Customer Needs Analysis
Developing a Proactive Communication Process to Increase Retention
Overview
This scenario-based process analysis project helps tutoring center management and customer-facing employees explore the importance of using proactive communication to build trust and to express genuine interest for parent concerns in order to improve customer experience, reduce escalation, and increase retention rates. It provides opportunity for managers to practice proactively engaging with parents during the enrollment processes.
Audience: New and experienced tutoring center managers and customer facing employees
Responsibilities: Action mapping, storyboarding, visual & graphic design, development and instructional design
Tools Used (to date): MindMeister, Google Docs, Miro
This solution followed the basic principles of ADDIE to determine the course goals and objectives during initial analysis. Following initial information gathering sessions with SMEs and stakeholders, the project was executed using SAM to ensure rapid prototyping and continuous feedback from the client. Being a certified Scrum Master, I value using Agile methodology in the development of learning solutions.
The Process
Analysis
The client is a national tutoring franchise focused on delivering measurable academic outcomes, positive learning experiences, and strong customer experiences for families. As the organization continues to expand, leadership identified a need to better support center staff in managing conversations with parents and building proactive communication and trust during the enrollment process and beyond.
Many parents experience frustration and uncertainty when they feel their child is not improving as expected. These emotions can strongly influence interactions with tutoring center staff and consequently customer loyalty. In fast-paced center environments, employees often take a reactive or task-focused approach to these conversations. While well-intended, this can unintentionally make parents feel unheard or undervalued, increasing the risk of dissatisfaction and unenrollment.
The team needed a scalable, engaging solution to help staff build confidence in navigating these sensitive conversations while also shifting from reactive responses to proactive communication strategies. By partnering with Customer Experience (CX) leaders, we identified a gap: although communication is critical to retention, staff typically receive only basic customer service training with limited opportunities to practice reaching out to and engaging with parents before situations escalate or problems arise.
The Problem
The Solution
As the former center learning director at this tutoring franchise, I identified a critical need for staff to engage in proactive, empathetic communication with parents, especially when students are not showing immediate or visible progress. While essential to retention and satisfaction, center staff often receive only basic customer service training, with limited opportunities to practice navigating emotionally charged parent conversations, addressing concerns before they escalate, or building trust before escalations occur.
This new process empowers tutoring center employees to build trust with parents, reduce frustration, and strengthen long-term engagement through proactive communication strategies.
The solution I developed showcases how learners navigate parent concerns about student progress and experience the impact of reactive versus proactive communication choices. Portions of the training have been modified for demonstration purposes.