C the Customer. How to be Calm, Courteous, and Consistent on the Customer Service Front

Transcription

1 C the Customer How to be Calm, Courteous, and Consistent on the Customer Service Front Shelia Gaines Back in Circulation Conference, Madison, WI October 15, 2018

2 PRESENTATION OBJECTIVES 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.

3 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 experience Keshmiripour and Peebles, 2014

4 Making it Personal How is your library defining and delivering excellent customer service?

5 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.

6 Customer can leave with that good customer service feeling. Customers can leave with Excellent Customer Service experience.

7 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.

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9 Helpful 11 Friendly 6 Thank You Considerate, courteous, kind, Pleasant, welcoming, sympathetic Knowledgeable It was a learning experience Instrumental in getting me the right information

10 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!!

11 This Not That Say This, Not That 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 ed and that we ve changed forms. 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 s!why are you still using this form?!!

12 Or Are They?

13 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.

14 Handling Difficult 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 Toister Inside Customer Service

15 Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that s very important for good health. Dalai Lama Calming Techniques 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.

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18 Be Courteous Without Being Curt. Smile You can hear a smile over the phone Let them feel your attitude Don t allow empathy to interfere unnecessarily with the policies and procedures.

19 Consistently Follow Policies and Procedures Consistency Without Complacency 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.

20 To Survey or not to Survey? Are you asking the right questions? Can you trust the answers? What happens after the survey?

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

22 Surprises Pleasant Surprises Easy wins not always easy Willing to wait 10 minutes Others 90 seconds Employment Request Raise for the staff suggested Candy

23 Gather results Trust the feedback Listen to the customers Look at what could have been done differently Cannot give them everything they want, but is there a valid reason for not giving them the things you can

24 All customers evaluate the services they receive, regardless of organization they visit and decide if they will seek further interaction with those organizations. ASQ

25 Not everyone can Accept the Inevitable Get Here From There!! You will not be able to satisfy every customer.

26 The customer is still always the customer. Atrributed to Bill Gates

27 THANK YOU!!! Questions? Comments? Shelia Gaines Head of Circulation, University Libraries University of Memphis

28 References Keshmiripour, Seti and Peebles, Emily. Customer Services in the library. UNT Libraries Access Services December 2014 ( powerpoint retrieved from Mossop, Stephen, ed. Customer Service in Academic Libraries : Tales from the front line. Waltham, MA : Chandos Publishing, [2016] 1 online resource (1 volume) : illustrations. Language: English, Database: UofM Libraries Toister, Jeff. Inside Customer Service. Customer Service Tool Kit