Every year, thousands of students take part in an exchange program abroad. But if you are looking for a good organization, you need a lot of information. A study shows how the non-profit and commercial providers are doing.
The student exchange providers examined by the German Institute for Service Quality show a satisfactory level of service. Overall, non-profit organizations score better than commercial ones (73.3 vs. 67.8 points). Of the 24 providers tested, 14 achieve the quality rating of “good”, seven are satisfactory and three companies do not get beyond an adequate result.
The test showed more light than shadow on the hotlines: the student exchange experts are very friendly and, with one exception, always provide technically correct information. There is also no lack of comprehensibility in terms of content. However, there is a deficit: it is not uncommon for employees to give too little individual advice.
Pleasing: The online service is at a good level. Interested parties can find a wide range of information on the subject of student exchanges on the websites of the providers, which are easy to understand. The standard includes, for example, information on the participation requirements and the application process or registration procedure, an overview of the target countries offered and a general price overview.
Inquiries by e-mail, on the other hand, are sometimes processed unreliably. In many cases, an answer only comes after more than a week – or there is no answer at all. In the e-mails received, the information is often formulated too impersonally, but at least it is mostly technically correct and structured.
Markus Hamer, Managing Director of the German Institute for Service Quality, nevertheless draws a positive conclusion overall: “The industry only just misses a good service result. The websites are worthwhile as a good source of information and the advice given on the phone is often appealing. Among the providers with a Incidentally, non-profit organizations as well as commercial companies can be found with a high level of service quality.”
The test winner is Partnership International with the quality rating “good”. The non-profit organization is convincing in all of the service areas examined: The employees respond competently and friendly to the questions asked by e-mail and provide information as required. The website is convincing both in terms of information value and user-friendliness. The telephone service is also at a good level overall, for example thanks to the very high advisory competence of the employees.
Experiment e.V. took second place, also with a good overall result. The student exchange experts convince in the phone calls with very competent information – they show the advantages of the programs offered and often ensure a simple solution to the issue. The service by e-mail and the online service with a website that provides very extensive information also achieve good results.
Open Door International e.V. (quality rating “good”) placed third. The best-in-class online service in particular stands out at the non-profit organization: the well-structured and user-friendly website offers an extremely high level of information on the subject of student exchanges, including the option to download information material. In addition, the services on the phone and by e-mail are good.
