Best-in-Class Customer Service: The Trustworthy Tenet

We’re all familiar with the saying – trust is the hardest thing to build and the easiest thing to lose. Our partners can rely on us to be honest and straightforward during every encounter. Not only are our associates dependable but the services we provide to institutions are credible as well – supported by the 34 million secure and successful payments processed each year, as well as the 90 million students we serve.

A “trust fall” is often used to measure the amount of trust two individuals share. We are constantly there to catch our partners when they are needing efficient, higher education payment solutions for their institution and students.

To Anna Printz, Nelnet Campus Commerce account manager, being trustworthy means that others have peace of mind when placing responsibilities, emotions, problems, or tasks in the hands of someone else.

“A trustworthy person will listen well, show empathy, and give honest answers even if they are difficult to give,” Anna says.

Beth Chase, student financial services clerk at Houghton College, says that Nelnet Campus Commerce associates and solutions have absolutely proven that they are trustworthy.

“The associates’ prompt responses help me to assist our students and families in a timely, same day, manner,” Beth says. “This is beneficial to Houghton’s relationship with its students and families as it builds trust and a good rapport.”

Braden Bomberger, Nelnet Campus Commerce senior account manager, says having trust is when an individual doesn’t have an ounce of concern or doubt that the other party is fully capable of completing a task.

Being honest and realistic, even when it comes down to saying things that partners may not want to hear, is how we tackle communication. We are not here to hide the ugly and only show the pretty – that would not benefit an institution in the best way possible. Communicating all necessary information with our institutional partners allows for more realistic, honest partnerships — it allows trust to be established.

Integrity is continuously kept high while putting in a hard-working effort to solve a partner’s inquiry.

“I know some answers won’t always be fun to give, but doing so in an honest, open, and human way is the best way to build a trusting relationships with my clients,” Anna says.

When we are straightforward, institutions can use the information we give them to steer clear of roadblocks, improve retention rates, and support their students.

Jennifer Friesen, Nelnet Campus Commerce manager, says being transparent and honest is the best way to build any type of relationship.

“If a client calls and has a question, I will always do my best to answer their question honestly, even if I know it is not necessarily what they want to hear,” Jennifer says. “My team is consistently sending emails and calling clients to ensure we are upfront with information around issues and the products we serve each day.”

A big part of being trustworthy is being able to take ownership of everything that we’re are providing to our partners – whether that be a student refund option, Storefront, or simply a conversation with an associate. Making sure our words and actions are complementary of each other time and time again initiates trust between us and our partners.

Maria Brown, university cashier officer director at North Carolina State University, says that Nelnet Campus Commerce associates are reliable and honest, which is very beneficial to her institution.

“When they mess up (not many times, but it does happen), they own it,” Maria says. “I have always felt transparency with Nelnet Campus Commerce.”

Owning successes and mistakes leads to personal and professional growth. This growth works its way into many aspects of life, having a positive impact wherever it’s applied.

“Partners are always asking what we can do to help a student with X, or how we equip the institution to help the student achieve Y, and so on,” Anna says. “As long as we are trusted advocates and effectively provide Nelnet Campus Commerce solutions, then I know that we are contributing to student success across all the institutions we serve. We serve institutions so they can serve their mission of helping students.”

When doing business with us, you’re doing it with a human, not a company. Each associate adds their own personal touch – which helps build trust. Spending 20 minutes on hold only to be greeted by a recorded voice on a machine isn’t a good experience for anyone. At Nelnet Campus Commerce, our customers are greeted with a genuine, empathetic person – prepared and eager to answer any questions.

Beth says that she likes to know that she is speaking to a person, not someone that is reading from a script and doing the bare minimum.

“Nelnet Campus Commerce associates are personable and always treat me as an individual, not just a problem to be solved, or a question to be answered,” Beth says.

When partnering with us, you are not just another number. We reach out just to see how things are going at times, with no business motive in mind. We’ll sincerely take an interest in who you are. Your hobbies, your family, and your life is important to us. We want to develop deep connections with our partners – that makes the business side of the relationship run more smoothly when we care, show genuine interest, and always demonstrate that we can be trusted to always do the right thing.

Matthew Dunlap, Nelnet director, enjoys every opportunity he gets to meet someone new or learn more about an individual.

“People are interesting and you rarely regret spending time learning more about someone,” Matthew says. “It is harder in a virtual environment but it remains important to take time to talk about things outside of work.”

Interested in best-in-class customer service? View all eight tenets that our service-focused associates hold to a high standard.