April 6, 2011 – Ryan Tucker, communications coordinator for the Office of Enrollment Services, received the award for Excellence in Customer Service from President David Bell at the 2011 Honors Convocation. Mr. Tucker received a plaque and $1,000 from the Macon State College Foundation.
The award was designed to recognize the outstanding efforts of the staff member who consistently displays the attributes of courtesy, helpfulness, accessibility, responsiveness and knowledge of his/her areas of responsibility. The recipient also serves as a role model who will advance a culture of leaders who strive for continuous improvement and respect for others.
Mr. Tucker was nominated by a student who wrote, "The first time I visited the college in August 2006, Mr. Tucker was very welcoming and helpful, . . . he has continued to encourage me throughout my college journey … Whenever I see him around campus, he says hello, greets me by name, and asks how my classes are going. He shows a genuine interest in my success." Mr. Tucker has been welcoming prospective students and their families to Macon State since 2004. Before that, he graduated from Macon State with a bachelor's degree in Business & IT.
He has been instrumental in the implementation of the Nolij student record imaging system. This system will greatly enhance the Admissions process for new students and the record-keeping process for existing students. He also provided outstanding customer service during the implementation phase of our new Residence Life program and he remains an integral part of the Admissions team.

Ryan Tucker (right) receives the 2010-2011 Customer Service Award from Dr. David Bell, president of the college.
Macon State's Excellence in Customer Service program earned the 2010 Gold Award for Institution of the Year at the chancellor's annual Customer Service Awards program held Sept. 28 in Atlanta. In addition, president Dr. David A. Bell received the chancellor's 2010 Outstanding Customer Service Leadership Award. It is the highest award given to University System of Georgia presidents for their outstanding efforts in process improvement and customer service. Michael Stewart is the officially designated customer service champion for the college, which means she coordinates Macon State's customer service initiatives. In the photo above, Bell (right) receives one of the awards from Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. See details, page 2. | USG photo
Awards recognize college, Bell for completing several projects
Macon State's Excellence in Customer Service program earned the 2010 Gold Award for Institution of the Year, and President Dr. David A. Bell received the chancellor's 2010 Outstanding Customer Service Leadership Award.
The Institution of the Year Gold Award is the highest in the category and was given in recognition of the college's completion of several projects during the 2009-2010 year, including:
- Developing more efficient means of reporting student attendance data to financial aid lenders or the government.
- Decreasing the total processing time for baccalaureate degree audits by a week, associate degree audits by 7.2 days, and a reduction of transit time for baccalaureate degree audits by an average of a day and a half.
- Enhancing communications with students regarding their financial aid status.
- Adding 23 faculty, staff, and administrators to the list of those completing the Lean/Six Sigma process improvement training course.
- Measuring student and faculty satisfaction with the academic advising process for the School of Business.
- Developing employee training modules for the highest priority campus safety concerns.
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- Implementing “Knowledgeable Response,” a customer service training program for all staff. A survey showed 99 percent of front-line staff members agreed the program is worthwhile.
The awards program honors USG employees who have gone beyond their normal job responsibilities in helping customers and promoting customer service excellence. The USG program, which is part of Gov. Sonny Perdue's customer service initiative that covers all state agencies, recognizes colleges and universities each year.
April 7, 2010 - Tim Vick, director of the Academic Resource Centers, received the award for Excellence in Customer Service from President David Bell at the 2010 Honors Convocation. Mr. Vick received a plaque and $1,000 from the Macon State College Foundation.
The award was designed to recognize the outstanding efforts of the staff member who consistently displays the attributes of courtesy, helpfulness, accessibility, responsiveness and knowledge of his/her areas of responsibility. The recipient also serves as a role model who will advance a culture of leaders who strive for continuous improvement and respect for others.
Mr. Vick was recognized for delivering excellent customer service across the campus, reaching students, faculty and staff. He plays a major role in the college's new student Orientation Program, and throughout each semester, he continues to offer workshops and seminars to further assist students in optimizing their academic experience. Faculty describe him as helpful, informative, accessible, and timely in his responses. “He is extremely proactive in taking on new projects to improve the learning experience of Macon State students,” one wrote. Another said, “He provides a variety of services to advance the mission of Macon State College. (He) has digitized and published over 4,500 media files for Macon State faculty to use in the classroom. Much of his work takes place after hours, over weekends, and it follows him home regularly.”
Mr. Vick also led a Lean/Six Sigma process improvement project designed to decrease energy consumption on campus. The project resulted in an annual estimated savings of approximately $70,000. The United Stated Environmental Protection Agency recognized the College for this energy-saving effort. Additionally, Mr. Vick serves as a primary trainer for the College's Excellence in Customer Service Initiative, thus demonstrating that he practices what he preaches.

Tim Vick (left) receives the 2009-10 Customer Service Award from Dr. David Bell, president of the college.
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue's Office of Customer Service presented the Governor's Commendation for Excellence in Customer Service to Macon State College at the 2009 Annual Governor's Awards Ceremony on Sept. 28 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The college was one of the finalists for the the governor's awards, which promote faster, friendlier, easier service for Georgians.
For the third consecutive year, Macon State's Customer Service program has earned the Silver Award for Institution of the Year in the Chancellor's Annual Customer Service Awards program. The Silver Award is the second highest award in this category.
The Silver Award for Institution of the Year award was given in recognition of the college's completion of several projects in the 2008-09 year. These included:
- A reduction in energy consumption by general-use and classroom computers during the time they were not in use.
- More efficient scheduling of campus facilities.
- Decreasing the turn-around time for graduation audits.
- An improved work flow in the financial aid office by increasing the number of students who apply for financial aid early.
- Formal, on-going and mandatory customer training programs.
Additionally, for the first time, Lynn McCraney was selected to receive the top individual award in the program, the Joseph Green Award for Champion of the Year.
The awards program was created to honor employees who have gone “above and beyond” their normal job responsibilities in helping their internal and external customers and consistently promoting customer service excellence. The University System, which is part of Gov. Sonny Perdue's customer service initiative that covers all state agencies, recognizes colleges and universities annually. Dean McCraney was the officially designated customer service champion for Macon State, which means she coordinates Macon State's customer service initiatives.

Champion of the Year-Lynn McCraney with Chancellor Davis and Regent Hatcher at the Chancellor's Customer Service Awards Ceremony, September 15, 2009. The College received the Silver Award for Customer Service Institution of the Year.
Hilda Elias receives the 2008-09 Customer Service Award from Dr. David Bell, president of the college. Also present for the ceremony were Levy Youmans, vice president for fiscal affairs (far left), and Nancy Stroud, assistant vice president for fiscal affairs (far right).
April 1, 2009 - Hilda Elias, cashier in the Business Office Payment Center, received the award for Excellence in Customer Service from President David Bell at the 2009 Honors Convocation. Ms. Elias received a plaque and $1,000 from the Macon State College Foundation.
The award was designed to recognize the outstanding efforts of the staff member who consistently displays the attributes of courtesy, helpfulness, accessibility, responsiveness and knowledge of his/her areas of responsibility. The recipient also serves as a role model who will advance a culture of leaders who strive for continuous improvement and respect for others.
Dr. Barbara Frizzell, vice president for academic affairs, announced the award. She said, "Our commitment to Excellence in Customer Service is based on our belief that our internal and external customers should always receive service that is courteous, helpful, easily accessible, responsive and knowledgeable -- not because of the state and system mandates, but because we believe it is the right thing to do."
Elias' supervisor, Nancy Stroud, assistant vice president for fiscal affairs, wrote in her nomination letter: “Let’s face it, Ms. Hilda (as she is affectionately called by many students) deals in dollars and cents, and the news she often has to deliver is not what the student wants to hear, but she delivers it in a calm, caring manner that students recognize and appreciate as genuine. Ms. Hilda is a true customer service champion for Macon State College.”

Macon State President David A. Bell and Dean of Students Lynn McCraney, 4th and 5th from left, are shown with representatives of other University System of Georgia institutions that won Customer Service awards.
December 17, 2008 - For the second year in a row, Macon State College has been awarded the University System of Georgia’s Silver Award for Customer Service Institution of the Year. In addition, the Macon State Financial Aid Call Center received an honorable mention in the Call Center/Service Desk/Help Desk category.
The University System, which is part of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s customer service initiative that covers all state agencies, recognizes colleges and universities annually for excellence in customer service. Lynn McCraney, dean of students, was the officially designated customer service champion for Macon State, which means she coordinates Macon State's customer service initiatives.
Macon State received the 2008 Silver Award based on several factors. Those included:
1. Providing on-going training for frontline staff in ways to provide the best service possible to students and other constituents.
2. Creating an Outstanding Customer Service award – which includes a $1,000 bonus funded by the Macon State Foundation - now given annually to an individual employee who excels at customer service.
3. Creating a Financial Aid call center to faster and more efficiently serve students seeking resources to pay for their education.
4. Embracing training opportunities in Lean/Six Sigma (a workplace efficiency improvement method) offered by the University System.
5. Enlarging the Admissions, Registrar's and Business offices to better accommodate students.

Dr. David Bell and Pat Fountain.
April 2, 2008 - Pat Fountain, secretary in the School of Business, received the first award for Excellence in Customer Service from President David Bell at the 2008 Honors Convocation. Ms. Fountain received a plaque and $1,000 from the Macon State College Foundation.
The award was designed to recognize the outstanding efforts of the staff member who consistently displays the attributes of courtesy, helpfulness, accessibility, responsiveness and knowledge of his/her areas of responsibility. The recipient also serves as a role model who will advance a culture of leaders who strive for continuous improvement and respect for others.
Dr. Barbara Frizzell, Vice President for Academic Affairs, announced the award. She said, "Our commitment to Excellence in Customer Service is based on our belief that our internal and external customers should always receive service that is courteous, helpful, easily accessible, responsive and knowledgeable -- not because of the state and system mandates, but because we believe it is the right thing to do."
Those co-workers who nominated Fountain said of her, "She is a model student advocate, a diligent professional. She brings enthusiasm, good judgment and tremendous integrity to her work."
November 27, 2007 - Macon State College received the Silver Award for Customer Service Institution of the Year from the University System of Georgia. Also, the College's Excellence in Customer Service Task Force received an honorable mention in the competition for the University System of Georgia's Excellence in Customer Service Team Award.
January 25, 2008 - The Excellence in Customer Service Task Force received a Governor's Commendation for Customer Service Excellence. The presentation said: "This commendation recognizes meritorious actions that enhance the public image of customer service or improve the way customer service is provided in Georgia."
The Task Force was nominated by the USG Customer Service Champion based on the outstanding results of the implementation of mandatory customer service training for all front-line staff. This effort on behalf of Macon State College provides a great demonstration of dedication to improving customer service. Ninety-seven percent of the participants indicated they would recommend the training to other staff members. This is a positive reflection of the quality of the work the Customer Service Task Force has produced.