Service Excellence extends far beyond the ordinary approach to customer service that has become commonplace in other universities.

Service Excellence at Carleton is about engaging staff in discussion on the needs of their customers, while nurturing the qualities that contribute to a culture of continuous improvement in the pursuit of organizational excellence. This is achieved by ensuring that the people, processes, and technologies employed at Carleton are aligned to help us work together to meet (if not exceed) the expectations of Carleton students, staff, faculty, and external partners.

Service Excellence begins with you!

Whether you interact primarily with students, faculty, staff or external partners, your commitment to serve the community in which you work is one of the most valuable assets you bring to Carleton University every day. Service Excellence offers a unique opportunity for you to get involved and shape your work environment in a positive way.

Preliminary analysis on the Carleton Satisfaction Survey indicates that the factors with the highest correlation to overall satisfaction are understanding people’s needs and requirements; higher than value for money.  (Office of Institutional Research and Planning, 2009)

Why Have Service Standards?

• To Better Define Carleton University
  Enacting Service Excellence differentiates us from other higher education institutions. It demonstrates an ongoing commitment on behalf of the Carleton Community to continuous improvement, innovation, and an exceptional experience for all.
• To Attract and Retain the Best Qualified Students
  Providing our services in a manner that exceeds expectations will increase student satisfaction, retention and long-term loyalty to Carleton University.
• To Hire and Retain the Best Qualified Staff
  Currently, approximately 2,000 people are employed by Carleton University. Enacting Service Excellence provides the foundation on which our attitudes and behaviours are shaped. Service Excellence when modeled by every Carleton staff and faculty member creates an extraordinary learning environment in which our goals of academic, professional and personal excellence are achieved.
• To Help Measure Our Successes
  Measuring our performance on Service Standards provides valuable insight into what we are doing well, where we can improve, and most importantly what our customers need. With this information in hand, we are well positioned to adapt and change to customer needs and/or preferences.