William J. Schroer
Library staff are largely dedicated to doing good work, providing good service. For many, sharing a passion for books, media, and information is part of the joy and mission of the profession. Management and boards encourage this service orientation with concepts like, "The customer is king" and "Do what it takes." Patrons invariably expect service that resembles what they experience elsewhere. However, good customer service is difficult to define. When is enough, enough?
The trouble with expectations
Given an environment where service may be overdelivered but customers
are satisfied, it is tempting to think there are no problems. However,
my experience suggests that this disconnect creates a breeding ground
for unrealistic expectations. An "expectation," the right
of customers to expect some level of service based on an express or
implied promise, is quite different from "wishful thinking," which
expresses what consumers would want in a perfect world. Service moves
from wishful thinking to expectation when library staff let patrons
believe their "wish" will come true on a regular basis.
I asked participants at my Library Customer Service Seminars to list
five patron expectations that their library never intended to fulfill.
The top five included babysitting and free and immediate service. Also
noted was the expectation that staff will do things for patrons and that
staff time is for the patrons' command. Staff members recognize these
results, yet few directors want to either directly challenge or formally
endorse such expectations.
Undefined service
boundaries take a toll beyond individual moments of service. For instance,
staff may overdeliver to one patron at the
expense
of others. Staff time can be diverted unconsciously from activities that
are part of the strategic plan. Patrons may perceive variable service
as staff interpret service differently. An unhealthy dynamic can develop
when
a staffer with particular expertise shows off. Staff can start to profile
patrons, shying away from those seen as most demanding. Worse, a new "floor" for
service standards
can emerge from unrealistic expectations. Long term, staff are likely to burn out from the pressure of working with no boundaries.
Address the problem
Ironically, library directors are largely out of the loop on authorizing
or managing new service levels that evolve quietly under the "cover" of
providing good service. However, allowing an unregulated service
environment sets library staff up for failure. At some point patrons
will develop
expectations that cannot be met or that staff will decide not to
meet. Addressing the problem is not optional. When it comes to customer
expectations,
service providers must meet them or change them.
An initiative to reconstruct customer expectations should take back control of the service environment and use staff more efficiently. The first is to conduct a zero-based review of services. This often yields surprises, especially when thorough and candid. The management team and staff then determine what services to offer. Throughout, engage staff in the process. To build staff consensus, top management commitment is essential.
"Outside-the-box" thinking is critical. Recognize that the library doesn't need to provide all desired services. For example, to eliminate "babysitting" consider establishing a relationship with a local day-care facility willing to take drop-off children for an hourly fee. Next, define standards. Standards allow staff to be trained to deliver services to objective criteria.
Last, evaluate and update service delivery to ensure that subsequent customer satisfaction efforts are coherent. Guaranteeing success requires a willingness to change as mission and patron needs shift.
Retrain patrons
Patrons are already "trained" to expect current levels of customer
service or to ask for more, regardless of the impact around them. The
challenge is to "retrain the patron." One way is through something
I call a Significant Emotional Event, which shakes up the paradigm of
rules, opening a window for a new context. The announcement of a major
plan to review and restructure staff services may serve as such an event.
Another stratagem refocuses benefits on the entire organization and all users. Tactically, this emphasizes that the reconfigured services are designed to ensure that all patrons are treated well and helps patrons accept the change to come. Libraries will always be service-oriented. A system of services with standards, boundaries, and inherent flexibility will help libraries emerge more customer service–effective than ever.