The Austin School District is committed to providing exceptional service to all - one customer at a time
The Austin Independent School District has made a commitment to a customer service initiative that focuses on providing excellent customer service to all district customers, internal and external. As part of this initiative, the district adopted Guidelines for Model Customer Service that include simple but effective courtesies to follow when handling customers.
But what is Model Customer Service? Model Customer Service is an organization's ability to constantly and consistently exceed their customer's expectations. In Austin ISD, that can be translated as the District's ability to provide students with the best possible education, parents with a sense of security that their children are in a safe environment conducive to learning, and community members with the confidence that their tax dollars are well spent. Model Customer Service takes place when teachers create a welcoming environment for students and their parents by inviting parents to visit their classrooms. Model Customer Service also happens when teachers let parents know when and how to contact them, and when teachers make an initial contact with parents to establish a connection. These small but important efforts at customer service can go a long way towards buffering negative feelings when teachers call on parents at a later time. (Guidelines for Model Customer Service)
To take this initiative to the next level, Standards of Customer Service were adopted in March 2007. These standards set expectations for all District employees in their interactions with customers. To monitor employees' adherence to these standards, campuses and departments are evaluated annually and rated accordingly. ( Standards of Customer Service)
Dr. Meria Carstarphen, who became Superintendent in July 2009, stated on several occasions how impressed she is with the quality and commitment of District employees. Part of that commitment is the employee focus on serving and treating students, parents, taxpayers, and peers in the best possible manner. With that in mind, the customer service initiative will focus on developing positive relationships with all of those with whom employees come in contact. Our ultimate goal is for everyone who visits or calls any campus or District office to have the best possible experience and leave with the satisfaction that their child is in the best urban district in the country.
