** Note: If you didn’t receive this in email format earlier today, please email Traci at avett@tblc.org
March Madness Month
A month of surprising facts, informative highlights, and fun activities… all for the chance to brag about our incredible services!
THE IMPORTANCE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE:
In Word-of Mouth Marketing (WOMM), the focus is on generating a “buzz” for your users. This includes making sure everyone in your library knows how Ask a Librarian helps real people every day. WOMM’s goal is to create a viral effect, both within and between users. This is important because every customer has a barrage of family, friends, and coworkers who witness that user’s needs being met pleasantly and efficiently. That’s where customer service comes into play – the better your customer service, the more likely the person you helped will not only return to use Ask a Librarian again, but also to share his or her positive experiences with countless future visitors.
Want to see some real results of that excellent customer service you provide to statewide users? These are actual user comments taken from our most recent 2011 user survey. There were many more compliments where these come from, but here are just a few to highlight the impact that you have on users in Ask a Librarian, and the reason it’s so important to maintain high customer service standards every time you staff.
• Please keep this service because it was a tremendous help for me. I am a teen with a right hemi paresis and am learning disabled. My mom helps me as best as she can but I would like to do this myself independently.
• I love Ask a Librarian!
• Oh it is just AWESOME!!! I like all your effort to make our lives easier as student.
• Kay was very kind and helpful! She helped me even though I was not sure how to explain the question. She was great!! Thank you!
• The librarian was very helpful and nice. Thank you very much for this service.
• you guys are doing great
• Marcia was very helpful and patient, keep up the great work!
• Quick and Easy!
• a great resource that can be accessed from home
• i always go to ask a librarian. u rock!
• I think this is a very valuable service, especially for researching students who hit the proverbial wall and don’t know where to go. I’m sure this would’ve made things a lot easier for me if I had this available during my childhood. Kirsty was the librarian who helped me tonight. She was very helpful and quick.
• Both times my questions were answered very quickly and with polite service!!
• My first time using and it work great!
• I love this service. Even though I check things on the internet, I like to have a HUMAN as my double check. THANK YOU!!!!
Think you have what it takes to get raving comments like these from Ask a Librarian users? Take the “Customer Service Quiz, Question 1” below for your chance to win an Ask a Librarian book pack. Don’t forget last week’s promotional photo contest for another chance to win!
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Who wants to win one of our cool new Ask a Librarian book packs? Our nifty new drawstring bags are red with a blue Ask a Librarian logo. Promote us with style, and hold your book or sandwich at the same time.
Customer Service Quiz, Question 1: A student trying to get into a database has incorrect login information. You look up login issues for that library, but cannot resolve the issue. You give them contact information for their library (which is currently closed). Which of the following is the best response to send next?
1. Good luck! Thank you for using Ask a Librarian; we hope you come again.
2. In the meantime, I can try to help you using other resources. What information were you looking for?
3. Well, if you would have started sooner, you could have contacted your library before they closed.
Tell us which option you’d choose and why. The best 3 responses will receive a cool new Ask a Librarian book pack! Email your response to Traci at avett@tblc.org by Friday, March 11, 2011.
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When speaking to users, remember these important talking points:
• If you ever need help when you’re not in our library, visit www.askalibrarian.org (or find the link on our library’s website).
• Ask a Librarian is a website where you can go to get your questions answered by a real librarian.
• Ask a Librarian is open for live chat and texting until midnight ET Sunday through Thursday, and until 5 p.m. ET Friday and Saturday.
• You can use Ask a Librarian for free.
• If Ask a Librarian isn’t open for chat or texting, you can always email your question, and your library’s staff will get back to you within 24 hours.