us and them? shaping a customer service culture in libraries
DESCRIPTION
Presentation by Maxine Melling, Director of Learning and Information Services, Liverpool John Moores UniversityTRANSCRIPT
Us and Them: shaping a customer service culture in
librariesMaxine Melling, Director of Learning and
Information Services, Liverpool John Moores University
Case Study
Working Together Project, Vancouver Public Libraries – “a community development approach to putting library skills at the service of the community by working with them to link library services to community understanding of its needs”
http://www.librariesincommunities.ca/
How do we demonstrate our values?
Messages
Language
In the trenches: military images Crime and punishment: the
delinquent borrower OPACs, authentication and class.
numbers Incompetence v. Presumed
intelligence
Space
Accessibility Self evident and customer-owned Interactive not controlling Way-finding rather than dependent
on staff help Consolidated help desk – roving/on-
call staff help The role of security barriers
RULES AND REGULATIONS
Strategy & policy
“library & information managers need to ensure that their policies and strategies reflect a culture of real customer service. The key to achieving this is to build customer perspectives into your planning process” A McDonald, Vancouver Public Library
“Customer service is as much about purpose and culture as it is about services and delivery. We need strategic management that brings together corporate values, planning and organisational responsibilities” Sheila Corral, Sheffield University
Identification of needs, VPL
Traditional model
DataStatisticsUser surveysComments cardsDemographic trends
Community-based model
Meet people where they are
most comfortableConnect-consultCollaborateBuild relationships
basedon trust and respect
Service planning, VPL
Traditional model
Senior staff develop service
proposals to addressidentified prioritiesStaff are consultedReference toliterature/
conferences etc.
Community-based model
Library and community act
as partners in planning
Community involved in
stock/services selection
Work collaboratively to
develop policyrecommendations
Evaluation & measurement
Discussions Narrative based – allow people to
use their own language Perceptions based (e.g. LibQual) Qualitative –what else? Focus groups etc. Non-use Segmentation
Staff Critical thinking & self-
awareness Humility Contextual listening Empathy
“we’re going to try to help staff understand that when we say we use our values to inform our work we’re talking about the library’s values”
Diana Guinn, Supervisor VPL
“Barriers are pervasive…sometimes they are the
result of institutional goals at…management level,
while at other times they emerge from the personal
beliefs of staff at the public service level”.
Randy Gatley, Community Development Librarian,
Vancouver Public Library