Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identifier

4862

Date

2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Higher and Adult Education

Concentration

Higher Education

Committee Chair

Jeffery Wilson

Committee Member

Colton Cockrum

Committee Member

Donna Menke

Committee Member

Wendy Griswold

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the customer service related activities of providing accurate and complete information and projecting a positive customer-oriented attitude within financial aid offices, and their relationship to the institutional characteristics of institutional size, institutional control, and institutional type. Data was collected from at least 156 financial aid professionals in higher education organizations in the nine states of the SASFAA region. Results of this study indicate that there was a significant difference between teh size of an institution and projecting a positive customer-oriented attitude by including customer service in teh office mission statement. In addition, this study found a significant difference between the type of an institution and providing accurate and complete information by hiring and training the best staff. Thus, the results support that correlations can exist between institutional characteristics and customer service activities. The other customer service activities studied did not indicate a significanct difference between the 1) size, 2) control, and 3) type of an institution and the 1) customer service activities of providing accurate and complete information or 2) customer service activities of projecting a positive, customer-oriented attitude. Potential implications for future research include further analysis of the impact of institutional characteristics on additional customer service related activities such as: working as a team, following through on issues, and being positive and service oriented.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to the local University of Memphis Electronic Theses & dissertation (ETD) Repository.

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