LIBR 103: QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE

Group Members: Teresa Howard and Amanda Ballard

Our Group’s Customer Service Philosophy

Our mission is to ensure that our customers come first, and to provide excellent service to all types of customers, both internal and external.

We hope that these good customer relations will foster a strong relationship with our customers, so that they will continue to use the many resources offered at their library.

We will strive to make all of our customers feel welcome and comfortable while they are using the library and it is one of our most important goals.

Customer Service Skills

“Service oriented attitude has to come from within.”

Anderson (2013) identifies four basic customer service skills every staff member should have:

Have patience – Take the time to deliver good service.

Listen – Let the customer know that they are being heard.

Ask Questions – Asking the right questions allows the customer to be understood.

Be a Good Problem Solver- Know what can be done to benefit the customer.

Anderson, A. (n.d.). Examples of excellent customer service skills. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-excellent-customer-service-skills- 2082.html

Customer Service Staff Training

But What About the Difficult Customers?

Identify which type of difficult customer you are dealing with:

Aggressively angry-express feelings immediately

Passively angry-sometimes more difficult to identify

Then, look for clues as to how the customer is feeling….

Identifying Clues

Verbal Yelling

Cursing

Threats

Name Calling

Sighing

Non-Verbal Folding arms

Throwing books

Staring

Can’t wait

Persistence

Know when to call your supervisor and

when to call 911

Types of Customers We Serve

Internal Internal customers are

classified as those who work with us in the library, and can include department supervisors, co-workers, staff from other departments, etc.

Co-workers deserve the same quality of service as external customers receive.

External External customers are the

ones we are most familiar with when we think “customer”.

These are people who come from outside of the library to use the services provided to them.

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is

success. - Henry Ford

Source: gcsEASE : Leisure and tourism – Customer service. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2013, from http://www.channel4learning.com/sites/gcsease/leisure_tourism/3_4.html

Equal Service to All Customers

Public libraries serve a diverse range of customers that can include:

Children

Senior Citizens

Mentally or Physically Disabled Individuals

Varying Ethnic Groups

Equal Service Continued…

Children Younger customers require a more tailored service to their

age level Care needs to be taken to ensure that children are treated

equally and not “spoken down to” in any way

Senior Citizens Beware the “Digital Divide”, or the gap between seniors

and technology (Senior Service America, 2010) Staff need to be trained on how to explain and assist these

customers with any issues they might have when using computers or other technology

Source: Senior Service America (2010). Crossing the Digital Divide at 55+. Retrieved from http://www.seniorserviceamerica.org/site/digital-inclusion-initiative/crossing-the-digital-divide-at-55/

Equal Service Continued…

Physically or Mentally Disabled Providing accessibility is key Ramps, lower level checkout desks, and wide areas in the

stacks can ensure equal accessibility to all Mentally disabled individuals may need special attention It is important to be sensitive to the needs of these

customers

Varying Ethnic Groups Having collections in other languages can make these

customers feel welcome and may encourage them to use the library

Providing resources in other languages can also be very useful to diverse customers

In Conclusion…

Delivering great customer service to all patrons is important to provide because:

•It helps form lasting relationships with our customers

•It advocates that libraries are there for their community

•It is a skill, and one which may take practice, but is definitely worth the effort!

References

Anderson, A. (n.d.). Examples of excellent customer service skills. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from ://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-excellent-customer-

service-skills-2082.html

gcsEASE : Leisure and tourism – Customer service. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2013, from http://www.channel4learning.com/sites/gcsease/leisure_tourism/3_4.html

Senior Service America (2010). Crossing the Digital Divide at 55+. Retrieved from http://www.seniorserviceamerica.org/site/digital-inclusion-initiative/crossing-the-digital-divide-at-55/ .