Customer Service

in The Library

At one point or another during a day, we

all are “customers” somewhere or

someplace.

We all know what

Good Service

‘looks’ and ‘feels’ like.

And, unfortunately, we all

know what bad service

‘looks’ and ‘feels’ like.

Now think about this…

Our customers are not an interruption of our work.

They are the reason for our work.

Here’s another one…

The Golden Rule:

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Last one…

Be kind…one to another.

The Nordstrom Wayto

Customer Service Excellence

Authors:

Robert Spector

Patrick D. McCarthy

At Nordstrom customer service is the

number one priority. Period!

They follow a strategy

built around the

customer.

“If it matters to the

customer, doing it well is good

customer service.”

Remember…Customers are the

reason for our work!

Always put the customer at the

center of all we do.

Cultivate a “spirit” of doing

what’s right for the customer.

Put yourself in the shoes of

your customer…

Then do whatever you can to make life

easier for your customer.

Customers want to be taken care of and do

business with people that will help them

and make life easier for them.

“When Nordstrom considers how it can

improve service and results, it asks itself

one question:

‘What would the customer want?’ ”

Everything Nordstrom does,

every aspect of its

business is

seen through the lens of the

customer, with the goal of

improving the experience

that a customer

has with Nordstrom.

A few more thoughts…

Create a culture of excellence in customer service.

Consistency … always with customer service.

Employees must be committed to excellence in customer service for the long haul.

An interesting anecdote from

Nordstrom’s Annual Report to

Shareholders…the report

ALWAYS opens with:

Dear Customers, Employees, and Shareholders

In our libraries we can teach staff to:

Choose words wisely…they have a great impact

Smile, be friendly

Listen carefully

Put yourself in patron’s shoes

Encourage staff to have a good attitude

Try to make connections with patrons

Train staff in how to deal with difficult people

We are here to serve the public, our patrons.They are the reason for our work.

In conclusion we must all remember

Resources

“Brushing up on Patron-Service Skills,” Working Knowledge, by Elisa F. Topper, (November 2005)

The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence: A Handbook for Implementing Great Service in Your Organization by Robert Spector and Patrick D. McCarthy (Wiley, 2005).

Think & Do: Cultivating Customer Relationships training materials at www.thinkanddo.us