“C” the CustomerHow to be Calm, Courteous, and Consistent on the Customer Service Front

Shelia GainesBack in Circulation Conference,Madison, WIOctober 15, 2018

PRESENTATIONOBJECTIVES • Define Customer Service.

• Highlight practical ways to deal with difficult customers and internal customer service concerns.

• Understand why being calm, courteous, and consistent works almost all the time.

• How survey results can reveal the difference between your perception of the quality of service provided and the customers’ perception of the service received.

What is Customer Service?

• Understanding patrons needs• Assisting patrons and providing those needs and services• Satisfying expectations• Doing it in a way that provides the customer an excellent user

experienceKeshmiripour and Peebles, 2014

Making it PersonalHow is your library defining and delivering excellent customer service ?

Define what customer service is to your organization.Set clear goals to get to that point.Train as necessary to be able to deliver the service.Find ways that balance policies and procedures with customer expectations.

Customer can leave with that good customer service feeling.

Customers can leave with Excellent Customer Service experience.

Internal Customer Service

Show coworkers the same respect and appreciation that you show to the “paying” customers.Don’t throw your colleagues under the bus (especially not in front of the customers).Acknowledge their area even if you believe they are too territorial.Know who is responsible for what but don’t use “not my department as an excuse” for poor customer service.Find out their working language. Give them the benefit of the doubt. Not everything is a conspiracy.

Helpful 11Friendly 6Thank YouConsiderate, courteous, kind, Pleasant, welcoming, sympathetic

Knowledgeable It was a learning experienceInstrumental in getting me the right information

Best Librarian Representative of all time.

Wow! That was the best experience I’ve had at the library.

Quick (I’m Busy)

Damn, she’s good! She knows her stuff!!

Mind-blowingly Awesome !!

Say This,Not That

This

There appears to be a system error.

I’m sorry. That policy is actually different now.

Thank you for waiting. How may I help you?

Don’t forget I emailed and that we’ve changed forms.

Not That

This thing never works. I don’t know why she

told you that. We haven’t done that in years. I know you had to wait.

But, it’s been crazy up in here today. I sent 3 emails!Why are

you still using this form? !!

Or Are They?

Customers are absolutely wrong at times. To me, the real meaning of "The customer is always right" is our goal in service is to help the customer be right, even when they are technically wrong.

Jeff Toister

The customer is not always right, but the customer is always the customer and providing them with an excellent customer service experience is always the goal.

HandlingDifficult Customers

•Don't argue with customers•Partner with customers to help them succeed•Help customers avoid making mistakes•Be generous in your policies•Give customers the benefit of the doubt

Jeff ToisterInside Customer Service

Calming Techniques

“Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that’s very important for good health.” –Dalai Lama

Take a deep breath.Make eye contact.Listen carefully, empathize if you can.Repeat the customer’s request.Ask if there are other concerns.Focus on the customer’s concern instead of their attitude.

Be CourteousWithout BeingCurt.

SmileYou can hear a smile over the phoneLet them feel your attitudeDon’t allow empathy to interfere unnecessarily with the policies and procedures.

ConsistencyWithout Complacency

Consistently Follow Policies and Procedures

It is less confusing for customer and actually provides better service.Requires less explanation from employee or staff.Scripted procedural responses can improve consistency.Realize that you will have to make exceptions.

To Survey or not to Survey?Are you asking the right questions?

Can you trust the answers?

What happens after the survey?

Determine the need.Locate or Create the survey.Determine the best method of dissemination.

Surprises Pleasant Surprises

Easy wins not always easyWilling to wait 10 minutesOthers 90 seconds

Employment RequestRaise for the staff suggestedCandy

Gather resultsTrust the feedbackListen to the customersLook at what could have been done differentlyCannot give them everything they want, but is there a valid reason for not giving them the things you can

All customers evaluate the services they receive, regardless of organization they visit and decide if they will seek further

interaction with those organizations. “ASQ”

Accept the Inevitable

You will not be able to satisfy every customer.

Get Here……From There !!

Not everyone can

Atrributed to Bill Gates

The customer is still always the customer.

THANK YOU!!!

Questions ?

Comments?

Shelia GainesHead of Circulation, University LibrariesUniversity of Memphissgaines1@memphis.edu901-678-8201

References

Keshmiripour, Seti and Peebles, Emily. Customer Services in the library. UNT Libraries – Access Services December 2014 ( powerpoint retrieved from https://slideplayer.com/slide/6060015/)

Mossop, Stephen, ed. Customer Service in Academic Libraries : Tales from the front line. Waltham, MA : ChandosPublishing, [2016] 1 online resource (1 volume) : illustrations. Language: English, Database: UofM Libraries

Toister, Jeff . Inside Customer Service.

Customer Service Tool Kit