A short recap of Kinderfield - Highfield's workshop for Customer Service Officers, highlighting key points about parents' journey and how to communicate with excellence.
On Tuesday, November 18th 2025, Kinderfield - Highfield Head Office held a workshop titled "Effective Communication: Building Meaningful Connection with Parents" and was aimed at Customer Service Officers from various Kinderfield - Highfield School Centres. Led by Ms Santi Gunawan and Ms Diana Karnani, the session emphasized strengthening communication skills and aligning every interaction to reflect our culture and values across all communication channels, empowering our customer service officers (CSO) to build more precise, warmer, and more meaningful connections with parents.
The workshop commenced by grounding participants in three fundamental aspects: understanding our customer, comprehending the parent journey, and communicating with excellence. It's crucial to note that parents come from diverse backgrounds, each with unique expectations and aspirations for their children's education. Recognizing these perspectives can empower CSOs to respond in ways that support and reassure, fostering a more empathetic and considerate approach. A core segment covered the five stages of the parent journey, from initial awareness and inquiry to school visits, admissions, and onboarding. At each stage, CSOs practised identifying tools and actions that make the experience smoother and more positive.
The workshop theme, 'Effective Communication: Building Meaningful Connection with Parents', was chosen to underscore the pivotal role of Customer Service Officers as the school's frontliners in direct communication with parents. How we react, our attitude, and even the small gestures we make can be seen by the person we are talking to. That's why maintaining open body language and eye contact can create a more positive atmosphere. While in written communication, we aim to be clear, concise, and informative. These factors play a crucial role in shaping how parents perceive the school. With this in mind, several key points were explored throughout the workshop to implement effective communication:
Stay engaged, actively listen, and keep the conversations structured yet welcoming. Such things can maintain a warm tone in conversation, especially with parents as our interlocutors. Ensuring the messages we are trying to convey are easy to understand, giving empathetic responses, and acknowledging emotions can be crucial for parents to build their trust, feel heard, and feel supported.
Keeping a consistent tone, whether in on-site meetings, at the front desk, via email, chat, or even phone, helps convince parents of our school's value and identity. Incorporate Kinderfield - Highfield's core values, and ensure accuracy and clarity are delivered to provide parents with a cohesive, professional environment.
There are times when we encounter sensitive situations; staying professional and turning the conversation into a problem-solving, positive statement can help us remain calm. Choose appropriate words and stay focused—remark that professionalism is key during challenging interactions with parents.
Going beyond theory, the workshop also adopted an interactive approach. CSOs from different centres actively participated in group discussions and role-play activities, deepening their understanding and allowing them to apply each concept in real scenarios. This interactive element ensured that every participant was engaged and involved in the learning process, making the workshop's content more practical and relevant to their daily interactions.
With enhanced skills and practical experience, CSOs are now better equipped to support parents with greater clarity, empathy, and professionalism at every stage of their journey with the school. This session reaffirms our unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality service, ensuring that every parent interaction reflects the values and professionalism of Kinderfield - Highfield Schools. This reassurance should instill confidence in the audience about the school's dedication to excellence and the high standards we uphold.