Presentation on the enquiry completion rate for Reference at the Metcalfe

1. November 2016 and April 2017

2. Objectives
 To collect data showing the time spent on the
information desk providing technology assistance to
customers
 To potentially use this data as a means to improve IT
connectivity

3. Methodology
 Conducted over 2 separate weeks, in Nov 2016 and
April 2017 to provide a snapshot of the types of
technical assistance provided to our customers and the
time taking in doing so

4.  Form was devised and feedback sought from staff in
regard to the categories of technical assistance
provided
 Form included the various categories of request and
the time taken, either under 5 mins, 5-10 mins or over
10 mins

5. Categories
 Audio/ebook/emag
 Email
 Internet
 Mobile printing
 Online forms
 Photocopier/printing
 Scanning/fax
 Self-check kiosk
 Wifi access
 Word/Excel etc.

6. Form
Burwood Library - Technical Assistance Recording Form
Day and Date: Sunday
A transaction where a staff member assists in the use of equipment or answers the enquirer's question about the use of
equipment and software. Record comments about connectivity. Each separate transaction by the same customer
should be counted as a new enquiry."
Under 5 minutes Between 5 - 10 minutes Over 10 mins
12-2 pm Audiobk, e-bk, e-mag 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Email 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Internet Access 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Mobile Printing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Online forms 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Photocopier/Printing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Scanning/Fax 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Self-check Kiosk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
WiFi Access 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Word/Excel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Comments - connectivity
Please record comments on attached
sheet
2-4 pm Audiobk, e-bk, e-mag 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Email 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Internet Access 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Mobile Printing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Online forms 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Photocopier/Printing 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Scanning/Fax 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Self-check Kiosk 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
WiFi Access 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Word/Excel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5
Comments - connectivity
Please record comments on attached
sheet

7.  The definition used for assistance/transaction was:
 A transaction is one where a staff member assists in
the use of equipment or answers the enquirer’s
question about the use of equipment and software.
Each separate transaction by the customer should be
counted as a new enquiry
 Staff were also asked to record comments about
connectivity

8. Results
 November 2016
 Total assistance during week was 348
 Highest % category was assistance with printing and
photcopying at 45%, with 18% for assistance with internet access
and 12% for assistance with email
 Not surprisingly assistance with online forms and email took the
most time, generally more than 10 mins
 The total number of hours spent on technical assistance as a %
of weekly opening hours 33.6%

9. Results
 April 2017
 Total assistance during week was 408
 The total number of hours spent on technical
assistance as a % of weekly opening hours 37.3%

10. Enquiry Completion
Rate Survey
Use & Definitions
Jacinta Craine
17th May 2018

11. Enquiry
Completion
Rate
Survey
(ECR)
The enquiry completion rate (ECR) survey
differentiates information requests and customer
service requests, but also combines the
requests to create an enquiry completion rate
total.
 A look at what we DON’T answer
 Definitions
 Information requests
 Customer Service requests
 Complete
 Not complete
11

12. What is
not
complete
is
important
to too
• In the beginning… the benchmark from the
literature review was 59% complete
o customer service was not counted
• % complete has increased over time
o in 1999 we hovered around 64%
o 2008 around 70%
o customer service started to be counted
• Currently hover around the 82% for Information
Enquiries and 93% when we include Customer
Service requests

13. • Finding out what was NOT being answered
• An increase in digital resources
• Adjusting services to make them as easy to access as possible
• More copies of new releases were bought and a FastBack collection
created – 10 day loan no renewals
• Subject gaps passed on to Collections team for possible purchase
• Staff required to use new resources in order to learn their merits
• Created online temporary membership so non-members could place
items on hold
13
What has made the difference?

14. Definition –
Information
requests
14
Information requests include contact with a library customer
where the service that is provided is predominantly
informational/instructional, examples include;
• author/title
• general subject
• readers advisory
• local studies
• genealogy
• community information
• literacy/ESL
• community languages
• technology instruction
Satisfaction of these requests involves the use of one or more
sources or tools

15. Definition –
Customer
Service
requests
15
Customer service includes contact with a library customer where
the service that is provided is predominantly administrative or
directional. Examples include:
• equipment troubleshooting
• administrative customer service
• technology assistance
• directions to library facilities and resources
• event booking

16. Technology instruction
Requests for instruction/guidance with the use of technology for:
o information purposes
for example to search the internet or access an eresource
o communication purposes
for example providing instruction for the basics of online communication including email,
Word and scanning
o to access library services through online portals
for example borrowing ebooks/emagazines, articles
o to access external services through online portals
for example registering with and utilising government services
16
Technology instruction v’s
Technology assistance

17. Technology assistance
Requests for assistance in accessing or troubleshooting library equipment.
• Equipment can range from coin acceptor, to fiche readers, wireless connection, to
reader/printers, scanners, self check and self returns
• Assistance might be:
o administrative
o maintenance
o trouble shooting
17
Technology instruction v’s
Technology assistance

18. Complete
or
Not
Complete
18
Complete
• In the mind of the staff member, the customer has gone away
with an answer to the query they presented with.
Not Complete
• inter branch supply
• referred
• otherwise not completed

20. A state wide view for
enquiries
Ellen Forsyth
17 May 2018

21. Library Act 1939
10 Requirements as to services to be provided by
local libraries
(e) Free basic reference services to members
Any person who is a member of the library is entitled to
be provided free of charge with basic reference services
(being any service classified by guidelines issued by the
Council as a basic reference service), including
assistance in locating information and sources of
information.

23. http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/public-library-
services/advice-best-practice/public-library-
statistics

24. Information requests
• General subject
• Author/title
• Readers’ advisory
• Local studies (LS)
• Genealogy or Family History
• Community Information (CI)
• Literacy / ESL
• Community Languages (CALD)
• Technology instruction (TI)
• Other requests

25. Customer service requests
• Technology assistance (TA)
• Administrative
• Directional
• Other

26. week of 4 February 2019
• Collecting all the Information request and
Customer service request fields
• This is a one off collection for a state wide
view
• Still need to do the usual submission of the top
level data for the annual statistics return