Last year was the year of disruptions—in our daily lives and beyond. The CoVID-19 pandemic brought about major transformations for all industries, and the education sector was no different. Students, teachers and parents––everyone got together to keep the learning going. Thankfully, with vaccinations in-sight, the education sector is gradually looking ahead to a bright future.
However, the challenges are not over yet. Organisations need to revise and revamp their infrastructure to accommodate the inflow of students and their numerous queries. They also need to ensure readiness if any disruptions were to strike again.
Thus, it is time for you to take your educational institute to the cloud.
Through this article, we will explore the various ways in which established educational institutes and upcoming ed-tech start-ups can capitalise on the power-packed solutions and features of cloud telephony.
Optimise front-desk counselling
Many institutes and coaching centres hire executives to handle queries. More often than not, these executives are overburdened with queries. This leads to inaccuracies and monotony for the agents and longer wait-times for callers. This invariably affects the quality of service provided to the students.
Educational institutes can resolve this problem with the help of cloud telephony. One can leverage IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems to automatically answer all incoming calls with a pre-recorded message. The tool also offers callers a virtual directory which directs them to the desired agent or department with the help of keypad inputs.
IVR also allows self-service. This means common questions can be catalogued and made readily available to students and parents for reference. Thus, agents won’t have to tackle any minor issues and will only handle complex queries that require human attention.
However, callers can also opt-in to directly talk to agents if the need arises. This practice not only ensures quality interactions but also enhances the image of your institute.
Automate call routing
Schools, colleges and universities not only have various departments but also multiple legs of operation––administration, finances, procurement and many more. In most cases, the front-desk or security guards answer these calls and redirect them to the appropriate agents.
However, owing to the manual nature of the task, mistakes are unavoidable. A call directed towards administration may be forwarded to the IT department, resulting in confusion, increase in call drop rates, and a deteriorating image of the institute.
With the help of IVR technology, calls can be intelligently routed without any error. This mechanism also enhances internal collaboration. For example, consider a minor IT issue that occurs in a classroom. Students or the professor can promptly call the administrative or IT department and request quick assistance through the IVR itself.
Boost promotional activities
Admission season is vibrant yet hectic for all institutes. Scores of enthusiastic parents and students are eager to know about the institutes, the unique offerings, curriculum, pedagogy and what not.
Newspaper ads, billboards, etc. can only take one so far. Given the competitiveness in the industry, it is vital to strengthen your marketing campaigns during peak season and stay a step ahead. So, how do you do that? Simple––personalise services with the help of cloud telephony.
Two products namely, bulk SMS and voice broadcasting can boost your promotional campaigns manifold. A bulk SMS campaign allows you to directly reach the inboxes of your target audience and is less likely to be lost amid all the digital noise.
Additionally, SMSes are easy to personalise and can be tweaked in regional languages for wider reach. And they are an easy way to communicate with students who might not have a stable Internet connection.
Voice broadcasting is another way to reach aspiring applicants or parents. Using this cloud telephony solution, you can call thousands of people at once and promote your institute. What’s more? The text-to-speech tool further allows easy personalisation, enabling effective communication with individuals in various parts of the country.
Voice broadcasting can also be used to give students and parents important updates regarding exam dates, holidays, events and more. You can also use the tool to send out other relevant details like exam scores, appointment confirmation, etc.
Another way to charge your marketing campaigns is to use toll-free numbers. Not only are they easy to remember and free to call for customers, but they also provide detailed insights into your campaign. Furthermore, you can also upgrade your toll-free number into a vanity number which will increase brand recall significantly.
Create an alternate academic portal
In 2020, the sudden lockdown made the education industry quickly shift to e-learning mode. Students and teachers connected via cloud communication tools like Zoom, MS Teams, etc. to complete their curriculum. While nothing can replace in-class learning, supplementing e-learning with tele-education can immensely help students.
Cloud telephony services can be used to connect teachers and students, irrespective of one’s location. Moreover, the technology ensures students get uninterrupted access to quality education even through offline modes.
Furthermore, toll free numbers can be integrated with IVR to allow students to directly connect with their teachers (if available) or use the self-service option and navigate to the FAQ section. A student may also record their query via voicemail and the teacher will receive the message on their email. They can later connect to the student at their convenience.
The call recording feature can also be used to benefit students and teachers both. The interaction between them can be recorded. While students can go back to conversations whenever they need, teachers and agents can use these audio files to settle any disputes that may arise.
Conduct successful surveys
Conducting surveys is a crucial task. Surveys help organisations identify any strengths and weaknesses and tweak business strategies accordingly. They’re especially important for educational institutes since many private and government-ranking agencies rely greatly on these insights to frame policies and other essentials.
Cloud telephony can make this administrative task seamless. You can run campaigns either via inbound IVR or bulk SMS. This ensures that the survey reaches a large audience and provides a convenient method for one to respond, unlike the lengthy and cumbersome online forms.
Speech-recognition technology can further ease the process––respondents can submit their answers via voice inputs, and forego keypad inputs.
In house-campaigns
Education institutions across the country are required to spread awareness about anti-ragging policy, anti-sexual harassment norms, and more. Outbound IVR and bulk SMS can supplement the ongoing efforts of the administration and automate the process.
In addition, number masking can be used as a means for students to report any untoward incidents without revealing their identity. Such practices ensure a proactive redressal mechanism, thereby facilitating a safe learning environment.
Summing it up!
Educational institutes nurture and shape the future of the nation. Considering this immense responsibility, they must be equipped with the latest technology to facilitate quality learning even in chaotic times like these.
Cloud telephony, with its numerous services and features, is apt for the said purpose. Further, we at Servetel understand the importance of a budget-friendly tool and acknowledge that each institute is unique. Hence, we offer customisable plans to suit the particular needs of every business.
So, what are you waiting for? Connect with one of our experts at 1800-120-4132 today!
