Customer is always right: A Sirsi Seminar with Ulla de Striker……………

Customer is always right: A Sirsi Seminar with Ulla de Striker……………

This seminar could be used as a discussion springboard for a library tech public service class. The presenter urges us to place ourselves in the “shoes of the customer” asking ourselves how we would feel if we were on the other side of the desk.

Although this seminar summarizes so many basic principles of public service, (aka walk a mile in their shoes, working as a “public service team” whether in tech or public service…at the desk on over the phone and online.)

Chatty conversational style based on her own service experiences rather than strongly motivational. Addresses experiences of public service interactions, culture of the organization that fosters customer experiences, challenges of positive public service events, implications of human resources in managing an organization. A little disjointed…common sense approach (have a friend, be a friend). Not recommended as a stellar example of motivation toward excellent public service.

Covered:
• Key characteristics of a positive customer experience
• Special challenges associated with today’s realities
• Simple principles
• Finding out how clients experience us
• Human resources implications


--referred to
• “Emotional public service” presentation (SIRSI?)
• Stephen Arnold March 2005 presentation on user behavior
• Harvey McCay’s 66 things we need to understand about our customers (amazon


Recommends four basic principles” Attention, Engagement, Appropriate result, and Followup.

5 Principles of great public service:

1. It is all about them! Nothing we do in the course of the day that is not related to a quality customer experience (suggest Gallery of Library Staff)
2. Empower everyone to do the right thing at the right time (explain later!)
3. Break the rules!…
4. Talk about public service experiences
5. Be warm, friendly while still professional…build relationahips…

When hiring…look for the strong public service attitudes…everything else is trainable