The student experience doesn’t begin in the lecture theatre, it begins the moment a prospective applicant sends an enquiry or picks up the phone.
In a sector that’s facing increased scrutiny over value for money, responsiveness and wellbeing, contact centres are no longer just operational hubs. They are now pivotal to how universities engage, support and retain students.
Yet many institutions still operate in a reactive mode. Separate teams handle IT, admissions, and student services via disconnected channels, leading to frustration for students and duplication of effort for staff.
With the 2025 cycle fast approaching, and with clearing and enrolment periods becoming more intense each year, there’s never been a better time for universities to take a more strategic view of their contact operations.
What does that look like?
It means treating Contact Centres as more than service desks. It means bringing together voice, email, chat, and social into a single view of the student. It means using data from these interactions to uncover unmet needs, spot trends early, and feed insight into wider university strategy.
Crucially, it means planning contact capacity and resource allocation not just for the next busy week, but for the next academic year.
Three strategic questions to consider now:
- Do we know what our top student pain points are, and how quickly we resolve them?
If not, your contact centre data is an untapped goldmine. - Can we respond flexibly during peak periods?
Strategic workforce planning and cloud-based systems can make this easier than you think. - Are our services inclusive by design?
Contact channels should be accessible to all, from students with additional needs to international applicants in different time zones.
Higher education is evolving fast, and so are student expectations. A strategically designed Contact Centre can be your competitive advantage, not just in attracting students, but in helping them thrive once they arrive.
Jane is Head of Marketing at IPI with over 30 years experience in the IT marketing arena. Passionate about driving change through innovative technologies and highly focused on delivering IPI’s core messages to it’s clients and prospects.
