Customer service is customer service, no matter what industry you are in. In our positions, our customers are our families. Part of the service we provide is building relationships, to us and between families.
The customer service journey, or in other words, the journey to start building relationships should begin even before a family calls or walks through the door for the first time.
One way is to use videos. Creating a professional video for families that exemplifies who you are and what you do as individuals and as a school will leave a lasting impression. Please click on the link to view an example of a school video.
In a post-COVID-19 world, home visits before the school year starts are another impactful way to begin to develop relationships.
It is important to realize that each family is different. How you create a strong and lasting connection can look different and take on many forms. What family engagement means and looks like depends on the unique characteristics and the individual comfort levels and understanding of each family. Here are some examples of tactics you can use to build a relationship between you and your families:
- Smile and greet families by name every single day.
- Establish a time to meet with families face-to-face and help families design a plan to reach the dreams and goals they have for their children.
- Share observations and other strength-based information about their children. This goes a very long way.
- Ask families questions about their children.
- Communicate with families daily using storyboards, emails, notes home, pictures, communication sheets with information about routines, phone call, and newsletter.
- Invite families to share what they see and hear their children doing at home or in the community or how they celebrate certain holidays or rituals in their home. For example, for Hanukkah, you could share a slide show of families celebrating Hanukkah in their homes.
- Find ways to ask them how they are feeling about the program, such as a family survey, and discuss any concerns they might have.
We know the children will come to school and make friends, but it’s just as beautiful to see parents making friendships they will have for life. You can help facilitate these relationships by creating an environment in a way that encourages families to spend time together. Examples include:
- Keep the entrance area open and uncluttered with simple but attractive signs welcoming families.
- Consider setting up a large board on a wall near the center of the room for parents to leave daily messages for each other.
- Create a comfortable spot for parents to hang out and kibitz after dropping their child off for school, or before picking them up.
- Hold programs where the entire family can participate. These can take place during the school day, in the evenings, and on the weekends.
Shelly Sender
Early Childhood Education Director
Temple Emanu-El Early Childhood Education Center
February 2021
