TRANSFORMING LIBRARIES &

COMMUNITIES WITH INNOVATIVE

CUSTOMER SERVICEEmily Clasper

MLIS, PMP

Want to change the world?

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/learning-ala-center-future-libraries-161012211001/95/learning-with-the-alas-center-for-the-future-of-libraries-7-638.jpg?cb=1476306634

New Business Models

McKinsey Framework for Three Horizons of

Growth

Image Credit: Blake Morgan at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2015/01/19/moving-

from-transactional-to-meaningful-customer-relationships/#2c64b94e3261

Many companies begin with a

traditional division of resources:

Horizon 1: 70%

Horizon 2: 20%

Horizon 3: 10%

More recently, transformational

companies are allocating more

resources towards the second

and third levels.

“Most companies don’t spend

enough time on transformative growth because they aren’t good

at transformative and it’s scary for them.

- Michael Docherty, Collective Disruption: How Corporations & Startups Can Co-Create Transformative New Businesses

Experience Based Customer Service

“We are at a point where

companies need to aggressively innovate their customer

experience.

– Blake Morgan, Customer Experience Futurist

Transactional Customer Service

Based on units of work Transactions = Individual

events Little focus on context Performance benchmarking Creating successful

conversions Risk averse Task focus Short term view

Transformational Customer Service

Based on Meaningful experiences

Interactions interconnected Total experience considered Motivation from shared vision

and high standards Creating brand advocates Risk necessary but

calculated People focus Long term view

“Simply being polite and helpful is not enough.

– Dr. John R. Miller, Is the Customer Service Experience You Create Typical or

Transformational?

What About Libraries?

Assessing Transformational

Potential

1. A more personalized product or service

2. A closed-loop process 3. Asset sharing 4. Usage-based pricing5. A more collaborative ecosystem6. An agile and adaptive

organization

Based on: Kavadias, Stelios, et al. “The 6 Elements of Truly Transformative Business Models.” Harvard Business Review, Oct. 2016

Step 1: Reexamining the library’s

strategic plan and priorities

From a WHY perspective What values are the elements

based on specifically How does each relate back to the

needs of specific segments of our service population

How do the elements of the plan/priorities/directions relate to furthering community aspirations

How does this dictate the way we approach customer servicehttp://www.varchannelmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/The-golden-circle-

e1391717108503.gif

Step 2: Create mechanisms for

customers to define needs and expectations

For services For modes of delivery For communication channels For interactions

From all segments of the community

From direct and indirect sources

Asking the right questions

Step 3: Build Collaborative teams

to find innovative solutions to meeting

customer needs

Cross disciplinary Interdepartmental Including different stakeholders Including customers

Proactively identify outside partners to work with

Need to identify, refine, and define goals as well as work to find solutions

Step 4: Streamline internal

processes to allow these collaborative teams to

work

Identify and remove internal barriers to collaboration

Unify communication channels as much as possible

Step 5: Integrate technology and

data

From all channels and touchpoints To create richer customer profiles To define customer needs/wants

more fully To examine the customer

relationship over time Use to personalize experiences

Address technical issues Address ethical issues Address organizational issues

What Does it Look Like?

Personalization of Services

Elements of the customer experience are tailored to the individual as much as possible.

Based on data Relationship builds over time Individual transactions help

inform the long term relationship and total experience

Technology Integration

Experiences through many channels:

Text, chat, video, mobile, kiosks

Self service opportunities Interfaces that add value AI as an aid to those

assisting the customer

Omni-Channel Communication

Consistent, two-way communication through allavailable channels

Responses are quick and helpful

Adopt a consistent tone/persona that is developed and practiced throughout the organization

Attention To Experience At All

Touchpoints

Anything that is part of the customer experience of the library deserves attention

Onsite/remote Service related or not

Convenience For The Customer

Bottom line, the product that customers perceive as cool will have a big advantage, but the product that customers find easy to use will keep their attention.

–Pete Seer, Why Innovation must build from Customer Experience

Proactive Customer Service

Actively seek out opportunities to solve customer problems before they even notice there’s an issue.

Anticipate needs Base this on data Avoid pitfalls of assumptions Offer solutions to problems

they didn’t know they had

Internal Motivation

Cultivating a Culture of Customer Service

Values and objectives clearly established & communicated

Strong internal communication Cultivate a customer service

culture Support for developing skills Celebration of success

Thank You!Emily Clasper

You can find me at @eclasperor

http://eclasper.com

CREDITS

Special thanks to all the people who made and released these awesome resources for free:

▫ Presentation template by SlidesCarnival

▫ Photographs by Unsplash

Additional images used with permission