Customer Service
Customer service. Really, this is ALL we have to offer. In Library Service Surveys, we consistently get good ratings on this! So, how do we keep that kind of score and continue to provide the best customer service possible? Read on and find out.
Greeting Patrons: The First Encounter
- Please dress appropriately for a work situation. This does not mean white gloves and high heels, just something you would wear to work elsewhere.(Unless that would be the pool....)
- Glance up when people come in.
- Make eye contact.
- Greet them with a smile.
- Appear available even if you’re working on something at the desk.
- Ask them if there is anything you can do to help or if they need anything. Please do not wait for them to ask YOU something!
- Please do not wear headphones or earbuds at the desk. It implies that you are unapproachable.
- When you see someone at the GIL lookup station, ask them if they’re finding what they need.
- When helping a patron find a book, ask if they need help using GIL and
- Go with them and explain what you’re doing.
- After they have the call number, ask them if they need help finding the copy. If possible, go with them and please do not just point.(In Library School they told us there are three kinds of librarians-- "setters", pointers & retrievers. Here, we're retrievers.)
- Know our CML site and the Libraries’ Homepage.
- Spend time on the CML site. Poke around on it to discover things and learn your way around. This sounds casual, but it is very important.
- On the CML site, you should especially be able to show them our list of “Materials by Category”. This is where you’ll find a list of beginning books, books on holidays, poetry, etc. and the searches are pre-made. These are automatically updated when a new title that fits in the category is ordered.
- On the Libraries' Homepage, you should know
- The web address
- How to find My Account info for patrons
- How to find Reserves (from the patron view)
- Where to find a quick citation style guide
- GIL Express, Interlibrary Loan, Deliveries & Repo Requests and KNOW THE DIFFERENCE AND HOW TO HELP PATRONS MAKE REQUESTS
- How to find subject guides
- Where the links are to Endnote & RefWorks and where patrons can get help with these
- How to find different departments in the Libraries
- How to help patrons find research help
- GIL-Find
- You should be able to direct people and be able to
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- Help patrons find books by author/title/keyword.
- Help patrons limit titles to what we have in the CML
- Help patrons sort results (by date/by author/by title)
- Save their results--email/make a list/send to Endnote or RefWorks
- For this information, you are only expected to be able to send to these citation managers, not have the expertise to help patrons with the actual USE of any of these products. Refer patrons back to the Citation Management Page for links to help requests & training requests.
- Request items from the Repository
- Request delivery from on-campus libraries
- Use GIL Express
- GALILEO
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- Especially be able to show patrons ERIC, Education Research Complete & the big favorite with Language & Literacy, Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database.For all of these, you should be able to
- Find them, and
- Be able to look for articles or materials, as appropriate
- Limit to scholarly materials &
- Limit by date.
- You should also be able to show people how to save what they find
- And how to send to Endnote or RefWorks.
If a patron asks you a question and you do not have an answer, please do not let the conversation end with “I don’t know”. Instead, please add “….but let me find someone who does.”
Please don’t eat at the desk. Use the desk beside the hold shelf for your meal, please.
- Keep the Circulation Desk tidy.
- Pick up scraps of paper
- Make sure the pencil cups and scratch paper holders are full
- Evenings & weekends, make use of Main Reference and/or Main Circulation. You should be able look up Libraries staff by name or department. Look at "About" on the LIbraries' Homepage to get started.
- Be able to look up information for COE departments. Learn the url: https://coe.uga.edu/
Phone Etiquette
The CML phone is also Jason's office phone. Please be aware that he may be on the phone when you are helping a patron and may need to call to the Main Library.
- Please answer the phone with "Good [time of day], Curriculum Materials Library. How may I help you?" Please don't answer with CML as most callers may not recognize that name.
- Transferring calls: Sometimes callers need to speak to someone else. Transfer their calls by--
- Telling the caller you are transferring a call.
- Tell them to which office you are transferring them and also be certain to give them the complete phone number, in case you are cut off.
- We can only transfer calls on campus.
- Click the hang-up button QUICKLY. Say to yourself "Down.Up."
- You'll hear a series of beeps. This means that step one was successful.
- Dial the transfer number. For campus numbers with the 542 exchange, you can just dial 2-xxxx. For 583 exchanges, dial 3-xxxx.
- Stay on the line until the "transferree" answers. Tell that person that you are calling from the Curriculum Materials Library and you are transferring a call.
- Click the hang up button QUICKLY. The "quick" part is the key. Now, all three of you should be on the line. Tell caller #1 that the other party is on the line and hang up.
- Celebrate a successful transfer.
April 2019
