For the organizations, institutions, and businesses making up the rapidly expanding online education industry, good customer experience is essential to ensure those engaged in educational activities are able to resolve any issues connected to learning access. This section of the economy continues to grow, with operators constantly expanding available educational activities to an ever larger customer base.
Customer experience necessities for the education sector include competent tech support ahead of rolling out new tech and methodologies; flexible CX operations able to initiate proactive support campaigns; and a strong social media presence facilitating engagement with online learners who are looking for community, support, or further information about potential educational journeys.
The education industry is booming globally across all segments, which range from early childhood learning centers, K-12 education, tutoring, and online higher education to test preparation and on-the-job learning. Zion Market Research shares that the U.S. education market as a whole is expected to grow 4.5% annually through 2028. Catalysts include a global transition to at-home learning, rapid adoption of new digital learning tools, and increasing acceptance of online courses and textbooks. According to APNews, the U.S. online higher education market alone is anticipated to expand by as much as $33.4 billion by 2026, with an annual growth rate of nearly 20%.
Given the primacy of technology for delivering online education, regardless of area, customer experience plays an essential role in its success. McKinsey offers that 18% or respondents to a survey about online education “said their top frustration with online learning was ‘getting the technology to work.’” McKinsey also suggests that education providers need to understand how student expectations have evolved and support improved digital experiences, invest in supporting tools, and incorporate best practices related to customer experience. Some of these include “easily accessible, 24/7 troubleshooting support via a live service desk for urgent learning and teaching problems.”
Education has much in common with a streaming service, in terms of both the experience of surging support demand at the start of enrollment, and the need to troubleshoot access interruptions and service outages. This case study describes how ResultsCX transformed agent training to ensure customer needs were met.
Customers’ frustration can run very high when learners are unable to connect to their education platforms. For one longstanding client, ResultsCX eliminated the communication problems that can occur in chat support by offering outbound calls as a quicker way to solve problems.
One way that online education providers can take better care of their customer base is to transform support operations with AI-powered tools.
Learn more about the benefits of AI-empowered customer journeys that can reduce customer care costs while improving experiences.
Online education organizations cannot neglect the potential value of interacting with customers through social media. Course and program reviews are important ways potential students assess their interest in engaging in educational activities.
Learn about the benefits of protecting your education organization’s online reputation and using social media as another support option for customers.