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When a Complaint is a Gift
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Conference on Library Management in the 21st Century Escaler Hall Ateneo de Manila University
29-30 March 2004
Annabelle P. Acedera Xavier University
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Overview• Introduction
– Library quality– Service quality
• Service ethic
• Feedback– What is feedback?– Feedback in library service– User feedback– Methods of gathering user feedback
• “A complaint is a gift”
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Library Quality
• Traditional library measures– Quantification– Emphasis on size: budget, staff,
collection, facilities– Number of users, workload
indicators, amount of library use
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Disadvantage: Do not indicate how well libraries serve library users or how libraries might change or improve their service
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Service Quality
• Service ethic– Historical and traditional foundation
of librarianship– Desire to be helpful and provide good
service
“Service was what we were and what we did” (Gorman, 1999)
• Know best what users need
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Service Quality Commercial environment• Focus on the customer
– Emphasis on “Customer first”– Customer expectations, perceptions,
needs, demands
• Customer sole judge of quality• “The customer is always right”
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Service Quality Library environment “Libraries are in the service business.
The most important product they have is service. Without service, libraries are indistinguishable from museums or … they are a combination of a maze and morgue for books. Service is a pervasive ethic of the profession of librarianship.”
(Gorman, 1999)
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Service Quality
• Focus on the library user– “People come first”– Identifying what the library wants and expects
• Library users are the reason for having a library
• Library users may not always be right but they have a right to express their opinion
userLibrary environment
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We need to acknowledge that care of the user is a priority. Second, we have to turn that acknowledgement into action. We have to not only talk the talk, but walk the talk. In the user-centered library, quality service and user satisfaction are goals shared by all staff …
(Wilson, 1996)
How can we satisfy the needs of our library users?
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Feedback
• What is Feedback?– Customer opinion sought &
evaluated– Response to services or functions
• Feedback in library service– From the perspective of the library– From the perspective of the library
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Feedback in Library ServiceDeterminants of feedback in library service
• How much?• How many?• How economical?• How prompt?• How accurate?
user• How responsive?• How well?• How valuable?• How reliable?• How satisfied?
(Hernon, 2001)
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Feedback in Library ServiceComponents of the “How…? Questions? From Library and User Perspective
• Library– How much?– How many?– How economical?– How prompt?– How accurate?
• Users– How responsive?– How well?– How valuable?– How reliable?– How satisfied?
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How…?s from User Perspective
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User Feedback
Categories• Formal & Informal• The Q words: Quality & Quantity• Direct & Indirect• Proactive & Reactive• Actively & Passively solicited• Solicited & Unsolicited
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Gathering User Feedback: Methods
• Surveys– Questionnaires– Telephone– Mail– Web based
• Interviews– On-site interviews– Telephone
• Focus groups
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Gathering User Feedback: Methods
• Unobtrusive data– Using existing data: circulation
statistics, performance reports
• Direct observation– Actually see what users do and not
what people say
• Suggestion boxes, comment cards• E-feedback
– Telephone– Email
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Why Focus on Complaints?
Paradigm shift• Primary means of direct
communication with user• Complaining users are still
library users– Put yourself in the shoes of the
library user
• Inexpensive
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What is a Complaint?
• Negative meaning– Dictionary definitions
Pain, annoyance, illness, accusation, moan and groan, give someone a hard time, find fault
– “Bad reputation”
• Positive aspect– View as a challenge– Statement about needs and
expectations– Opportunity to improve
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Complaints as GiftsComplaint-as-gift philosophy• Positive benefits of complaints
– Strategic tool– Teaches value of listening
• Turning Complaints into Compliments– Be receptive to negative comments
and handling personal criticism – Understand why users complain– Develop and maintain a positive &
professional attitude– Communicate back to complaining
library users
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Establishing Complaint-Friendly
Policies
• Complaint and Compliment system– Availability of forms– Problem report forms for staff use– Analysis to identify patterns– Action plan – Publicizing results & initiatives
• Establishing policy statement– Procedures for handling
complaints
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“Treat every complaint as ‘a gift’ that should be cherished because a dissatisfied customer spends time pinpointing what’s wrong and gives us a chance to improve…”
Barlow & Moller, 1996
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Time for Action – ABCDs of User Feedback
• Ask• Believe• Communicate• Do something
Satisfied Customer
THANK YOU
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References
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Barlow, Janelle and Claus Moller. A Complaint is a Gift: Using Customer Feedback as a Strategic Tool. San Francisco: Berrett Koehler, 1996.
“Editorial: Service Quality in Libraries and Treating Users as Customers and Non-users as Lost or Never-Gained Customers.” Journal of Academic Librarianship v. 3 issue 3(May 1996):171-72.
Gorman, Michael. “Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins or technology and the Future of Library Service in Academic Libraries.” In People Come First, edited by Dale s. Montanelli & Patricia F. Stenstrom, p. 1-12. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 1999.
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References
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Hernon,Peter and Danuta A. Nitecki. “Service Quality: A Concept not Fully Explored.” Library Trends v. 49 issue 4(Spring 2001):687-708.
Kyrillidou, Martha and Kaylyn Hipps. “Symposium on Measuring Library Service Quality.” ARL Bimonthly Report 215 (April 2001):9-11 http://www.arl.org/newsltr/215/octsymp.html April 2001. (March 3, 2004)
Phipps, Shelley. “Beyond Measuring Service Quality: Learning From the Voices of the Customers, the Staff, the Processes, and the Organization.” Library Trends, vol. 49 issue 4(Spring 2001):635-661.
Quinn, Brian. “Adapting Service Quality Concepts to Academic Libraries,” Journal of Academic Librarianship (September 1997): 359-369.
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References
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Weingand, Darlene E. Customer Service Excellence: A Concise Guide for Librarians. Chicago : ALA, 1997.
Wilson, Lizabeth A. “Glacier or Avalanche? Shifts in the Electronic, Education, and Library Landscape.” In LOEX of the West: Teaching and Learning in a “Climate of Change, edited by Thomas W. Leonhardt, p. 9. Greenwich, Conn.: JAI Press, 1996.
