Quality Customer Service on a Budget

Quality Customer Service on a Budget

1AgendaRecent Events @ FWLBudget challengesEvolving role of library servicesShared Management ModelConsiderationsOrganization ModelCustomer Service TrainingThink Yes! ConceptThe need for our customer service initiative was a direct result of certain events that pushed us in a particular direction.

How did we get staff to adapt to these changes without sacrificing customer service. 2Budget ChallengesCity of Fort Worth has faced budget deficits the last several years. FY2013 - Each department was required to submit budgets with at least a 10% reduction($2M).FY2013 - The library departments approved budget was a 6% reduction($1.3M). Bullet One Like all Libraries, we have faced our share of budget difficulties over the last few years. Our citys budget deficit began in 2010 with a $59M Deficit, this last year it was $49M D while next year we are looking at $51M.

Bullet two In order to help offset the deficit, we were asked to submit a 10% reduction. This was a $2M number for us.

Bullet Three Our final approved budget fell to 6%, but this was still $1.3 M Reduction. 321st Century Library20th Century21st CenturyPrimarily content-drivenCombination of audience- and content-driven Mostly tangible objects (art, books)Combination of tangible and digital objectsOne-way information (institution presentsinformation to audiences)Multi-directional (co-created experiences involving institution, audiences, and others)Focus on presentation and displayFocus on audience engagement and experiencesEmphasis on enhancing knowledgeEmphasis on enhancing knowledge and 21stcentury skillsActs independentlyActs in highly collaborative partnershipsLocated in community (operates independently)Embedded in community (aligned with and acts as a leader on community needs/issues)Learning outcomes assumed, implied (content knowledge and skills like critical thinking tend to be byproducts of programming)Learning outcomes purposeful (content knowledge and 21st century skills like critical thinking are visible, intentional outcomes of audience experiences)Institution leads content development (content tightly edited and controlled) Content co-created among diverse partners and audiences; accessible in multiple waysWe took this table out of Page 7 of IMLS report on 21st Century Skills. It emphasizes the new role of the library. Each member of the library executive team has this poster hanging on the wall where it can be seen everyday.

We translated this table to specific questions that we needed to answer to better serve our community.421st Century LibraryHow will a city provide library services that are a combination of audience and content driven?We have always been good at checking out items (content) to our communities. What can we do differently to provide library services that also account for audience participation and builds community?

How does the CFW offer a combination of tangible and digital objects?How does the CFW need to engage with its community through the digital realm?

How does the CFW create a multi-directional service model? (co-created experiences involving institution, audience and other)How does the CFW offer library services that (1) engage the community to create experiences, (2) develop stories and (3) make the stories and experiences accessible back to the community? Talk about Bullet Two: How do we handle digital objects? The library offers a wide range of digital products including ebooks, downloadable audio books and freegle music. We have also recently created a digital unit. It is a seed for the library when approaching how to provide digital services. 521st Century LibraryHow does the CFW focus on community engagement and experiences?How will the CFW engage with the community in a more efficient streamlined manner?

How does the CFW enhance knowledge and 21st Century skills?What does the CFW need to do to improve the knowledge and skills of its communities?

How does the CFW acts in highly collaborative partnerships with other organizations?What does the CFW do to build a more collaborative relationship with its community partners? For the CFW, we have taken Community Engagement on as a top priority. The city recently hired a public engagement person to move the city in that direction. At the library, we created a community awareness unit to raise the awareness of the library in the community. 621st Century LibraryHow does the library become more embedded in community? (aligned with and acts as a leader on community needs/issues)How does the CFWL become more assertive in fulfilling the needs of our communities? How does it become a member of the community versus a part of it?

How does the CFW embrace learning outcomes in a purposeful way? (content knowledge and 21st Century skills like critical thinking are visible, international outcomes of audience experiences)The CFW can show value in its library services beyond the hard numbers. Some services seem to be inherently important, but how does the CFW capture and communicate this value?

How does the CFW produce content co-created among diverse partners and audiences; and make it accessible in multiple ways?How does the CFW embrace the diversity of its communities? How does the CFW lead the effort to capture co-created content among its diverse community partners? How does the library become a member of the community versus a part of it. We have two programs that really do this for us. Worth reading is our year round reading program and we have 22 partners involved. We also have many partners involved in our Womens History month activities. Both are shining examples of what we do.7ConsiderationsWe needed to move more quickly to address the questions facing us as a 21st Century library. We needed to preserve the unique role of the librarian in the organization. We needed to a system that would not sacrifice customer service levels. We needed a system that would not close any libraries, reduce hours or reduce the materials budget.

We decided upon a Shared Management!Bullet one - How does one become a 21st Century Library? We needed our librarians to carry through with some of the new services being requested like digital media and social media and get them off the service desks as much as possible.

Bullet two - What role will librarian play in a library where traditional services like reference questions, are no longer as valued by the patrons? The public still needs our help, but not in the same way. Lets free up a librarians time to utilize their unique skill sets in projects like Adult Basic Education, Online Content like Digital Archives and value added displays highlighting current topics to help the CFW address the challenges facing a 21st Century library.

Bullet three - The theory of Shared Management puts customer service oriented staff on the desks to handle the daily interactions of patrons and frees up the time of the librarian to focus on additional value added projects. Desk coverage is still required by the librarians but a majority of the desk coverage falls to the Library Assistants. We recruited heavily and focused on individuals with great customer service experience and skills.

Bullet four - Budget challenges had to be met despite the restrictions put upon us. Shared management allowed us to realize our required reduction without breaking any of the conditions.

We did rely heavily on a staff analysis performed by mid-level managers and you have to remember that one reason shared management is a good fit is that many of our units are very small in size. 8

Shared Management 9

9We decided that each regional manager would then be assigned four units to manage. This cut down on the administration necessary to service the public making us a more streamlined efficient organizaiton. How we adapted?Training is being provided. A service plan was created and implemented. Orientation was given to each new library employee.Communication. We meet with staff numerous times to explain the changes and clearly state our expectations. An emphasis is placed on enforcing our policy consistently in each new location. Senior Librarians meet on a regular basis to share and network.Direct Customer Service Training Think Yes!

Bullet One: the training budget for the City had been virtually eliminated so the library had to develop its own service plan to provide training to staff. This was done as way to make staff feel more secure in taking on new tasks/changing roles.

Bullet Two: We hired 13 Library Assistants to be our main point of contact for customers at our desks. We held an intensive orientation for them over a weeks time.

Bullet Three: We commuicated a lot with staff to explain. I have to admit that many did not hear the message or truly understand our expectations. This was a lesson learned for us.

Bullet Four: Since so many staff were moving due to the new reorg, we are working on having policy refreshers for all staff.

Bullet Five: main of our senior librarians were being asked to take on more responsibility. Because of this, we meet regularly with them.

Bullet Six: We are going to start providing direct customer service training to all staff. 10THINK Yes!Customer Service Initiativepresented byMultnomah County LibrarySo what did we do to help staff with the transition to the shared management model.what parts of the new model could we use to our advantage when it comes to customer service.

We decided to have a home grown training component on Customer Service to help staff remember why we do what we do on a daily basishelp the residents of Fort Worth with library services.

We wanted to come up with something unique in the training of staff, something that they had never seen before so we decided to borrow the concept of Think Yes. from the Multnomah (mult-NO-ma) library system. What I have for you from this point forward in the presentation are the slides we plan to use for staff training starting next month.

In addition to the presentation, we are doing a Think Yes! Appreciation and a Think Yes! Tank. The appreciation is an email every payday that just reminds staff of some tenet of customer service. The tank will be a repository of questions from staff about specific situations that they have encountered and have quesitons.

This is something done entirely by the library staff. Library administration gave them a little direction but they created it and plan to implement it all on their on.

11What is Think Yes?

Lets think about customer service in terms of ice cream We are doing a good job of providing the ice cream we currently have. Now the Think Yes! Approach will allow us to add new flavors and toppings that will ENHANCE the customers experience AND the work environment of staff.

So what is Think Yes!? Think Yes! is a way for us to focus on giving excellent service to everybody all the time.

Well do this by utilizing the 5 service principles of Think Yes!

12Our 5 Service PrinciplesThink Yes! attitudePatron-oriented serviceFriendly, welcoming attitudeProactive, personalized customer serviceTeam players

We will discuss all these in more detail later:

Think yes! attitude: We provide each customer with choices in products and services. We minimize the number of barriers and maximize the number of options.

2. Customer-oriented service: We are empowered to provide seamless service for each and every customer. We remove barriers to success by listening to our customers and then providing them with convenient, hassle-free services and solutions.

3. Friendly, welcoming attitude: We greet customers with a smile, eye contact, welcoming body language and a friendly greetingincluding when answering the phone (Show audience examples!)

4. Proactive, personalized customer service: We anticipate and respond to customer needs. When possible we walk the floor in order to assist our customers in finding what they need as they move throughout our building. We address customers by their name when appropriate. We repeatedly check in with our online customers to verify that our responses have answered their questions. (Use Secret Shoppers, City Council Member as example of how this is happening)

5. Team players: Collaboration and teamwork ensure that we meet each customers needs in your location and throughout the system. (EX: It may take 2-3 people to answer a reference question, successful referrals among team members TO ENSURE that the customers question is answered in a timely manner, collaborate without offending your co-worker, the units with only one service desk could alternate clerk/librarian/clerk/librarian to help each other)

Shelia says Other people can make you look good!

Our staff was already moving in this direction with their various customer service focus. One librarian had considered herself the Library police and her performance appraisals were very low. She changed her mindset to one of Finding ways to say yes. Her interaction with patrons improved and her performance did as well.

We had another librarian tell a story that her reason for going to work everyday was to assist with the customers and build lasting relationships. One child went to her library, not once, but twice to volunteer because of customer service. She told him that he did not have to settle for the road he was going down and mentored him throughout his high school days. When he graduated from college six years later, she was one of the first ones he called to say thanks. It is this type of mentality that drove us to provide some structure to the informal mindset we had already began to develop. 13How do we do it?Communication

Bring forward any concerns, problems, or issues that you encounterBe willing to learn and ask questionsAssume best intentions when communicating with customers and staff Practice active listeningTreat your colleagues with respect and professionalism, remember we are a team

14How do we do it?Integration

We can learn from other peoples experiences and cultures. We can use that information to help us do our job better. (ex: Sheila knows very little Spanish, she has called other locations and used them for translation services, she was able to help customers despite a language barrier by being willing to Think Yes!)

Ex: patience and respect especially for those with special needs and the elderly

15Define SuccessCreate Service Principles with detailed examples of desired behavior.Model and practice the Service Principles in trainings and work groups.Remember the 3 Cs: make a connection, have a conversation, then create options.We want staff to know when they are succeeding so we are using this simple approach to it.

Remember the three Cs Make a connection, have a conversation and then create options. We are working to get all staff to follow these three tenets. 16Friendly, welcoming attitudeWelcome to your libraryCan patrons see that you want to help them?Wheres your badge?Remember: Its easier to be nice than nasty

Welcome to your libraryHelp customers view the library as theirs, the resources and information contained in each building and on the internet belong to the citizens of Fort Worth and its our job to help them utilize these services to the best of our collective ability..AND thank them for coming in and calling with questionsCan customers see that you want to help them?Are you approachable? eye contact with a smile can help signal to customers that you are available and happy to assist with their questionsIs your badge visible and readable?Make sure that customers can identify you as staff so they know who to go to with questions

17Proactive, personalized serviceBe where your patrons are

We accompany rather than pointing or stating Dewey numbers to the appropriate section of the collection. Please note with your regular customers it may not be necessary to walk them to the shelf.

18Patron-oriented serviceWho is the library for?

We have the authority and responsibility to respond to each customers unique need. We listen carefully and respectfully. We are flexible, and we look for alternate resources and solutions in order to meet each customers needs. We make every effort to help our customers at their points of need, rather than sending them off to someone else.

CENTRAL When we do refer a customer to another staff member, service desk or information source, we do this seamlessly by first informing the customer and the other staff person of the reason for the referral. Whenever possible we escort the customer to the next desk, we explain the reason for the referral before handing over the phone, or we send an explanatory e-mail to the other staff member. 19THINK Yes!Give positive optionsHelp patrons navigate the library

We are creative and we look for opportunities to say Yes! within policy.

We listen to each customers question, then look for options that help rather than barriers that hinder. (Ex: We are not the Library Police. We are here to connect customers to the librarys resources!!!)

20No Phrases vs. Yes PhrasesWhy sayWhen you could you sayNext?I can help you.I cant help you with that.Let me connect you with an expert on this subject.Someone else must have made a mistake.I can try to straighten this out right now.I cant.I wish I could.We dont have any copies available.I wish that you could have this today, but that is a popular item. Would you like to place a hold, so you can pick up the next available copy at your library?We dont have any copies. This No statement prematurly ends the customer interaction. We have to say to them that we might not be able to provide immediate satisfication but we can work with them to provide options. 21No Phrases vs. Yes PhrasesWhy sayWhen you could sayI dont know.I will find out.That wont work.In my experience, _____ might be a better option (but keep an open mind).It is time for my break.My colleague, Ann, is going to help you with this question.We cant do that.We can help you in a few minutes.I dont have time to do that.Time is tight today. Is this something that could be done tomorrow?I dont know versus I will find out.one of my pet peeves is to cut the customer service interaction short by saying I dont know instead of offering to find out the answer and stay with the patron until an answer is realized. 22Be a good team playerUse Think Yes skills with coworkers

We value our customers and our co-workers, and we treat them fairly and with respect. We communicate with our co-workers. We inform co-workers when we leave a desk or work area to assist a customer or perform a task; we check in with co-workers to keep them updated; we scan the library to make best estimates on the time we can spend with individual customers at any given time.

23THINK Yes!How do you make it workat your location?Open discussion

If no discussion, use a CS Scenario.

How would you handle this at your branch?

24Laying GroundworkCollaboratively create team agreementsAspire to be emotionally intelligentUse staff strengths to overcome weaknessesModel behavior you expectDont shy away from difficult conversationsUse humor/funAsk for helpSustain the ChangeCheck-in regularly with staffUse daily language that reflects expectationsCommunicateRecognize when staff need helpBe identifiable & proactive in public spacesDevelop service space that encourages staff collaborationCommunicate, Communicate, Communicate

Communicate with customers and with team members

27The Future of Think Yes!Take advantage of unique staff skillsUse mobile technology in public spacesIncorporate service goals in staff annual reviewsRoutinely do team building activitiesEncourage continuing educationCelebrate successes!I believe this shows that an homegrown approach to training customer service can be done. You can do quality customer service on a budget. It does not cost much and the return on the investment is priceless. 28Think Yes! Customer Service TeamCorina Dhanji, SEM Customer Service Representative IDebra Miller, NRW LibrarianChristina Garcia, CEN Adult ServicesDemario Hamiliton, Library IT Michele Lee, CEN Youth & Teen Services, LA IIChristina Lockridge, CEN CMD UniTDeniece Middlebrooks, SWTR LA IDebra Miller, NRW LibrarianCoCo Parrish, CEN CMD UNIT Mary Sexton, EBY Senior LibrarianShelia Barnett, Regional Manager, Co-chairRebecca Caldow, RDG Senior Librarian, Co-ChairAdam Wright, Assistant Director Public Services, Administrative Liaison

Here is the staff that worked very hard to make this a reality for us. I want to once again say how proud I am of them and thank them for the work they provided to us. 29Your Questionsadam.wright@fortworthlibrary.org

awright@40geeks.com

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