Is your admissions team unable to get to prospective student leads quickly enough? Or does the outreach strategy need improvement? Are you struggling to hit your enrollment goals and looking for ways to improve admissions conversions?
If so, partnering with a higher education call center could be exactly what you need. But how do you know if it’s the right answer to the issues you’re facing?
In this article, you’ll discover answers to the most common questions admissions leaders like you ask about higher ed call centers, such as:
After reading, you’ll better understand whether partnering with a higher education call center is the right solution for your enrollment challenges.
A higher education contact center is a partner that solely focuses on working with colleges and universities to grow enrollment and address admissions challenges. They accomplish this by collaborating directly with your admissions team to act as a true extension of your brand.
The primary services for a contact center relate to the “point of transition” - or how far you want your call center partner to take the students through the process before transitioning them to your internal team. The two most common transition points for admissions teams are Upon Qualification and Upon Completed Application.
Qualification services focus on real-time contact and qualification of prospective students. When appropriate, the contact center will transition interested, qualified leads back to your institution. This is typically done via warm transfer or by scheduling an appointment with your admissions team or an advisor.
Completed Application services include real-time contact qualification and maintaining the relationship until after the application and required admissions materials are collected. This allows the institution to make an admissions decision on the applicants, and then transition to your internal team typically occurs once the university admits a student.
Some higher ed contact centers offer optional services on top of their monthly retainer for contacting your prospective students. Add-on services can include:
Exploring these additional admissions outreach services can provide you with a more tailored solution and further alleviate your enrollment challenges.
When considering ways to increase enrollment numbers and support your admissions team, you may wonder: “Why would I choose a higher education contact center over another type of solution?”
There are three major benefits that admissions leaders like you appreciate about higher ed contact centers:
When you consider working with a higher education contact center, it’s also important to acknowledge potential drawbacks.
The main drawbacks to be aware of when considering a higher ed contact center are:
On average, a monthly retainer with a higher education call center costs between $8,000 - $30,000 depending on several factors, including:
To learn more about these factors and how they influence the cost, read the full article: How Much Does a Call Center Cost for a University or College?
Now that you know the answers to the most common questions about higher education contact centers, let’s revisit who could benefit from their services. Partnering with a higher ed contact center could be a valuable investment for your institution if:
If that sounds like your current situation, it’s time to find the right call center for your institution. But with so many options, how do you even begin to decide which is best?
To prepare for meaningful conversations when comparing potential vendors, read the article: