In this ever changing world, customers are more and more taking advantage of available technology to communicate with library staff. E-mail and virtual services like AskUsNow! have joined the more traditional options of in-person or telephone interaction. One thing that doesn’t change, however, is the expectation, opportunity and obligation for staff to provide outstanding customer service regardless of the medium. Julie Strange shares proven techniques for providing outstanding customer service in the electronic age. Participants will be able to identify at least three factors that define excellent customer service no matter what the medium and name at least four key parts of an outstanding e-mail reference interaction/response.

1. Now! That’s What I Call Customer Service Julie Strange & Cathay Crosby | MLA 2009

2. “ customer service”

3. the experience

4. zero

5. priceless

7. the basics customer focus moments of truth empowered staff

9. empower your staff

10. “ charged a 50-cent late fee while turning in a book that her late mother had checked out of a Harrison Public Library branch.”

12. Welcome to Nordstrom We're glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them. Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules. Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division general manager any question at any time.

13. on your customers

14. acknowledge them

15. active listening is key

16. talk to them!

17. Engage your customers Embrace them as co-creators embrace customers as co-creators

18. set expectations

19. use all your tools

20. don’t be a barrier, find a way

21. Anything else I can help with? Good luck on the test! Have a good night!

22. (An update on) email reference as a quality service to Maryland library patrons

25. Maryland AskUsNow! Email Reference A passion for excellence in a Zen state of mind Maryland AskUsNow!

27. Comparison of email reference service: web form, email address, both or none *Note: Enoch Pratt/SLRC was grouped with public libraries 2 1 10 21 34 Academic Libraries 1 0 4 2 7 Special Libraries (a sampling) 0 0 2 1 3* Regional Libraries* 1 0 6 17 24 Public Library Systems None Both Email Address Web Form # of libraries (systems/locations)

34. Sample

35. our email of our library.

36. “ I am looking for an answer. Is filling out this form worth it?” If I spend x amount of time filling out their form, will I get y in z minutes?

37. An estimated weekly number of reference–related emails received by 14 Maryland libraries Note: These figures reflect typical weeks during January – April 2009. 55 Library 9 Public Libraries 55.571 Avg. per week: 389 Total: 10 Library 10 40 Library 8 88 Library 7 12.5 Library 6 70 Library 5 77 Library 4 7 Library 3 28 Library 2 1.5 Library 1 # received / week Academic Libraries 1.214 Avg. per week: 8.5 Total: 2.5 Library 3 1 Library 2 5 Library 1 # received / week Special Libraries 9.714 Avg. per week: 68 Total: 11 Library 2 57 Library 1 # received / week

40. Hello Cathay Crosby, The Library of Congress first began using email as a reference tool in 1994. For further details, you can review the following timeline of major milestones in the Library's use of the Internet to share resources with the public: < http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/libsci/faq.html#11 > According to the timeline, on November 7, 1994, the Library's National Reference Service (NRS) began a pilot project to respond to reference queries received over the Internet at the email address lcref@loc.gov (no longer active). Many questions were referred by NRS to email accounts maintained by other areas of the Library. Later, in the summer of 1995, the National Reference Services established lcinfo@loc.gov (no longer active), a centralized Internet email address for online inquiries to LC. The Library's current Ask a Librarian service (< http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/ >) did not debut until June 2002. I hope this answers your question. If there is anything else that I can do, please let me know. Sincerely, The Digital Reference Team Library of Congress “ The Library of Congress first began using email as a reference tool in 1994. ”

41. The Essential Personality Piece

42. Elements to a good answer

45. personable interaction is essential

52. Julie Strange [email_address] http://strangelibrarian.org Cathay Crosby [email_address] Anything else we can help you with? www.askusnow.info/presentations