Institutional Ghosting: The Importance of Digital Customer Service

Institutional Ghosting: The Importance of Digital Customer Service
Image of the Univeersity of Cape Coast by wikipedia

The “University of Competitive Choice,” officially known as the University of Cape Coast has watermarked its name across the globe by producing honest graduates who excel in their fields of choice.

The first university to produce the first female Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang. Apart from this, the University of Cape Coast boasts of a Computer Science and Information Department. In September 2021, the University of Cape Coast ( UCC) was ranked number one by Times Higher Education 2022 World University Rankings.

Yet UCC does not have any robust digital means through which present and past students can request their academic transcripts. Cursory research on the university’s website indicates contact information such as the email address, telephone numbers, etc cannot be used to request an academic transcript.

In addition, students do not receive feedback on time for inquiries placed through these mediums. The entire customer service system is in short supply, a characteristic that does not befit the status of the public institution.

If you need transcripts from the University of Cape Coast, you will have to send a friend, a close relative, and contact someone to request the transcripts on your behalf. The cost of retrieving your transcripts or requesting any service from the university should be easy, especially in the 21st where technology and digital payment abound. 

Customer service at the University of Cape Coast is lacking. The student community, especially the alumni and prospective students have to rely on humans instead of systems. For example, this is what one alumni had to say, “I don’t know what is wrong with the online system, the email is not working………..”

With the click of a button in any part of the world, one should be able to request a transcript and have it delivered to the address or recipient of his or her choice. However, you cannot do that with the University of Cape Coast’s website.

In fact, the entire customer service system is a sham. The “University of Competitive Choice” as it is widely called, does not have an efficient email or telephone system where students, alumni, and the general public can request information from the university.  They must rely on people to transport their information.

In my case, I’ve strong ties with some of the professors, some current students, and alumni. So it was easy to have a brother request the transcript on my behalf when I needed to have it evaluated by the World Education Services (WES).

It’s shocking, laughable, and embarrassing that a 59-year-old university that prides itself in “producing computer science graduates and IT professionals” doesn’t even have an electronic payment system where students and the university community can request services from the university.

With over 70,000 undergraduate students and 10,000 postgraduates in Ghana and beyond, the University of Cape Coast doesn’t have a robust online payment system that would allow students to pay tuition fees, request transcripts, and pay application fees.

The Univerity of Cape Coast stands for “academic excellence,” however, it failed to provide excellent customer services to its alumni. Change is now or never!