builds and supports integrated systems to improve efficiencies and uses technologies to support data-driven decision making. Lila is a member of the Capital Projects Planning and Design Committee to ensure new or remodeled facilities have appropriate technology.