Dayton Business Journal honors Wright State University as its Customer Service Business of the Year

The Customer Service Business of the Year Award from the Dayton Business Journal underscores Wright State’s commitment to putting students first in everything the university does.

Wright State University was named the Dayton Business Journal’s 2024 Customer Service Business of the Year.

Wright State and nine other recipients were honored by the Business Journal at its 2024 Business of the Year Awards ceremony in November.

“Wright State University is honored to be recognized as a Customer Service Business of the Year by the Dayton Business Journal,” said President Sue Edwards. “This is a testament to the tremendous effort the Wright State team puts forth to ensure our students are successful inside and outside the classroom. When our students succeed, we succeed, and we will continue to put our students first in everything we do.”

For Wright State, one core value reigns supreme: customer service, the Dayton Business Journal said. The university strives to ensure optimal student-focused delivery of services through numerous training sessions, initiatives and practices.

One of Wright State’s primary goals is to be the most student-centric university in Ohio, ensuring every decision is made with student impact as the utmost priority.

“Wright State University views its students as customers,” said Greg Sample, executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Ultimately, our students can choose to come to Wright State University and even choose to leave. With this, the university has placed a tremendous emphasis on ensuring customer service, the student experience and the classroom delivery is the best it can be.”

To achieve exceptional student experience and customer service, Wright State has invested in numerous programs that enhance its employees’ understanding of the importance of student success.

One such initiative is the Exceptional Service Training program, which was developed by Wright State’s Human Resources staff in 2024. The training reinforces a commitment to persistent process improvement and exceptional service in all interactions with students, colleagues and community members.

Wright State’s innovative approaches to student enhancement and their overall experience have led to increases in student enrollment and retention. Wright State’s total student headcount in fall 2024 was 11,822, a 7.12% increase from last fall. Wright State’s retention rate increased by more than 5% in the fall 2024 compared to 2023.

Wright State also prioritizes students’ mental health and well-being through initiatives led by the Health and Wellness Task Force and Counseling and Wellness Services. The initiative involved hiring more Counseling and Wellness staff and increasing the number of therapists available to assist students.

Wright State’s innovative approaches to student enhancement and their overall experience have led to increases in student enrollment and retention.

Wright State’s new First-Year Seminar focuses on student success across the university, building on existing work to improve student success outcomes and create a student-centered experience for high-quality learning.

In January, Wright State hosted an inaugural symposium to assist employees in learning more about how other departments provide services to students.

These efforts combined showcase Wright State’s commitment to best serve students and enhance community involvement, the Dayton Business Journal said.