I agree with everything you asserted Eric, but I have one question which
points to something that plagues the public library world.
If you agree with the assumption that in order to create customer
satisfaction, a service must meet or exceed the expectations of that
customer, how can a public institution create an expectation for their
customers? Especially in the public library sector where so many strive
to be "all things to all people", how do you set boundaries on a world
of information so that it can be packaged and marketed to the customer?
For example a customer comes in seeking a certain title which the
library does not own...they are not satisfied. Unless a customer is in
the building and seeks human intervention which suggests acceptable
alternatives, they are unsatisfied. Do they think we are just
inefficient? Not on the ball? Certainly most catalogs are no help in
this area.
Or do we not care about clarifying or managing customer expectations
because we are trying to do something different? And what would that
something different be?
Qualified information? Selected information? "Authorized" information?
Steven L. Carr
Bibliographic Services Manager
ARLINGTON COUNTY LIBRARY
1015 North Quincy Street
Arlington, VA 22201
703-228-5972
scarr2_at_arlingtonva.us
Received on Thu Jun 08 2006 - 07:39:27 EDT