How do you feel about your school's financial aid office customer service?

I am working on a training session for frontline financial aid office personnel and want to hear what you think about customer service in financial aid. Is it good? Why? Is it bad? Why?

When you are not satisfied with the customer service there, what do you do? Do you complain to the Director, or do you complain to everyone else you know?

Your help will be greatly appreciated!!!

Please shoot me an answer! It may help financial offices get better!

I recently graduated and had scholarships and loans.

OK. The scholarship help that i needed was almost always prompt, helpful and successful. Mainly it was just making sure the request had gone through and making sure the amounts had been disbursed.

The loan problems were a real pain. I always felt like I was being such an inconvenience to them and they did make me feel that way.

The main problem with financial aid is that students are not prepared and are not told in advance of turning in forms what information will be requested of them. So I would go back three or four times with more info, just to find out that something else was needed. Forms signed by my dad, tax info, proof of this or that. There should be a list of everything that might possibly be needed so that the student can check it off and be ready for anything!

But, then we rely on an 18 year old to be responsible for the forms and stuff, so good luck.

By the way, there was no one to complain to, I would complain to anyone that would hold still and they would just say, "I'm sorry".

Thanks for letting me vent!

At my school there are so many people trying to get in that they don't care if you do or not. You will get the same errors over and over again. Sometimes I think they just like making you go down there and stand in line. I've gone down on a break from work before. I finally got to the front of the line and the woman stood up and walked away to talk with a co-worker for 5 minutes. It never occurs to them that you might have to get back to work or that your parking meter may run out. On top of all that if they know you have an issue with another department (and you don't know yet) they won't tell you. So you can go home thinking everything is fine and it's all worked out only to find out you have to go back the next day to speak with some other department.
Everyone that goes to this school knows the customer service is bad. There really isn't anyone to complain to. They would be more than happy to watch you walk away and go somewhere else.

They don't know what they are doing and sometimes are slow to help b/c of that. They loose paperwork so they need a new filing system also. I personally handed in paperwork that was all of a sudden not received..When ever I call the 800 number FAFSA they are helpful and polite.

It's kinda scary actually I've never seen/talked to my financial advisor My classes start Monday(I'm going to an online school) I keep calling/emailing No response I call the director he says well it looks like your financial aid has been processed but your advisor is on vacation for the next two weeks...I only signed up a week ago...just doesn't make sense to me

The financial office of the University I attend is always needing me to remind them of what needs to be done before the next quarter. I don't complain to anyone, I just learned the hard way and constantly calling to make sure all my ducks are in a row.

depends on the school. the people in the financial aid office at UNCP were great and they would work with you and help you as much as they could but other schools are not so great.

The people in my fin aid office never smile. I walk in and it's like walking into another world...they hate to be there. But, there is nothing I can do. Who would I complain to? Nothing would be done, anyway.