How to Build Higher Education CX that Appeals to Gen Z

In today’s technical climate, where everything is online and instantly available, we’ve conditioned our population to expect lightning-fast experiences when engaging for services. And higher education is no exception. 

Gen Z’rs are now the largest demographic in the higher education sector and they sport the highest expectations of all. When faced with fragmented digital experiences and dated engagement options, they quickly look for alternatives. So, it makes you wonder: 

• Is there something higher education institutions can do to simplify student engagement? 

• Are the channels and services provided by colleges contributing to the problem?  

• How can your university build interactive experiences that appeal to students?  

Well, leading higher education organizations that leverage the Five9 platform deliver a more personalized, reimagined experience to their student body.  

Timely, Channel-Appropriate Support  

Consider Oliver; having completed his associates degree, Oliver starts as a junior at a local university this fall. Oliver feels nervous because half of his classes are scheduled for virtual delivery, and he’s not comfortable with learning that way. So, Oliver emails the university seeking alternatives.  

Oliver decides to reach out to a counselor to see if there are any other options.  

Little did Oliver know, his university uses Five9 to manage their student inquiries to ensure they receive timely and channel-appropriate help. Five9 Engagement Workflow first called upon its natural language processing engine which detected the concern in his email, then it connected to the institution’s CRM to gather details about Oliver's student status. Based on that information they choose to respond to elevate the conversation to voice.  

When Mike, a counselor, receives the proactive outbound call, he’s informed that the call is an escalation, reviews the email, and browses the information from Oliver’s record in the CRM – all before getting Oliver on the line. Mike empathizes with Oliver’s concern regarding tele-lectures and shares tips for staying focused in a virtual environment.  

Digital First Self-Service  

Later that week, Oliver receives a text from the university reminding him to buy his books. He follows the link to the website and starts shopping. Much to his surprise, the Calculus textbook is the same one he used during his associate degree; he wonders if the curriculum will be repetitive.  

Luckily the school invested heavily in digital-first self-service and Oliver quickly learns about test-out options for students in his situation. The intelligent virtual agent even helps him schedule the exam and proactively reserves him a seat in Calculus 2, for when he passes  – all without having to speak with an agent.  

Thanks to some thoughtful design and a student-first approach in their contact center, this university: 

• Improved student engagement by automatically elevating emotionally charged interactions 

• Removed friction by proactively communicating with students on their channel of choice 

• And reduced service costs by providing self-service and digital-first assistance  

Elevate the Conversation  

It’s time to say goodbye to bad CX and start meeting the expectations of today’s students. Our experienced professional services organization helps leading colleges and universities leverage the Five9 platform to get results. Let’s elevate the conversation together.  

Learn more:  

Read our white paper to learn How Higher Education Can Provide Unparalleled Service During a Crisis and Beyond. 

Check out this case study to learn how Five9 enabled the University of Akron to rapidly transition to online contact center operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Watch this video to see how Regent University Improved Scalability and Agent Efficiency.