Research on Library Customer Service: we know how to satisfy your info needs

When I approach a cashier to make a purchase, I hope to conclude the transaction smoothly and quickly. Few things irritate me more in that context than trying to get the cashier’s attention during the process. I have had several experiences where I am poised to pay for an item, only to find the cashier engaged in an apparently irrelevant conversation with a co-worker. I feel like saying, “I’m a paying customer, so can you please focus on me so I can pay?” I find that a frustrating experience. Maybe retail staff are simply not motivated enough to deliver quality service? I think part of the problem is proper customer service skills are simply handed down as orders, rather than explained. I, for one, think it is better to explain rules and show how they make a positive contribution. [Conversely, if a rule cannot be explained or does not make a positive contribution, then maybe it should be reconsidered!]

I am happy to report that librarians know both the how and why of customer service. In preparation for my training at AskON tomorrow, I was asked to read an article called, “The effects of librarians’ behavioral performance on user satisfaction in chat reference services,” by Nahyun Kwon and Vicki L. Gregory published in Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ). In brief, the authors analyzed transcripts from Internet chat reference sessions to determine whether or not compliance with reference librarian guidelines increased user satisfaction. The answer is yes. What makes users satisfied? The authors found six behaviours to be particularly important:

• used the patron’s name during the reference interview;
• communicated more receptively and listened more carefully;
• searched with or for the patron;
• provided pointers;
• asked the patron whether the question was completely answered; and
• asked the patron to come back if they needed further assistance.

Those all sound like good practices. The third item reminds me of research I heard about in grad school on approachability which claimed that patrons in libraries think librarians are more approachable when they are up and about helping somebody, rather than seated at a desk. I have encountered some of these behaviours when on the phone with various companies and generally find they strike a good note.

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