10 Ways Tutoring Businesses Can Improve Customer Service

80% of revenue comes from just 20% of repeat customers, and one of the best ways tutoring businesses can retain customers is to improve their customer service. Here are ten easy ways to improve customer service that tutoring businesses can implement today.

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#1. Add contact information, pricing, and booking options to your website 

Adding key information like pricing, booking options, and contact information to your tutoring business’s website is an easy way to improve customer service. This reduces the need for customers to contact you (and wait for an answer) but makes it easy to get in touch if needed. 

Additionally, tutoring businesses should consider creating an FAQ page and reviewing it regularly to ensure the information is current and covers the main topics a potential or existing customer might have. 

You should also create dedicated landing pages for each tutoring service you offer, with information about what each service entails to give customers more information. Dedicated landing pages are also an easy way to increase visitors to your website because they’re a great place to add relevant, targeted keywords to improve your website’s SEO.

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#2. Clearly state your refund/cancellation policy 

One of the worst customer service issues for customers to run into — aside from rude customer service agents — is finding out after they booked that their tutoring sessions are non-refundable or can’t be rescheduled. 

Clearly displaying your tutoring business’s refund and cancellation policies on your website, and getting customers to agree to them at the time of booking, ensures that customers know what they’re getting into before it’s too late. 

Make sure to include

• The minimum notice period for cancellations/rescheduling 
• Any fees a customer is liable for when canceling and if these can be avoided with enough notice 
• If you have an extenuating circumstance clause for cancellations 
• What happens if a tutor has to cancel, i.e., refunds issued, discounts offered, etc. 

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#3. Introduce a customer loyalty program

Another easy way to improve customer service for tutors is to make your students feel valued. Customer loyalty programs are a great way to do this and simultaneously encourage repeat business for your tutoring business. 

A survey of Millennial and Gen Z consumers found that 63% would not commit to a company if they couldn’t collect loyalty benefits. To combat this, consider allowing customers to accrue points or collect stamps that earn them discounts on future tutoring sessions or free upgrades. 

Tip: Introduce a customer referral scheme as part of your customer loyalty program to encourage customers to bring new students to your tutoring business. 

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#4. Optimize customer service channels

Reviewing and optimizing communication channels is essential for tutors looking to improve customer service. Don’t fall into the trap of offering too many communication channels in an effort to please everyone if you don’t have the resources to monitor them effectively. 

Customers shouldn’t wait more than an hour to get a response during business hours, and never more than 24 hours. If you can’t guarantee a fast response rate, consider condensing your communication channels down to just a few main ones, such as phone, email, and your most used social media platform. 

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#5. Review your onboarding process

First impressions are everything, so for tutoring businesses looking to improve customer service, the onboarding process is an excellent place to start. 

What information do students (or parents of students) need when they first sign up for a lesson? 

Helpful information to add to your onboarding process includes 

• Tips on preparing for their first lesson, e.g., the equipment they’ll need if you don’t provide it, etc. 
• How long students typically spend on any one topic/subject level 
• What students can expect from the first lesson (do you jump straight into the topic or spend time getting to know the student’s learning style, etc.) 

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#6. Use online booking to reduce wait times 

Introducing online booking is the most significant change a tutoring business can make to improve customer service. More than 70% of customers prefer to book and manage service appointments, like tutoring lessons, online. 

Online booking software gives customers a fast, convenient way to organize tutoring sessions. Most online booking software for tutors also has integrated online payments for a secure way to take payments for tutoring lessons. 

Online booking helps tutors reduce customer response times and remove scheduling delays that impact customers' perception of a business. Online booking software with integrated employee scheduling, like MarketBox, also makes organizing tutors easy and provides instant confirmations to customer requests. 

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#7. Send progress reports to students (or their parents)

Another good way to improve customer service for tutors is to check in with student (or their parents) consistently. Sending regular progress reports is not only motivating, as students can see how well they’re doing but is an effective way of demonstrating the value you’re offering. It also gives customers an opportunity to provide feedback or ask questions. 

You can use this information to influence how to approach future lessons and take early action to ensure every customer has a positive experience. 

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#8. Hire quality tutors

For service-based businesses like tutoring companies, the quality of employees you hire significantly impacts customer service levels. It’s important to invest time into finding the right tutors to maintain a consistent, high-quality service across your business. 

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Related: 8 Hiring Mistakes to Avoid

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#9. Automate appointment reminders

Another easy way to improve customer service is to automate appointment reminders. Automated appointment reminders significantly reduce the admin tasks your team has to deal with and reduce no-shows by up to 85%. This ensures that customers receive their services in a timely manner and don’t have to reschedule appointments. 

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#10. Collect customer feedback and action on it quickly

The last way tutoring businesses can improve customer service is by listening to their customers. Collecting feedback, either formally through surveys and focus groups or second-hand through customer reviews, is an effective way to highlight areas to improve and take action to avoid negative customer experiences. 

If your tutoring business uses online booking software like MarketBox, you can automate review requests and send customers follow-up messages after appointments to collect feedback quickly and easily. 

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