Customer Driven Priority Setting:
Joe MatthewsMarch 2012
Thinking Like a Customer
What Makes a LibraryGood (or Great)?
• A supportive local government
• Great funding
• A beautiful new building
• Terrific staff
• A community that values the library
• High use
Good (or Great)
libraries believe they
can be better
than they are
Great Libraries
• Believe that things change
• Work to make changes
• Persistently work to improve
• Believe that greatness is a continuous adventure
If You Really Care
Caring begets attention
attention begets curiosity
and curiosity –
did not kill the cat!
Challenge
How do you maintain a culture of
continuous improvement when
libraries are having to make
significant budget cuts?
Think like a
Customer
Why don’t we thinklike a Customer?
• We see the world through rose colored glasses (we work in a library).
• We hear but we really don’t understand.• We stopped looking.• We don’t see options – we see rules.• We haven’t walked in the shoes of our
customers.• We don’t focus on the end result.• The customers may require us to radically
change.
What can we be doing?
• Compare your experience with your favorite coffee place to your library’s customer experience.
• Observe the signage at a supermarket.• Observe the self-check process.• Observe the security gates at an up-scale retail
store.• Ask the next person you meet when they last
visited the library.• Ask your customer’s what they would change?• Visit a Build-a-Bear store and observe the customer
experience.
We need to
really listen
to the Customer
Books
& o
ther
mat
eria
ls
Borro
win
g ite
ms
Holds
/Ren
ewal
s
Lendi
ng p
olici
es
Web
site
Overa
ll im
portan
ce &
satis
fact
ion
Hours
of a
cces
s
Onlin
e ac
cess
Check
in/C
heck
out
Compr
ehen
sive
list o
f ite
ms
phon
e, fa
x, e
mai
l
Facili
ty p
erso
nal s
afet
y
Libra
ry b
uild
ing
Parki
ng
Restroo
ms
Fines
/fees
Acces
sing
the
Inte
rnet
Datab
ase
look
up sta
tions
Seatin
g/wor
kspa
ce
Inte
rlibr
ary l
oans
Catal
og te
rmin
als
Acces
sibi
lity - t
rans
porta
tion
Acces
sing
onl
ine
data
base
at t
he li
brar
y
Using
libr
ary e
quip
men
t
Using
libr
ary f
acili
ties - c
hairs
, tab
les
Attend
ing
even
ts5
6
7
8
9
10
Importance and Satisfaction
Importance and Satisfaction Data
Opportunity Index
The Formula
Importance + (Importance – Satisfaction) =
Opportunity
Opportunity Index in Public Libraries
1. Collections (S)
2. Hours open (F)
3. Borrow items (S)
4. Online catalog (S)
5. Web site (S)
Opportunity Index in Public Libraries
6. Holds/Renewals (P)
7. Lending policies (P)
8. Access remotely (S)
9. Overall importance (S)
10. Parking (F)
Opportunity Index in Public Libraries
11. Checkin/Checkout (P)
12. Catalog terminals (E)
13. Phone, fax, email (E)
14. Personal safety (F)
15. Library building (F)
Opportunity Index in Public Libraries
16. Fines/fees (P)
17. Interlibrary loans (P)
18. Restrooms (F)
19. Database lookup stations (E)
20. Database access @ library (S)
Bottom of the IndexLibrary does better
(higher levels of satisfaction)
compared to importance of the issue
assigned by the customer.
Opportunities to adjust
the level of resources.
Analysis by Branch
Library can compare ratings
for each branch facility
compare to the overall scores.
Change your approach …
not the customer.
The customer owns
the library.
Leaders & staff are
there to provide an
exceptional experience!
So …• If we aren’t the library people want, whose fault is
it?• We adjust to the customer, not the reverse.• A customer focus means reaching out and
listening.• Your library is as friendly as …• Root out the negative rules. It’s more fun to say
yes!• Choose a customer service that is positive,
welcoming, and empowering for the customer.• When a problem arises, rapid recover is the key.• Tell your customer you have listened, and what you
are doing.
Change your look• Paint
• Remove signs
• Merchandise the collection
• Provide staff uniforms
• Blow up service desks
• Be enthusiastic, have fun!