1. Capturing Customer
Service
How to Provide Stellar Customer Service in the Harris
County Public Library Galaxy

2.  Customers ask for what they want; it is
our job to also provide what they NEED
 A customer’s needs may vary based on
PERSONALITIES or CIRCUMSTANCES
What do our Customers Need?

3.  If asked to define service, many would
respond the answer is giving the customer
what they WANT, which sets the scene for
FAILURE.
 Try to say YES as much as possible.
 Saying NO doesn't mean you’ll end up with
an unhappy customer
 Saying yes doesn’t guarantee a HAPPY
customer
What are our Customers
Looking For?

4. 1. It is AGAINST Federal Regulations
2. It is a violation of PRIVACY
3. The customer has a history of ABUSING
the system
4. It goes against our MORALS/ETHICS
5. It NEGATIVELY impacts another
customer directly
In What Instances Might We Say
NO to a Customer?

5.  Excellent customer service is provided when you
address these basic, less obvious needs:
1. LISTEN effectively
2. Provide OPTIONS
3. Be FRIENDLY
4. Express Empathy and Understanding
WITHOUT JUDGEMENT
5. Give the customer a feeling of CONTROL
6. Give INFORMATION
7. Always be FAIR
How Do We Provide Stellar
Customer Service?

6.  Resist DISTRACTIONS and stay ALERT
 Judge CONTENT not DELIVERY
 Learn to listen ACTIVELY
 Listen TWICE as much as you speak
 Don’t INTERRUPT
 Avoid DEFENSIVENESS
 Keep an OPEN MIND
Ways to Improve Listening
Abilities

7.  Notice NON-VERBAL Communication
 RESPOND, so that they know you are
listening
 When responding, use SHORT responses
when the speaker is saying something
IMPORTANT to them
 SUMMARIZE what they’ve said
Ways to Improve Listening
Abilities

8.  LEARN about your customers
 Give PERSONAL service
 ANTICIPATE their NEEDS
 Exceed their EXPECTATIONS
 Be familiar with NON-LIBRARY topics
 ALERT them to new products/services
 Know and adapt to their PERSONALITY
How do we Create Long Term
Relationships?

9.  Learn about PERSONALITY styles and
use that knowledge
 Be KNOWLEDGEABLE about your
organization and its offerings
 Under PROMISE and over DELIVER
 Be POSITIVE about your organization
 Listen Actively and EMPATHETICALLY
 APOLOGIZE when appropriate
How do we Nurture those
Relationships?

10.  Give them our FULL attention
 Don’t play the BLAME game
 Be a HUMAN being
 Don’t treat them like an INTERRUPTION
 Make sure customers are GLAD they
came to you
 Don’t ever talk over THEIR HEADS
 Always say THANK YOU
How do we Nurture those
Relationships?

11.  Be HONEST, even if it hurts
 Go the EXTRA MILE
 Be glad to accept CONSTRUCTIVE
criticism
 Respond in a TIMELY manner
 FOLLOW UP when appropriate
How do we Nurture those
Relationships?

12.  Find OPTIONS if at all possible
 Take RESPONSIBILITY for satisfying the
customer
 BE sure your “tone of voice” is
ENTHUSIASTIC
 Don’t make DEMANDS of your customers
 Always make TIME for your customers
 Remember it would be difficult to over use
THANK YOU
Ways to Nurture our Customer
Relationships

13.  Let the customer VENT
 Don’t open the NEGATIVITY door
 Eliminate your EMOTIONS
 OWN the problem, don’t pass the customer
around
 Say what you CAN do
 Give OPTIONS if possible
 Resolve it QUICKLY
 FIX whatever caused the problem
 Don’t take it PERSONALLY or HOME
How to Handle an Upset Customer

14.  A SATISFIED customer will tell 1-3
people about their experience
 A DISSATISFIED customer will tell 9-10
people about it
Keep this in Mind!

15.  Keeping everything you just learned in
mind, answer the questions on the blog
below this PowerPoint.
Now On to the Quest