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p roviding excellent customer service in the law library

p roviding excellent customer service in the law library. Hold the pickles. hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Vanessa Uribe, El Dorado County Law Library. Kelly Browne, Sacramento County Public Law Library. our presentation. What to Take Home Objective

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p roviding excellent customer service in the law library

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  1. providing excellent customer service in the law library Hold the pickles

  2. hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you Vanessa Uribe, El Dorado County Law Library Kelly Browne, Sacramento County Public Law Library

  3. our presentation • What to Take Home • Objective • Our Current Situation and How We can Make the Best of it

  4. program inspiration • Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Ann Arbor Michigan • ZingTrain • In Person Customer Service Training

  5. bringing it back to the library

  6. building a culture of customer service • TEACH IT • DEFINE IT • LIVE IT • MEASURE IT • REWARD IT

  7. service culture assessment

  8. number one: teach it • Discussion: • Engage people in open-ended questions: • Why is great customer service so hard to find? • Why is it even important? • Is customer service a skill you are born with? • Can it be taught? (5-90-5)

  9. case study: Sacramento County Public Law Library • Teach it! • By example . . . From Top Down • Training Materials/Documented Procedures/Workshops • If we are not 100% satisfied with a patron interaction, we discuss it and develop a consistent way of handling it • We also teach the Patrons!

  10. Jon Greacen, No Legal Advice from Court Personnel . . . What Does that Mean? 34 Judges Journal 10 (1995).

  11. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

  12. luckily, the policies are also available on the wiki . . .

  13. ALWAYS review previous questions and ongoing patron research during reference and circulation desk handoffs!

  14. number two: define It • Question: • What does great customer service look like at your organization?

  15. defining it........continued • Two Parts: • The Positive: The steps to providing great service • The Negative: The steps to handling customer complaints

  16. defining great customer service: three steps Figure out what the guest wants Get it for them Go the “Extra Mile”

  17. defining it........continued • Step 1: Figure out what the guest wants • Open-ended questions, restate request, be an active listener • 10/4 rule • Step 2: Get it for them • Accurately • Politely • Enthusiastically • Step 3: Go the “Extra Mile” • What is an Extra mile? • Definition: Doing something for our customers that they did not ask us for

  18. five steps to effectively handling customer complaints 1. Acknowledge the complaint 2. Sincerely Apologize 3. Take action to make things right 4. Thank the guest 5. Document the complaint

  19. anote on fairness: Fairness is on another planet

  20. case study: Sacramento County Public Law Library • Define It • When the patron feels you have made your best effort to help them. They will be appreciative even if you can’t really help in the end. • Defined by a satisfied customer, even if they ended up with something different than what they thought they wanted.

  21. what does great customer service look like? • Two words: Eye contact! • Drop what you’re doing! Come around to the other side! • Affirmation of frustration • The default answer is “yes!” We have something . . . • If it doesn’t exist . . . make it! • Make research a team effort with the patron • Bring in a colleague • Never point! Where is the Copy Machine? Lead the patron • to it while explaining copies are 15¢, it takes $1s & $5s . . . • Encourage them to come back to the desk if they have any • more questions

  22. the “extra mile” • No such thing as “that’s not my job.” • Make the experience of coming here as painless as possible • Parking Maps • Lists of area services like ATMs, payphones, notaries, process servers, etc. • Check the public library catalog for the call number and holdings • and Amazon for the price to buy it • Teach people how to use their phones vibration feature instead • of just saying “turn off your phone.” • Show a young woman who was being followed an alternate exit • from the building to ensure her safety • Show how to change the footer in a Word document

  23. handling complaints • We are HUGE fans of the 5 steps to handling complaints . . . • Because they work! • The Importance of Backing Up Your Staff

  24. fairness • And now for a word on those patrons with mental illness . . . • All individuals should be given the same amount of respect, attention, and assistance, and as such, should be required to follow the same rules to the same extent as all others, regardless of any form of disability. • It is a disservice to our patrons to not have structure or to arbitrarily enforce the structure due to the belief that a patron has some form of mental illness. • All individuals, regardless of mental illness, are capable of understanding limits, as long as they are presented clearly and consistently.

  25. number three: 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

  26. systems should support great service Mission/Vision Values Systems Culture Results • Why have systems? • Systems should lead to better service!!!!

  27. case study:Sacramento County Public Law Library Live It “I see exemplary customer service every day in the law library and find that it is just who we are and what we do.” “The teaching techniques already mentioned also help build or reinforce our customer service culture – we talk about it so much that good customer service is part of our everyday routine at this point.”

  28. creating a culture of excellent customer service • Trust • Communication • Respect • Put your own ego aside

  29. systems in the way What is the purpose of the system? Is the purpose still valid? No: change the system Yes: can you provide excellent customer service in another way? Ex: Policy that patrons cannot use their own discs in library PCs. Is the purpose (security) still valid? No: change the system Ex: Non-Sacramento County residents may not borrow material. Is the purpose (source of funds) still valid? Yes, but can provide excellent customer service by selling flash drives and showing how to download from subscription databases

  30. number four: measure it • Systems role in customer service • In order to gauge how well systems are operating, you have to measure their effectiveness • Examples of customer service measurement tools: • “Code Red” • “Code Green”

  31. case study:Sacramento County Public Law Library • Measure It • Uh . . . We’re not so good at this. • We just couldn’t face another form. 

  32. number five: reward it • Professional Advancement • Group Rewards

  33. QUESTION: What does your organization do to reward great customer service? How can they do it better?

  34. case study:Sacramento County Public Law Library • Reward It • Performance Evaluation • Annual Report • Certificates • Donation Box • Recognition from Peers • Recognition from Patrons • Group recognition • Emails to “ALL” • Kudos!

  35. customer service in law libraries • Listserv Questions: • What are the differences between CS in public libraries and law libraries? • What are the barriers to providing great customer service in your library?

  36. responses! • Mental health issues/problem patrons • Burnout and “compassion fatigue” • Patrons have unrealistic expectations of staff • Patrons and staff “not speaking the same language” (legaleze) • Staff perception of patrons • Need more real-world training (“I need a social work degree”)

  37. other observations • Similar themes between public and law libraries • Need more training • Inadequate facilities and signage • Communication problems with patrons (language, library jargon) • Big Differences • PL: Place greater “blame” on staff than patrons, very concerned with blind adherence to library policies getting in the way of service • LL: Focus/”blame” on patrons and their personality and “lack of understanding”. Few concerns with policies and library culture.

  38. original training feedback Extremely positive Too Short- more time needs to be dedicated to CS training “Systems in the Way” needs to be better highlighted More time for role playing Need to make sure that there is continuing education, forms in library for staff, reminders,....etc

  39. solutions? Do you think the overwhelming focus on patrons is valid? What can we do the bridge the “language gap” and better educate patrons about what we offer as an organization? What can we do as a workplace to improve the customer service that we provide our patrons?

  40. thank you! • Vanessa Uribe, El Dorado County Law Library • edlawlibrary@gmail.com, 530-621-6423 • Kelly Browne, Sacramento County Public Law Library • kbrowne@saclaw.org, 916-874-7427

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