Stefan Drew Associates Challenge UK Colleges Over Customer Service

Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, October 10, 2010 --(PR.com)-- As national Customer Service Week draws to a close Stefan Drew Associates are challenging the UK education sector to use customer service as a tool to reduce front and back office costs.

With SFA CEO Geoff Russell recommending providers to take action to reduce front and back office costs and preserve the sector in financially challenging times Stefan Drew Associates are challenging the sector to recognise how improving customer service can help improve business processes, reduce costs and offer them national accreditation.

Stefan Drew commented, “Resources are tight and the situation will not improve in the near future. This means the sector needs to look at reducing its costs and improve efficiencies in a number of different ways.

"In a similar way to how IIP accredits against the internal HR function, Putting the Customer First, the national customer service standard will help providers determine how they perform against 30 standards in areas like maximising market awareness, building customer relationships and developing people.

"The process isn’t driven by huge portfolios of evidence and the advantages include improved customer loyalty, competitive differentiation, improved services and cost reduction."

Drew continued, “A number of the more astute providers, colleges and universities already have approved status and have seen the benefits. We are now challenging the rest of the sector to recognise the need. It is clear that those that don’t take action of some sort could become 'financially inadequate' and if the sector as a whole doesn’t respond to the challenges it faces the SFA may be compelled to take action. We believe customer service accreditation is one of the steps the sector needs to take if it is to satisfy the need for adequate provision across the sector.”

Providers wishing more information about the Customer First standard can contact Stefan Drew on 01926 632794 or visit http://www.customerfirst.org/

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For further details contact Stefan at Stefan Drew Associates on 07904 897929 or email Stefan@StefanDrew.com

Notes to Editors

Stefan Drew is Customer First Approved Consultant with a FHE background.

Previously Head of Press, Publicity and Marketing at the Contributions Agency Stefan directed marketing for several colleges (inc Hartpury and Warwickshire) before opening Stefan Drew Associates in 2005.

Regularly introduced by the BBC as the Marketing Magician Stefan has been heard worldwide and his website is visited by businesses and individiuals in over 100 countries.

A qualified lecturer Stefan has taught business and marketing in the UK, Portugal and France.

Despite spending little on marketing the business has grown rapidly year on year; a fact Stefan puts down to implementing his own advice.

Having advised businesses on both sides of the Atlantic Stefan’s work has been published in over 50 countries and he has subscribers to his regular Top Tips Newsletter in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Africa.

In addition to a major focus on education Stefan has a number of business clients in the UK and overseas which leaves him well placed to help the FHE sector on specifics such as employer engagement, marketing, business development etc.

Stefan's website can be found at www.StefanDrew.com

Stefan is a Fellow of the Institute of Business Consultants.

Stefan Drew, is based in the UK at Marton, Coventry, Warwickshire and also has offices in Exmouth, Devon.