The customer satisfaction survey conducted in spring 2025 gave us reason to smile, but also highlighted areas for development. The survey results provide Helsinki Adult Education Centre with a valuable opportunity to pause and examine what is working and where there is still room for improvement. Approximately 1,300 of our customers of different ages and studying in different subject areas responded to the survey.

The diversity of the offering and the ease of doing business are praised

The survey results reveal three most significant reasons to study at Helsinki Adult Education Institute: course offerings, desire to learn, and teacher or quality of teaching.

The diversity of the college's course offerings is praised, and the majority of respondents find the price-quality ratio of the courses to be appropriate.

The results show that courses are easy to find online, registration and payment are smooth, and dealing with the office is perceived as straightforward.

The majority of respondents have noticed the college's communication and advertising on the website, brochure, social media and newsletter. Outdoor advertising on the side of trams has also been memorable. The college's advertising encourages people to register, the newsletter is interesting and the college's brand is mostly perceived as fresh.

Search engine results and recommendations from friends or influencers have influenced course choices. A large proportion of respondents would be willing to recommend the school to friends, as evidenced by a high NPS score of 64.

Through the survey, we received hundreds of course requests, which we have forwarded to the course designers for evaluation.

Suggestions for development and improvement measures related to services

Many people wanted targeted course offers based on their own course history. We have implemented course communications aimed at seniors, among other things, but based on the positive feedback we have received, we are exploring the possibility of expanding the practice.

We asked about the ease of use of the student counselling service and found that the service has not been used much. We are considering improving communication in this regard, although we also believe that it is possible that applicants have a sufficient understanding of their own skill level and that they can change course levels midway if places are available.

Paying with benefits has caused some challenges according to the respondents to the customer survey. We tested new functions in early October, but the payment did not yet work as expected. We are developing the payment process together with our system provider and will inform you as soon as we have a working solution.

The obligation to provide a personal identification number when registering generated some feedback. We will clarify our communication to the extent that the obligation is statutory. Helsinki Adult Education Centre operates as an educational institution in accordance with the organisation permit granted by the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Development proposals and improvement measures related to space arrangements

The classrooms received mostly good ratings in the survey for their suitability for purpose. However, overcrowding in certain classes was noted, especially at the beginning of the term, when group sizes are at their largest. We have wanted to stick to the maximum number of participants in the course, so that as many interested people as possible could join the course and so that follow-up courses could be held in the next term. We are considering stricter restrictions for the most popular courses.

Some respondents wanted larger changing room spaces and lockers on the 5th floor of the college building. Since the expansion is not possible due to the space, we are improving communication by more clearly highlighting the spacious changing rooms with showers on the 0th floor. During September, we installed lockers on the 5th floor of the college building for the use of course students. The cramped lobby of the Annankatu sports facilities has been expanded by changing the furniture.

We received feedback about the ventilation in the classrooms and sports facilities of the college building. We carried out chimney sweeping and other measures to improve the ventilation. The lighting in the auditorium was considered inadequate, as a result of which the lighting has been replaced.

We asked about the use of the coffee and snack vending machine and the student kitchen in the college building. Based on the responses, there is not enough information about the existence or location of the vending machines and the kitchen, which we have taken as a communication development target. We also ended up placing one of the coffee and snack vending machines in a more visible location in the lower lobby of the college building.

Conclusions

“The customer satisfaction survey gave us a good picture of what our customers value and what we could further develop in our operations,” says Anne Leinonen, principal of Helsinki Adult Education Center, in an evaluation of the survey results. “Our customers are mostly quite satisfied and the responses convey appreciation for the teachers.”

“Based on the responses, our customers have a strong desire to study, learn new things, meet people and use their time to develop themselves. The pleasant environment and the experience of community both at the institute and in the lessons make attending courses an experience that increases well-being. The institute staff is strongly committed to ensuring that people are satisfied and happy to come back again.”

We carefully reviewed the survey results with the staff and agreed on areas for improvement. The survey supports our goals in that we want to continue to produce a diverse course offering and invest in teacher recruitment and customer service. We also want to increase dialogue with our customers. We established a customer jury in the autumn to gain a deeper understanding of the customer experience.

More information

Principal Anne Leinonen, anne.leinonen@helao.fi

Service Director Kaisa Kainulainen, kaisa.kainulainen@helao.fi

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Author: Marketing Manager Kristiina Hentunen