Results from a “secret shopper” project, where an anonymous researcher attempted to register at El Camino College, reveal students face difficulties reaching live people over the phone and getting assistance.
An anonymous researcher from GradComm, which specializes in marketing for two-year colleges, could not reach live people when calling Admissions and Records or Financial Aid and had received automated emails and calls, which did provide specific answers.
The findings of this study, which was conducted last year in March 2024, were revealed in a presentation to the El Camino Community College District’s Board of Trustees at its meeting on Monday, April 28.
Changes being made in response include the college’s Contact Center now answering calls to Financial Aid and Admissions and Records, and the Warrior Welcome Center offering support regarding financial aid.
“Students that are coming in with a question in person can also get that assistance right away without being bounced back and forth,” Kristina Martinez, acting dean of Enrollment Services said during the meeting.
GradComm received $6,500 to conduct this research, according to a December 2023 presentation to the trustees.
Psychology major Diana Manchevska, 19, was not part of the secret shopper project, but said to The Union that she had tried to get support from ECC when her pre-selected classes disappeared just before her registration appointment.
“I was trying to find the correct link to contact support and ended up on some IT Zoom call, where I was told that they couldn’t answer my question,” Machevska said.
There are plans to hire another secret shopper researcher in fall 2025 to not only monitor any changes since the last report but to also review other aspects of the college.
“In phase two, I actually have a foundation mini grant that’s going to pay for the second one, it will not be out of the college’s budget, so we have that coverage,” Ann O’Brien, executive director of Marketing and Communications, said in an interview with The Union.
