Universities ignore 38% of student e-mail enquiries, Hobsons reveals

01.08.06

Universities ignore 38% of student e-mail enquiries, Hobsons reveals

The findings of Hobsons' ‘mystery shopper’ exercise were released today

The UK-based survey investigated 70 institutions, exploring enquiries from undergraduate, postgraduate and international students. The survey aimed to reveal both ‘hits’ and ‘misses’ in the enquiry process, while comparing findings with the results of last year’s survey.

Key topics investigated were:

  • time taken to receive undergraduate and postgraduate prospectuses
  • response times to e-mail enquires and the quality of response
  • different enquiry methods available at each institution
  • online facilities available at each institution
  • userbility of the institution’s website.

The results bear interesting comparison to the 2005 exercise. Highlights revealed:

  • Print prospectus requests ignored – 19% at undergraduate, 36% at postgraduate
  • E-mail queries ignored – 28% at undergraduate, 38% at postgraduate
  • E-mail queries answered within one day – 58% at undergraduate, 41% at postgraduate

The results show massive disparity in how institutions are performing. Put simply, efficient universities are performing even better, while poor performers are getting worse. For example, in undergraduate offices, there was a significant decrease in response rates, as the number of e-mail enquiries not dealt with rose from 12% in 2005 to 28% this year. At the same time, however, e-mail queries answered after one day rose from
51% to 58%.

Missed opportunities
With student recruitment numbers threatened and UK HEIs encountering increased competition, it is vital for HEIs to improve efficiency and focus on profitability of student relationships. Hobsons works with 1,200 institutions worldwide, providing technology solutions that enable them to provide instant, relevant and compelling responses to 100% of their enquiries.

Further information 
To find out how you performed, or how Hobsons can help your institution, please contact Leyla Gilbey on 020 7958 5030 or Thomas Mason on 020 7958 5093.

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