Introduction
We have talked about the “customer” part of customer service, now let's focus on the “service” part.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this section you will be able to:
- Summarise the purpose of the Customer Service Excellence Award and identify ways you can contribute to accreditation
- Identify key elements of good customer service
- Reflect on customer service experiences to recognise potential improvements
- Identify expectations of Library customers and ways in which these may change
- Outline Library values and statements and locate key policy documents
- Describe ways to make a positive first impression and identify good practice.
Customer Service Excellence Award
We are proud to hold the Customer Service Excellence Award (CSE), the UK national standard for customer service delivery. It is independently assessed, so we can measure and continuously improve our services. We’ve held the standard since 1995 from its original incarnation as the Charter Mark to the present day. There are 57 specific criteria that we have to be able to provide evidence that we are meeting, for example:
Criteria 4.2.1. We agree with our customers at the outset what they can expect from the service we provide.
An example of the evidence we might use to prove that we meet this criteria would be our 'Customer Care Statement'. We also have information on our Library webpages about services for specific customer groups for e.g. academic staff and customers with disabilities, which also fulfil this criteria. Can you find this information?
Every 3 years we have a full assessment where the assessor is in the Library for two days. The following two years the assessor conducts annual reviews. Our last major assessment, was at the end of 2019. We were thrilled to have compliance plus against 7 criteria, the equivalent of a gold star, which is a tribute to the hard work of all Library staff.
In the build-up to a visit we will ask staff for evidence that helps us prove our achievements. During the assessment you may get to speak to the assessor at a group meeting or informally as they are looking around.
Find more information on Customer Service Excellence on the Library Website and Customer Services Learning Lab. You can also view our 2019 evidence submission for CSE.
Excellent service doesn’t happen automatically, it is something which we all have to work for as individuals.
Excellent Customer Service
Everyone wins from service excellence: customers, staff and the Library. The exaggerated video you have just watched demonstrates how not to do it. Now take a look at the activities below to reflect on what good customer care means to you.
In your participant book complete the Wordsearch on page 13 and the self-assessment exercise on page 15.
Use the Whiteboard on MS Teams to record key words or phrases that mean good customer care for you.
Please watch this final clip upto 4mins 12 secs, then think about the question below.
In the final clip you see the receptionist being careless about handing out spare keys without checking the customer's identity. Library staff also need to be aware of customer confidentiality, data protection and security issues. Can you think of some library scenarios where these issues are important? Make a note of your ideas on a spare page in your participant guide.
Confidentiality, data protection and security
Library staff should always be aware of protecting user’s information, some examples would be:
- Always check the photo on a customer’s smartcard so that you know you are dealing with the person on the card.
- Customers will sometimes ask who has got the book they want or who has put a reservation on a book they have. We can never give a customer any information about somebody else.
- We should only be accessing a customer’s details for a genuine work need not because of curiosity.
- Before turning the screen towards a customer, check that there is no information about another individual visible.
You will no doubt be able to think of many more.
The Game of Excellence
What does service excellence look like? Consider the real scenarios outlined in the Sway below and take the opportunity to think about what good customer care and not so great service looks like. We have provided some model answers but please do share any of your own thoughts on the Whiteboard on MS Teams.
Customer Expectations
It’s important for any organisation to understand the expectations of its customers.
On page 14 of your participant guide you will see a list of key trends and ways in which expectations of customer service are changing. Think about how customer expectations of University Libraries are changing and make additions to the list.
Why are expectations changing?
Reasons might include;
- Improved service standards in other universities, our competitors.
- More training in customer care
- More people travelling and can compare service with institutions in the UK and internationally
- Fees
What happens if we don’t change?
We need to be flexible, monitor and review, anticipate need, be proactive, and see what others are doing. Also bear in mind that we can’t do everything, we have to prioritise due to budget limitations, training costs, staff resources, new skills and equipment.
Customer Service Standards
Many organisations have written policy standards that staff must work to and customers expect.
Reassemble the pieces of the jigsaw to show the Library's values and operating principles. It works best if you maximise the jigsaw by clicking on the arrow at the bottom right of the image.
As well as these values, which provide the ethos for the Library Service and the framework for how we operate, we have two additional customer care policies:
- Our Customer Care Statement, a more specific ‘contract’, a direct statement to customers on the level of service they can expect.
- The Library Standards, a specific commitment setting performance targets and advertising achievement.
Visit the Library website to find these three policy statements. For each statement make a note on page 16 of your book of the elements that seem most relevant to your job role.
Having standards performs three functions in helping provide effective customer service:
- They are a guide to help you to do your job.
- They help to ensure consistency in the level of service.
- They can help you to measure the effectiveness of your customer service.
Measurable standards also allow us to argue a case for resources, they provide us with evidence for more equipment, staff etc.
Positive First Impressions
Take a few minutes to consider the picture of the help desk on Slide 2 in the presentation below.
What first impressions do you have of the library? As a customer, how would you feel? Obviously this is a staged photograph with exaggerated behaviour. Can you identify all the elements of poor customer care shown in the photograph. What should have happened as you were approaching the desk?
Make a note of your thoughts on page 17 of the participant guide.
If the slides do not display, view the content via the pdf below:
The Library has best practice guidance so staff are clear what is expected from them at our service points. You may have been provided with it as part of your induction. Please remind yourself of the key points if you work on a service point.
For many years we have had mystery shoppers visiting the Library. Our staff have been praised very highly. But some shoppers whilst finding staff… ‘Very knowledgeable and informative’, would have liked… more smiles. There are some more mystery shopper quotes on slide 3 on the PowerPoint above.
We are all responsible for ensuring the Library makes a good first impression. It might seem like a cliché but a smile really does count for a lot. A recent Tell Us What You Think comment asked ‘could the staff be reminded about smiling and saying hello? It does help’
Now look at page 18 in your book and see if you can fill in the blanks in each sentence. The grid at the bottom of the page gives you a clue. If you want to check your answers go back to slide 4 of the PowerPoint.
Something as simple as wearing a Library Help lanyard or a name badge makes a difference.
Mystery shopper quotes:
- ‘Staff were only identifiable because they were shelving a trolley’
- ‘There were staff on the floors, they had nothing identifiable, I expected at least a lanyard’
You may be the first and lasting impression in a customer’s memory. A bad first impression is very difficult to remove.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Do you agree? Can you think of any examples from your own experience? Post your comments on the Whiteboard on MS Teams.
Summary
If the slides do not display, view the content via the pdf below:
