Customer Service Excellence

As a library faces changing technologies and increased competition from other information providers, this guide presents advice for a library's service approach which should ensure that customers make that library their first choice when seeking information. The key issue in business today is not what service is offered, but how it is offered. This book emphasizes that those who borrow and use library materials are more than "patrons" - they're "customers" - and they expect first-rate customer service. This practical guide helps readers to develop and implement successful customer service strategies in any type or size of library. It identifies the different types of library customers, and describes when and why the customer is always right. Then it explains the fundamentals of customer service and the essential quality benchmarks in library services and products.
The book also gives readers the tools for achieving and maintaining a customer-oriented environment, including: strategies for excellence, such as the customer service scorecard; team approaches to effectively organize customer service in busy departments; skills, such as active listening techniques and managing emotions during conflicts; and customer service language, including 10 magical phrases. With its comprehensive coverage, the guide is suitable for in-service training and programmes in library science education. "Putting Service Into Library Staff Training" is a complementary volume to this text.