Annabelle P Acedera Xavier University user When a
Annabelle P. Acedera Xavier University user When a Complaint is a Gift Conference on Library Management in the 21 st Century Escaler Hall Ateneo de Manila University 29 -30 March 2004 1
Overview • Introduction user – Library quality – Service quality • Service ethic • Feedback – What is feedback? – Feedback in library service – User feedback – Methods of gathering user feedback • “A complaint is a gift” 2
Library Quality user • Traditional library measures – Quantification – Emphasis on size: budget, staff, collection, facilities – Number of users, workload indicators, amount of library use Disadvantage: Do not indicate how well libraries serve library users or how libraries might change or improve their service 3
Service Quality user • Service ethic – Historical and traditional foundation of librarianship – Desire to be helpful and provide good service “Service was what we were and what we did” (Gorman, 1999) • Know best what users need 4
Service Quality user Commercial environment • Focus on the customer – Emphasis on “Customer first” – Customer expectations, perceptions, needs, demands • Customer sole judge of quality • “The customer is always right” 5
Service Quality user Library environment “Libraries are in the service business. The most important product they have is service. Without service, libraries are indistinguishable from museums or … they are a combination of a maze and morgue for books. Service is a pervasive ethic of the profession of librarianship. ” (Gorman, 1999) 6
Service Quality user Library environment • Focus on the library user – “People come first” – Identifying what the expects library wants and • Library users are the reason for having a library • Library users may not always be right but they have a right to express their opinion 7
We need to acknowledge that care of the user is a priority. Second, we have to turn that acknowledgement into action. We have to not only talk the talk, but walk the talk. In the user-centered library, quality service and user satisfaction are goals shared by all staff … (Wilson, 1996) How can we satisfy the needs of our library users? 8
Feedback user • What is Feedback? – Customer opinion sought & evaluated – Response to services or functions • Feedback in library service – From the perspective of the library user 9
Feedback in Library Service user Determinants of feedback in library service • • • How How How much? many? economical? prompt? accurate? • • • How How How responsive? well? valuable? reliable? satisfied? (Hernon, 2001) 10
Feedback in Library Service Components of the “How…? Questions? From Library and User Perspective user • Library – How – How • Users much? – How many? – How economical? – How prompt? – How accurate? – How responsive? well? valuable? reliable? satisfied? ü How…? s from User Perspective 11
User Feedback user Categories • • • Formal & Informal The Q words: Quality & Quantity Direct & Indirect Proactive & Reactive Actively & Passively solicited Solicited & Unsolicited 12
Gathering User Feedback: Methods user • Surveys – Questionnaires – Telephone – Mail – Web based • Interviews – On-site interviews – Telephone • Focus groups 13
Gathering User Feedback: Methods user • Unobtrusive data – Using existing data: circulation statistics, performance reports • Direct observation – Actually see what users do and not what people say • Suggestion boxes, comment cards • E-feedback – Telephone – Email 14
15
Why Focus on Complaints? user Paradigm shift • Primary means of direct communication with user • Complaining users are still library users – Put yourself in the shoes of the library user • Inexpensive 16
What is a Complaint? user • Negative meaning – Dictionary definitions Ø Pain, annoyance, illness, accusation, moan and groan, give someone a hard time, find fault – “Bad reputation” • Positive aspect – View as a challenge – Statement about needs and expectations – Opportunity to improve 17
Complaints as Gifts user Complaint-as-gift philosophy • Positive benefits of complaints – Strategic tool – Teaches value of listening • Turning Complaints into Compliments – Be receptive to negative comments and handling personal criticism – Understand why users complain – Develop and maintain a positive & professional attitude – Communicate back to complaining library users 18
Establishing Complaint -Friendly Policies • Establishing policy statement – Procedures for handling complaints • Complaint and Compliment system – Availability of forms – Problem report forms for staff use – Analysis to identify patterns – Action plan – Publicizing results & initiatives 19
“Treat every complaint as ‘a gift’ that should be cherished because a dissatisfied customer spends time pinpointing what’s wrong and gives us a chance to improve…” Barlow & Moller, 1996 20
Time for Action – ABCDs of User Feedback • • Ask Believe Communicate Do something Satisfied Customer THANK YOU 21
References user Barlow, Janelle and Claus Moller. A Complaint is a Gift: Using Customer Feedback as a Strategic Tool. San Francisco: Berrett Koehler, 1996. “Editorial: Service Quality in Libraries and Treating Users as Customers and Non-users as Lost or Never-Gained Customers. ” Journal of Academic Librarianship v. 3 issue 3(May 1996): 171 -72. Gorman, Michael. “Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins or technology and the Future of Library Service in Academic Libraries. ” In People Come First, edited by Dale s. Montanelli & Patricia F. Stenstrom, p. 1 -12. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 1999. 22
References Hernon, Peter and Danuta A. Nitecki. “Service Quality: A Concept not Fully Explored. ” Library Trends v. 49 issue 4(Spring 2001): 687 -708. user Kyrillidou, Martha and Kaylyn Hipps. “Symposium on Measuring Library Service Quality. ” ARL Bimonthly Report 215 (April 2001): 9 -11 http: //www. arl. org/newsltr/215/octsymp. html April 2001. (March 3, 2004) Phipps, Shelley. “Beyond Measuring Service Quality: Learning From the Voices of the Customers, the Staff, the Processes, and the Organization. ” Library Trends, vol. 49 issue 4(Spring 2001): 635 -661. Quinn, Brian. “Adapting Service Quality Concepts to Academic Libraries, ” Journal of Academic Librarianship (September 1997): 359 -369. 23
References Weingand, Darlene E. Customer Service Excellence: A Concise Guide for Librarians. Chicago : ALA, 1997. user Wilson, Lizabeth A. “Glacier or Avalanche? Shifts in the Electronic, Education, and Library Landscape. ” In LOEX of the West: Teaching and Learning in a “Climate of Change, edited by Thomas W. Leonhardt, p. 9. Greenwich, Conn. : JAI Press, 1996. 24
- Slides: 24