C USTOMER S ERVICE : H OLD THE P ICKLES Vanessa Uribe El Dorado County Law Library

ABOUT ME Rural Upbringing Have worked in school and public libraries Currently work in a rural public law library

W HY NOW ? W HY THIS AGAIN Workplace Stress (“new normal”= more with less) Great Experiences = Job Security Importance of teaching

ZINGERMAN’S DELICATESSEN Ann Arbor, Michigan

M ORE ABOUT MY TRAINING

L IBRARY C USTOMER S ERVICE T RAINING

IMPORTANT ZINGERMANS DIFFERENCES Customer Service is an Integral Part of the Mission/Vision/Values of the Organization Customer Service is a Bottom Line Result

BUILDING A CULTURE OF GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE TEACH IT DEFINE IT LIVE IT MEASURE IT REWARD IT

From Rework, by J. Fried and D. Hansson

1. T EACH IT ! Discussion: Is customer service a skill you are born with; can it be taught? Why is it important to teach something? Engage people in open-ended questions Why is it important? Why is it so hard to find?

2. DEFINE IT Question: What does great customer service look like at your organization?

D EFINING IT CONTINUED Two Parts : The Positive: The steps to providing great service The Negative: The steps to handling customer complaints

D EFINING G REAT C USTOMER S ERVICE : T HREE S TEPS 1. Figure out what the guest wants 2. Get it for them 3. Go the “Extra Mile”

D EFINING IT CONTINUED Step 1: Figure out what the guest wants Open-ended questions, restate request, be an active listener 10/4 rule Engage them

D EFINING IT CONTINUED Step 2: Get it for them Accurately Politely Enthusiastically

D EFINING IT CONTINUED Step 3: Go the “Extra Mile” What is an Extra mile? Definition: Doing something for our customers that they did not ask us for

E XAMPLES OF E XTRA M ILES Offer to search another library’s catalog for item not found in ours Offer to carry books out to car for customer with hands full Show customer some of the features of website Demonstrate a catalog search Compliment customer on book selection Offer a book recommendation Show customer a feature on website/database

F IVE S TEPS TO E FFECTIVELY H ANDLING C USTOMER C OMPLAINTS 1. Acknowledge the complaint 2. Sincerely Apologize 3. Take action to make things right 4. Thank the guest 5. Document the complaint

A N OTE ON F AIRNESS : Fairness is on another planet

3. “LIVE IT” “We need to distinguish between the values and visions to which we give lip service and those that are truly the basis for our actions” - Sam Keen, Hymns to an Unknown God

Barriers to Customer Service Study

4. “MEASURE IT” Systems role in customer service In order to gauge how well systems are operating, you have to measure their effectiveness Example forms: “Code Red” “Code Green”

5. “REWARD IT!” Professional Advancement Sell the Service Group Rewards

PROMISING PRACTICES…… Peer Recognition Programs Vouchers for library video rentals or items from book sale Library manager does the job of staff member for an hour Monetary rewards (“ZingBuck”) Regular company communications Customer service practices tied into promotions LibrariesOther Industries

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES IN RURAL LIBRARIES Customer service training can be a tool to help overcome challenges in rural libraries Manage stressful interactions with patrons Identify systemic problems with library Identify positive attributes of library Ongoing focus and dialog about customer service eliminates the need for tedious trainings Makes a better workplace and attracts like- minded potential employees