An International Meeting of the American Accounting Association 2005 Annual Meeting August 7–10, 2005 San Francisco, California Come to the City by the Bay!

Effective Learning Strategies Forum
Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Session 8
Integrating a Client Service Quality Experience in an Accounting Course

Presenter:
Christie W. Johnson, Montana State University–Bozeman

Description:
Students are masters of technical accounting knowledge, but professional accounting organizations also encourage accounting educators to develop competencies in client service, yet such efforts are lacking in most accounting programs.

Integrate this assignment, using 2–3 days in an existing course, to introduce accounting students to key professional service quality concepts through selected readings of service quality research and the preparation of a "client service audit." Through a personal interview with an accounting or other service provider, students gain insight into how professionals address service quality issues when developing operating procedures and managing client communications, which is an important first step in developing students’ own client service competencies.

Students:

• Learn key dimensions of professional service quality, and understand gaps between the expectations of service providers and their clients
• Conduct a limited-scope "Client Service Audit"
• Prepare a written summary/critique of service quality efforts based on personal observations and interviews
• Present/discuss their findings, share observations of "best practices," and needs for improvement

Professors are provided with:

• Background information/resources on client service quality
• Suggestions for how/where/when to integrate a client service assignment in the existing accounting curriculum
• Samples of student handouts describing the assignment and teaching notes

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