Daily Archives: May 17, 2022

PA Forward Civic and Social Literacy

By: Lauren Reiter

Throughout the year, the Informed Consumer committee has coordinated programs for students, staff, and faculty aligned with PA Forward’s five literacies: basic, information, civic/social, health, and financial.

PA Forward defines civic and social literacy as “engaging in discourse while remaining respectful of other individuals of varying opinions.” Learn more here.

This year the Informed Consumer series provided an opportunity for students to practice this skill by hosting “Renter-Landlord Rights and Responsibilities Trivia,” a lively and engaging discussion led by Daniel McKenrick, the Assistant Director of Student Legal Services at Penn State. Students living off campus and those preparing to rent were able to test their knowledge of their rights and responsibilities as a tenant. Participants learned the answers to questions ranging from “Can your landlord make you pay for your roommate’s share of the rent?” to “Can I move out of my apartment if the heating system breaks down and the temperature drops below zero?” The speaker covered important topics such as joint-leases, security deposits, insurance policies for renters, habitability, and more. An important theme throughout was the importance of documentation.    -Diane Zabel

Tech Tip: How to create a rule in Outlook

By: Ryan Johnson

  • To quickly create a rule right-click on any email from your inbox and select Advanced Actions -> Create Rule.

Outlook screenshot for tech tip

  • A Create a Rule Window will appear. To move emails from this sender to Deleted Items automatically as an example, click the dropdown menu and select Deleted Items. If the Deleted Items folder doesn’t immediately appear, select Move to a different folder and then find and select Deleted Items.

Outlook screenshot for Tech Tip

  • Click OK. A Window will then appear stating your rule was created.  You can check the box to run this rule now in your Inbox or simply click OK.

Outlook screenshot for Tech Tip

Customer Service Tip: 3 ways to immediately improve your customer experience

By: Jeff Toister (submitted by Carmen Gass)

Today’s customers are increasingly unhappy.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index has steadily declined for the past four years. By the end of 2021, it had reached its lowest point since 2005.

What’s causing the decline?

A survey conducted by Toister Performance Solutions in April 2022 aimed to find out. Over 1,500 consumers across the United States were asked about their experiences with companies.

The results point to three ways that companies can immediately improve their customer experience. Read more here.