Customer Service: Bring your "A"ttitude Game
By Julie Webster-Matthews
The world’s number-one golfer, Tiger Woods, is often cited for bringing his “A” game to the tournament. With the “A” game, he is playing at his very best and almost impossible to beat. As much as it reflects his skill, the “A” game equally reflects his attitude.
Ask any golf fan, and they will tell you that Tiger always brings a positive attitude to the game. But the right attitude isn’t just important in sports. It is equally vital in customer service.
Stop and think about your library. Are you bringing your “A” game to customer service? Attitude is your secret weapon for maintaining an environment where your patrons feel comfortable approaching you for assistance. Here are a few questions to help you appraise the attitude you bring to your customer service game:
What does my attitude look like?
When users enter my library, how are they greeted? Has anyone ever appeared at my door with a question, and I was too busy to even look up when I responded? It sounds dramatic, but it happens. Non-verbal communication can send a powerful message.
According to Mike Petrook, public-affairs manager of the Chartered Management Institute, “Less than 10 per cent of the messages we convey are verbal. Half of what we communicate is transmitted through our bodily positions and movements, so understanding physical gestures and expressions can help us work more effectively at all levels of the workplace.”*
Something so simple can make a world of difference. How about a smile? Most would agree that a smile goes a long way toward our perception of a person. Think about your own experiences. When you are greeted with a smile, it makes you feel like that person genuinely wants to help.
In our roles as law librarians, we work with legal professionals who often have deadlines and pressures that can create tremendous stress and tension. Sure it’s hard to smile sometimes, but in most instances, a smile and a “let me help you” attitude can diffuse almost any situation.
What does my attitude sound like?
How are users greeted on the telephone when they call our library? Attitude is also important on the telephone. Is there a spirit of cheerfulness even though they cannot see your face?
One of the libraries I work with in southern California is the Orange County Public Law Library. If you have an occasion to call and get Lu Nguyen on the telephone, you will experience this attitude of service. You can practically see his smile through the receiver. You just know from his tone that he wants to help you.
Another important element of communication is voicemail. How many times in the last year have you changed your voicemail message? Have you ever called someone and as soon as their voicemail answered, you hung up because you just knew that the message was the same one you always get? Refreshing your message with current information or a new greeting sends the message that, although you may not be available at that time, you care about the caller.
What’s the perception of my attitude among my users?
How is my library doing in the area of customer service? What do you think the feedback would be from your users if you asked them about the service they receive in your library?
While a needs assessment or survey is a great tool to assist in making decisions about planning, budgeting and setting priorities, it can also be used to gauge how well your customer service is being perceived by your users.
Think about it. Used in this non-traditional way, your needs assessment can also:
- promote your attitude of service;
- serve as a communication tool between you and your users; and
- send the message that you care about the service provided.
An assessment also increases the visibility of your library, which translates into marketing. In these days of reduced budgets and increased financial accountability, it is essential to keep the library and its services in the spotlight.
Once the assessment has been analyzed, making adjustments or expanding services based on the feedback can work to your benefit. For example, if feedback reveals that the users often need assistance after regular business hours, extending library hours maybe one day a week would demonstrate your desire to fulfill the expressed need.
We can’t be champions every day. Like Tiger Woods, some days we’ll have fewer birdies than the day before, and unfortunately, an occasional bogey. But also like Tiger, we should never settle for par. Our goal should be to elevate our attitude to a place that will keep us at the top of our “A” game in customer service.
*The Evening Standard (London), December 4, 2004
