INTERNSHIP REPORT: situation and solutions to improve customer service of IEI

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES




INTERNSHIP REPORT




TOPIC
Situation and Solutions
to improve Customer Service of IEI


INSTRUCTOR: TRAN THI NGOC LINH





STUDENT: TRƯƠNG THỊ BĂNG TRINH
CLASS: 11CTA06

CODE: 1117010332


July 2014



July 2014


Company’s Comments
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Ho Chi Minh City , …………… July, 2014
Signature

Supervisors’ Comments

Supervisor 1
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Supervisor 2
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Table of Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
I. INTERNSHIP’S DESCRIPTION 8
1. Internship overview 8
2. Internship’s discription 8
2.1. Internship’s description 8
2.2. Some information of the deparment recruiting internship 9
2.3. Specific tasks and responsibilities 9
3. Purposes and Significance of the internship 10
3.1. Achieved experiences after the intership 10
3.2. Purposes and Significance of the internship 10
II. IEI (INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE) OVERVIEW 11
1. Establishment and Development history 11
2. Organization of management 13
3. Functions of each department 13
4. Potentiality 14
4.1. Material facilities 14
4.2. Personal staff 15
5. Some elements affecting IEI’s business 15
5.1. Economic factors 15
5.2. Customer 16
5.3. Competitors 16


III. SITUATION AND SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE

OF IEI 16
1. Results of business operations from 2011 to 2013 16
1.1. Situation of business operations 16
1.2. Assessment of business operations 18
2. Real situation of IEI’s Customer Service 18
2.1. Classification 18
2.2. Activities supporting to Customer Service 19
a. Advertisement 19
b. Promotions 20
c. Workshops, contests and other activities 20
3. Assessment of Customer Service 21
3.1. Obtained results 21
3.2. Several shortcomings need to be improved 21
4. Solutions to improve IEI’s Customer Service 22
4.1. Improving organizational methods 22
4.2. Improving staff qualification 23
4.3. Improving Customer Service quality 23
4.4. Intensifying marketing and promotion 23
4.5. Upgrading equipment and facilities 24
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION 24
1. Solutions to improve IEI’s Customer Service 24
2. Solutions to improve IEI’s Customer Service 25

APPENDIX
REFERENCES

Acknowledgements
***
First, I would like to extend my deep gratitude to all of the teachers of the Foreign
Languages Department, HUTECH University. Without their close assistance, this paper
is impossible.
My heartfelt gratitude to Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh for her invaluable
contribution to the making of this paper.
Then, I am obliged to IEI institute’s management for their practical help by means
of information offered on the subject matter.
Last but not least, I am sincerely grateful to my parents and my sisters for
willingness to share housework and supporting side by side while I conduct researches.




Executive Summary
***
This paper deals with Internship’s specific tasks and responsibilities, as well as
Internship’s purposes and significance.
In particular, Customer Service is mentioned as an important part to help maintain
and expand business operations. Business competition rate is more and more increasing
due to development of globalization and technology, this creates an important role of
customer service in competitive advantage of enterprises.
In the context of keen competition of a large number of English Language Centers
in Ho Chi Minh city, IEI (International Education Institute) is introduced as a fairly
successful unit in customer service process. Although IEI institute has to encounter many
difficulties which relate mostly to customer service, it still makes efforts to intensify
competitive possibilities for existing and developing.

Based on practical, the topic “Situation and Solutions to improve customer service
of IEI” is chosen for this internship report.







I. INTRODUCTION:
1. Internship overview
An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and
theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a
professional setting.
“Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and
make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give
employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.” – NACE (National Association
of Colleges and Employers).

2. Internship’s description
2.1. Internship’s description
Department: Marketing & Communication of International Education Institute
Duration and Schedule: 1 month, Mon - Sat, 8am – 5pm
Requirements:
- Students who are required by their universities to undergo training or
internship program that are credited in majors: Marketing, Foreign Language in
English, Business Administration/Management, International Relations,
Commerce, Foreign Trade.
- Immediate to Advanced English in general Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing
- Advanced Computer skill

- Being proactive, self-motivated, and quick learner.
Job Description :
- Managing and being responsible for all online marketing channels which are
important touch-points communicating to customers
- Regulating and reporting daily operations/activities occurred in all IEI’s forums
and other online social networks


- Giving support and being trained in general Marketing and Student Recruitment
activities.
- Contributing and to be trained becoming key personnel in trainees/interns
orientation and development for following internship intakes.
2.2. Some information of the department recruiting internship
I apply internship post in Marketing & Communications Office, one of divisions
belonging to the IEI Institute. Its functions will be described in detail at chapter II, page
14.
Marketing & Communications Office is divided into several teams which each of
them has seperate functions. These teams consist of Consulting team, Communications
team, Marketing team and Design team. Every team has a leader assuming responsibilities
for seperate tasks.
I work in Consulting team which has responsibilities for directly contacting with
customers.
2.3. Specific tasks and responsibilities
- I work as a consultant. My main responsibilities are help students who want to
register Institutional TOEFL and placement tests complete their procedures. When
a customer comes to the institute to ask information of IEI’s programs, I also
provide him/her with information and consult him/her to choose a suitable class.
- In addition, I make phonecalls to introduce English Training programs and send
emails for potential customers. Of course after a working day, I have to send a
statistical report to my instructor in the Institute to inform her how many

phonecalls I made a day (to detail and to clarify them).
- I also work as a receptionist. I assume responsibility for greeting people coming to
the Institute for private business, for instance, customers meeting employees of
other departments, and answer phonecalls.
- Sometimes, the Institute holds workshops at weekend, I will make phonecalls to
confirm the number of attendants according to the list that people registered
online.


3. Purposes and significance of the internship
3.1. Specific acquired experiences after the internship
- Applying what was learned during courses (theory, skill development,
professionalism) to the workplace. For example, having opportunities to apply
Secretarial Skills & Office Administration.
- Knowing how to use office technical equipment (printer, photocopier, fax
machine )
- Improving soft skills (contacting with a lot of people and building good
relationships) as well as skills of negotiation and convince, computer skills and
Listening-Speaking skills (thanks for contacting with foreign customers and
foreign teachers of the Institute).

3.2. Purposes and significance of the internship
There are very few courses at college that provide students with a specific
professional qualification. Internships will introduce students to potential future work
environment and they will be able to decide whether these meet their career wishes and
interests:
- Giving students career opportunities. If an intern gives his best to the company, he
may get a permanent position in the same company after completing the internship
program.
- Doing an internship is also a great learning experience. The entire internship

allows students to identify his strengths and weaknesses, and use both of them to
the best advantage of his job and company. This real life experience allows them to
judge and identify their abilitites of completing the given tasks.
- It also helps improve skills. Several skills and tasks are necessary to accomplish a
job effectively and efficiently. These skills are imparted to a student during his
intern period.


In short, Internship is the first ladder to succeed. Doing an internship in a
specialized field helps students to build up a good basis for future career.

II. IEI (INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION INSTITUTE OF HCM
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY) OVERVIEW
1. Establishment and development history
IEI stands for International Education Institute of Ho Chi Minh National
university. Through the time over 17 experienced years of associate education programs
and English training programs, IEI has created its high prestige and trust to students,
parents, organizations, enterprises and other foreign partners.

Figure 1. Logo of IEI
(source: iei.edu.vn)
IEI was established with its initial name FLC in 1996, the time when English has
started to be popular in Viet Nam, by Foreign Language Institute of HCM National
University.
With its mission enhancing foreign language skills for students, pupils and
officers of South area, FLC has affirmed its capability in English teaching field.
Moreover, FLC has hurriedly controlled most of South area’s market with its IELTS
training programs.

Since then, it’s started to co-operate with other worldwide partner universities
such as Universities of Houston, Truman State, La Trobe, Bronze Cougar, Missouri & St.
Louis and so on. And it has gradually created many undergraduate and graduate programs
as well as study abroad which are associated with above partner universities.





Figure 2. Some worldwide partner universities’ logo
(Source: iei.edu.vn)
Specifically, FLC honoured to be conferred a certificate of merit by Vietnamese
Prime Minister in 2008.
In 2012, it officially renamed to IEI (International Education Institute) of HCM
National University.






2. Organization of management
Organization Chart
Figure 3 . Organization Chart
(Source: iei.edu.vn)
3. Functions of each department
Beside 4 departments which hold academic programs (Undergrad & Grad Education
Program, Research Program, English & Executive Education program and Study abroad
Division) are responsible for organizing and performing functions as their names, each of
the rest departments has its separate functions:

 HR and Administration Office:
- Assigning jobs/responsibilities to each department, and prevent internal
departments from overlap responsibilities of each other.
- Making sure that employees as well as departments work functionally and
effectively.


 Planning & Financial Office:
- Executing research, management, supervision of projects to make sure these
projects run well in a limited approval budget.
- Counseling board of directors to govern and administrate finance and accounting.
- Dealing with salaries, bonuses, payments in according to government and
company’s policies.
- Dealing with many other expenses, for instance, commercial expenses.
 Academic Quality Assurance Office:
- Assessing results of institutional departments’ operations under ISO standards by
getting students’ feedback.
 Marketing & Communications Office:
- Creating and designing marketing ideas, marketing operations of the company.
- Executing research, management, supervision of business operations, revenue of
each week/quarter.
- Assuming responsibilities for contacting directly with customers in order to
consult, provide programs’ information for customers.
4. Potentiality
4.1. Material facilities
The Institute has 3 campus places:
- One Head-office at Ward 6, Linh Trung, Thu Duc District.
- Two branches in city center:
232/15 Vo Thi Sau Str, Ward 7, District 3
146bis Nguyen Van Thu Str, District 1.

IEI equips modern facilities to serve for teaching and learning comfortably:
- 3 LAB rooms which each of them is equipted over 35 computers.
- 2 libraries with more than 1000 English book titles.
- Every classroom equips projectors, air-conditioners to brings students to the best
learning conditions.


Moreover, IEI’s curriculum is always updated in order to find appropriate methods of
learning English as well as supplying enough knowledge for students.
4.2. Personal staff
IEI’s staff (including teachers/lecturers and officers) is pretty young (ages 20-40 are
up to 75%). It brings more active and creative in working but less experience- the
necessary key for business competition. The senior staff, otherwise, having ages from 51
to 60 (10%), are veteran employees who have been working in the institute since it started
up.
All employees of the institute graduated from reputable universities at home and
abroad. Beside lecturers of associated education programs have to be approved by foreign
partner universities, the teaching staff graduated from international environment with
experiences of learning and living abroad to impart and support students to practical
knowledge.
Teachers are always objectively estimated after every course. This task is executed
by Academic Quality Assurance Office via getting students’ feedback. Based on these
assessments, management board of each specialized division discusses with lecturers to
adjust syllabus to suit for students.
5. Some elements affecting IEI’s business
5.1. Economic factors
Business factors involving stability of national finance and currency, control of
inflation relate to results of business operations. Business factors are important issues that
most enterprises directly concern, because their operations are usually affected by
economic situations: developing, stable or regressive.

5.2. Customer
Customer can’t be apart from competitive environment. This factor can be
considered as the most precious treasure of a company. To achieve it, a company should
satisfy customer’s demand and liking more than its competitors do.


The various kinds of customer as well as customer’s demands are complex.
However, the Institute should always be in best efforts to create ideas, design
commercials and plans for satisfying customer’s demands due to attracting them.
5.3. Competitors
The competition can be under diversified forms such as price competition,
quality, commercial methods and, especially, customer service.
In Ho Chi Minh city, there are a large number of English training centers. Some
big rivals of IEI are: Ila, VUS, Apollo, British Council and so on.
Because of understanding its competitors clearly, the Institute offers suitable
policies of price and service to make its own advantages. Beside price strategies, IEI also
speeds up many marketing activities to approach customers effectively.

III. SITUATION AND SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER
SERVICE OF IEI
1. Results of business operations from 2011 to 2013
1.1. Situation of business operations
Table 1. Results of IEI’s business operations from 2011-2013
CRITERION
2011
2012
2013
Unit
Courses
110

115
120
Course
Revenue
2
2,1
2.4
Billion VND
Profit
-0,088
0,2
0.22
Billion VND
Paying for
National budget
0,04
0,056
0,069
Billion VND

(Source: Financial report 2011-2013 of Planning & Financial Office)


Chart 1. Revenue, Profit and Contribution for National budget in 2011-2013
(Unit: billion VND)

 According to Table 1 and Chart 1, we can make comments as follow:
- The number of English courses were increasing from 2011 to 2013, because
demands of learning English have been more and more increasing year by year.
This was a good sign showing that people have intended to learn English due to

global integration. Especially, more and more customers know about information
of the Institute. Thus, the revenue also increased.
- IEI’s revenue was steadily increasing: The revenue of 2012 was higher 0.1 billion
VND than 2011was. The revenue of 2013 was higher 0.3 billion VND than 2012’s.
- However, IEI’s profit was not stable because of depending on expenses, inflation
(economic recession caused the increasing of technical items’prices and wages of
labour). After loss of profit in 2011, the Institute innovated as well as predicted
economic situation to create plans and strategies promptly, so IEI recovered with
its profit gradually increased.


- The royalty contributed to National budget depended on tax policy of the
government. IEI always complies with the policy and law promulgated by
governmental authorities.
1.2. Assessment of business operations
Generally, IEI gradually adapted to the changes of economy as well as internal
changes in recent years. The Institute popularizes its image and programs to customers
nationwide.
Besides, IEI organizes free mock tests of TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC annually and
workshops, exchange programs monthly to attract more customers and increase its
popularization.
2. Real situation of Customer Service
2.1. Classification of IEI’s customer
Customer’s demands are various. For example, some students not only have basis
knowledge but also use 4 English skills well, however, some others do not. Accordingly,
based on each customer’s demand, the Institute clarifies customer and divides it into some
kinds and levels to create suitable methods for a good service.
Specifically, customer is divided into 3 groups:
- Individual customer:
This customer group accounts for a high rate with the number of student from

high schools, colleges and universities in Ho Chi Minh city.
- Organic customer:
Beside concerning to the high rate group above, the Institute also associates
with many companies, organizations that want to improve English skills for
their employees.
- Partner customer:
Parallel with English training called Test Prep (preparation of international tests
such as IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, SAT, GMAT and GRE), the Institute has


other co-operative and exchange programs with oversea universities. This kind
of education program brings IEI to a high rate revenue.
2.2. Activities supporting Customer service
a. Advertisement
IEI’s advertisement is various forms. Each kind of ads is designed in periods when
IEI develops its service or opens new programs. Advertisements are published on
diversified channels, such as:
- Newspapers, magazines
- Posters, banners, leaflets
- Websites, forums, Facebook and some communal blogs (Wordpress, Blogspot,
Yume, Zing )
- Mass media which are communicable for videos of IEI’s introduction.


Figure 4. A banner of IEI’s internship recruitment
(Source: iei.edu.vn)



b. Promotions

In order to foster potential customers attending to IEI’s courses, the Institute has many
attracted promotions, such as:
- For English traning courses: to share a part financial burden of students, IEI
allows students who pay tuition fee before the date begining of their courses a
week to be discounted 5% for all kinds of courses. Besides, “Taking mock test-
Having real learning” programs give students opportunities to attend test
preparation classes with scholarships 100%, 50% per course, etc.
- For Transfer programs: Students who have good results will be awarded
scholarships 50% per year.
c. Workshops, contests and other activities
Beside regularly conducting many activities for students such as ouside campings,
English contests, charity programs and so on, IEI also holds workshops on special subject,
such as “Refering and Plagiarism”, “How to succeed in U.S”, “IELTS speaking &
writing skills” and so on to help students have necessary skills in learning English and
study abroad.

Figure 5. Pictures of the workshop “Planning for your children’s life”
(Source: iei.edu.vn)


3. Assessment of Customer Service
3.1. Obtained results
Nowadays, the number of Vietnamese people learning English language is
increasing year by year and holds a high rate, especially in Ho Chi Minh city. The market
is more and more severely competitive as well. Therefore, IEI has considered to build its
image, brand and do many activities of customer service. With its best efforts, the
Institute achieved remarkable results:
- All departments co-operated closely, and made up a unique community. They
always worked with IEI’s target “Customers’ satisfaction is the first” by flexible
and logical processes.

- Staff was always present at the office in order that customers who had any query
about IEI could call directly or came to IEI’s office in person. Customers’ queries
would be cleared up as soon as possible to give customers the best service.
- Careful and professional preparation in organizing workshops and many
exchange programs helped create an eventful atmosphere for IEI’s students to
show their enthusiasm of English learning. Consultants gave professional advice
for students to help them get right directions and put their trusts in IEI.
- Modern equipment and facilities met the ISO standards.
- IEI diversified English courses, updating latest knowledge and creating various
channels of distribution in order to help students attend courses effectively and
register quickly.
 These results are motivations for IEI’s improvements in customer service.

3.2. Several shortcomings need to be improved
Despite of these achievements, IEI needs to overcome some difficulties as follow:
a. IEI’s competitors always know how to seize opportunities as well as changes and
trends of the market. Therefore, they promptly update and change their strategies to
suit for situations. This requires that IEI has to keep pace with tempo of market’s


development. For example, at the time of economic recession, although IEI’s
tuition fee is fairly competitive in comparison with other English centers, it is still
considered high to students who come from other provinces outside Ho Chi Minh
city or from middle-class families.
b. Activities of market research haven’t proved their ability absolutely. Although IEI
tries to find markets and take many researches, it still has some problems in finding
potential customer resources (e.g. potential customers haven’t used its service yet,
customers are using competitor’s service and customers leave its service to move to
competitor’s service) and convince them to use its service.
c. In particular, IEI often has obstacles in beginning new English training classes due

to lack of the number of requisite students. An English class which wants to be
opened needs to have 10- 14 students. People who want to register but classes they
require aren’t opened. So, they move to other centers which can meet their
demands.

4. Solutions to improve IEI’s Customer Service
4.1. Improving organizational methods
From the very beginning, IEI attached special importance to customer service and
assigned this duty to Marketing & Communication department. To help customer service
system work well, IEI should organize it orderly and flexibly.
- In customer service system, a leader should be appointed to manage as well as take
responsibility for total activities.
- Recruiting and arranging employees who are expert on marketing and customer
service to work in the department.
- Managers of this department should consider and estimate activities frequently to
set forth methods and changes.
- Duties of each custody special customer group should be assigned to each
specialized team in order to follow up closely.


4.2. Improving staff qualification
- In present competitive environment, competent staff is very essential for increasing
competitive advantages. To better customer service system, IEI should do activities
of staff qualifications and specialist skills. Recruitment and training, as well as
retraining and encouraging staff to take private lessons should be appreciated.
- Human factor, awareness and quality of staff is very important to customer service.
This job is not a private duty of a department, it becomes sense of all staff levels.
Especially, some departments which directly contact to customers should always
keep hospitable attitude to customers.
- To build a good foresaid sense, IEI should train employees positively in order that

everyone can have a deep understanding about influences of customer service on
the revenue of IEI and benefit of each person.

4.3. Improving Customer Service quality
- Although convincing customer to register IEI’s programs is very important, service
quality is the most essential. It’s like “ Good wine needs no bush”, a good service
can attract customer well. In the process of providing service, it can consist of
consulting, helping customers in their learning process.
- Besides, after finishing a course, students who have good results should be
rewarded or discounted for the next course.

4.4. Intensifying marketing and promotion
- Promotion is a useful way to attract more customers. But if promotion plans
become successful, the Institute should do marketing to popular them. For
example, IEI should intensify many means of communications to let customers
know about promotional campaigns which is happening or coming. However, IEI
can reduce commercial fee by distribute flyers, brochures and special offers
directly or attach them to customer’s bills or receipts at reception counter. On the


papers which show information of promotion, customers’ names and addresses
should be write out. This would lead to increase more effective of promotional
programs.
- Moreover, disposing reception counter, information board and arranging flyers,
brochures how to be easily seen so that customer can easily find out about IEI’s
programs.
- IEI’s courses are announced on its website and some academic forums. This helps
people easily find out about the date of new courses and come to the Institute to
register directly. But if possible, IEI should accept students register online and
transfer tuition via banks to give more advantages for students such as saving time

and effort.

4.5. Upgrading equipment and facilities
- Equipment and facilities also play a part of customer’s estimation. Customers will
appreciate IEI’s investment into modern equipment and facilities to serve a good
service for them.
- IEI’s Libraries frequently update new books of English learning to serve for
teaching and learning.

IV. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION
1. Recommendations:
Internal meeting should be taken twice in a week to get employees’ ideas as well as
deal with their problems. A meeting takes place at the beginning of a week to create
general strategies and one takes place at weekend to get results and assess activities. This
may help the Institute can be improved.
Training staff right from beginning is very essential. To save money, IEI should
recruit staff from its internship team or former students. In internship or learning process,


students can get basis requirement of jobs or know about IEI clearly; therefore,
specialized training staff would be advantageous.
The Marketing & Communications office should intensify activities of marketing
online more than intensify telesales because a large number of customer is from Internet
sources (google search, IEI’s website).
Due to demands of students who live in other provinces or study abroad, IEI should
expand its online programs to create more conditions for customers and gain more
prestige.

2. Conclusion
In the context of nowadays competitive market, to stand firm in the face of market

difficulties, IEI should improve and enhance its service incessantly. And one of many
important issues that need to be improved is customer service. Manage and custody
customer well help a company build a good relationship to customer and raise their
competitive capability. Therefore, customer service should be constantly perfected to
chasing with development of market and society.
Through many years of operations, IEI always tries to build a good brand, complete
turnover’s targets. Marketing & Communications Office considerably contributes in IEI’s
achievements.
To create high competitive advantages in comparison with its business rivals, IEI
should improve its strengths and remedy its weaknesses. Thus, IEI would keep its faithful
customers and attract more potential customers in order to bring economic affections in
business operations.
I hope this internship report can contribute a little part in improving IEI’s customer
service. Because of limited in theory and practical activities, this paper is hard to avoid
mistakes. I wish you would make your suggestions and contribute your ideas to make this
paper could be better.