Comments on: Excellence in Customer Service http://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/excellence-in-customer-service/ Thoughts from a recent MLS graduate who just happens to also be a Systems Librarian Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:31:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Jennifer http://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/excellence-in-customer-service/#comment-98 Jennifer Fri, 14 Jul 2006 19:56:51 +0000 https://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/excellence-in-customer-service/#comment-98 Patrons as scum??? Yikes!! Your library doesn't sound like a nice place to be - either as a patron or an employee. I know that where I work (academic library), everyone cares deeply about the patron experience. The patron experience is of ultimate importance. I wish you the best of luck in what seems to be a very bad situation. I don't believe that this attitude is the norm - if it were I doubt anyone would use their local library. Patrons as scum??? Yikes!! Your library doesn’t sound like a nice place to be - either as a patron or an employee. I know that where I work (academic library), everyone cares deeply about the patron experience. The patron experience is of ultimate importance. I wish you the best of luck in what seems to be a very bad situation. I don’t believe that this attitude is the norm - if it were I doubt anyone would use their local library.

]]> By: Richard http://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/excellence-in-customer-service/#comment-95 Richard Fri, 14 Jul 2006 17:38:34 +0000 https://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/excellence-in-customer-service/#comment-95 I work in a public library where the staff consider the patrons a nuisance, where the head of reference refers to people as scum, where control has supplanted service as the ultimate goal. When I asked one of the staff one day why she, an acknowledged misanthrope, is in a position requiring swuch intense interaction with the public, she told me this (library assistant) was the best job she could get. This is my first job in a library, and I can only hope ours is an aberration, though I feel reasonably certain this is not the case. I work in a public library where the staff consider the patrons a nuisance, where the head of reference refers to people as scum, where control has supplanted service as the ultimate goal. When I asked one of the staff one day why she, an acknowledged misanthrope, is in a position requiring swuch intense interaction with the public, she told me this (library assistant) was the best job she could get.

This is my first job in a library, and I can only hope ours is an aberration, though I feel reasonably certain this is not the case.

]]> By: Steve http://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/excellence-in-customer-service/#comment-83 Steve Sun, 09 Jul 2006 01:41:50 +0000 https://scruffynerf.wordpress.com/2006/07/06/excellence-in-customer-service/#comment-83 Well said. You know I compiled this list while researching a bunch of "customer service statements", but in the end you are exactly right...a lot of what we call good customer service is really the stuff they teach in kindergarten. Play nice, aim to please, don't leave a mess for someone else to pick up; it's all pretty simple stuff, yet I am surprised that we need to write it down and actually train people to follow these rules. Well said. You know I compiled this list while researching a bunch of “customer service statements”, but in the end you are exactly right…a lot of what we call good customer service is really the stuff they teach in kindergarten. Play nice, aim to please, don’t leave a mess for someone else to pick up; it’s all pretty simple stuff, yet I am surprised that we need to write it down and actually train people to follow these rules.

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