Customer Service Programs
All programs are customized to fit your library or organization's particular needs, goals and audience.
Workshops are available virtually or in-person
UPDATE: Elements of the 2021 Workshop/Webinar below have now been incorporated into my basic customer workshop " I Love This Place: Practical Lessons in Customer Service.'' See below. I leave this description and title here as an example of how I constantly adapt, change and update my workshops.
“I Love My Library!” What the Pandemic Has Taught Us About Customer Service
A different version of my "I Love This Place!: Practical Lessons in Customer Service" workshop. In addition to teaching some basic customer service, this workshop explores the impact of the pandemic on how libraries interact with and deliver services to customers.
Audience: Primary target audience is public library staff
“I Love My Library!” is what we want our patrons to say when they use our library and its services. Delivering great service while navigating the restrictions and realities of a pandemic has forced libraries to rapidly change. This program presents the basic elements of excellent customer service and how they help us continue to adapt and change, as we create and provide services in our ever evolving world. We will focus on how these elements apply to the lessons we have learned during this pandemic and how our libraries will move forward. Great service is not only delivered by staff to the public. Perhaps even more importantly, it’s used to support and communicate with each other.
Objectives: After this program, participants will be able to:
Describe the elements of good customer service
Apply behaviors that ensure good customer service
Use effective communication techniques
Adapt and change to create new services
Length: Webinar - Delivered on your library's virtual meeting software as a webinar (90 minutes) or in your library as in-person workshop (3 hours).
Training Techniques & Activities Available: Trainer presentation, handouts
“I Love This Place!” Practical Lessons in Customer Service
Audience: Staff in all departments needing a basic or a refresher course on customer service skills
This workshop now incorporates the lessons we learned about customer service during the pandemic.
Satisfied customers are essential to the success of any organization. The sole reason your organization exists is to provide quality services to those that it is your mission to serve. If customers do not find what they need and do not receive courteous service, why should they keep coming to you? This program identifies behaviors that promote good customer service, not only to your external customers, but internally between all staff. After all, isn’t cooperation and respect for all the keystone to a thriving organization?
Length:
3 hours for in-person: (Can be shorter. The amount of content and activities are adjusted accordingly.)
90 minutes for virtual: (The amount of content and activities are adjusted accordingly.)
Objectives: By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
Describe good customer service
Apply behaviors that ensure good customer service
Apply strategies to ensure a customer focused organization
Among the Training Techniques & Activities Available: Trainer presentation, small group discussion/activities/role plays, group discussion, case studies, written exercises, handouts
Customer Service from the Supervisor’s Point of View
Delivering great customer service consistently in an organization or business is not achieved by accident. It needs nurturing and teamwork. This workshop concentrates on thinking and talking about how, as a leader in your organization, it is your responsibility to:
Guide your employees to provide great customer service
Help develop your organization’s culture of delivering customer service excellence
Objectives: By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
Describe good customer service
Promote its value to your staff
Identify good organizational customer service practices
Implement behaviors that ensure good service
Employ strategies for coping with difficult situations
Training Techniques & Activities Available: Trainer presentation, small group activities, group discussion, case studies, written exercises, handouts
Length: 3 hours (Can be less. The content and activities are adjusted accordingly.)
Audience: Staff currently acting in a supervisory capacity
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The webinar below is now archived, but I leave it here as an example of how my customer service workshops are continually adapted to reflect changing services and needs.
Continually Updated Webinar for 2020!
"Connecting and Communicating While Staying Safe During a Pandemic"
Originally created and presented as 2 sessions of a spring 2020 webinar for MentorNJ.
This is now constantly updated to reflect current library service. It can be completely adapted to the specific goals and objectives of any organization.
Delivered on your library's virtual meeting software
“I Love This Place!” is what we want our patrons to say when they use library services. The COVID-19 crisis is forcing individuals and libraries to rapidly change how they live and work. Everything looks vastly different now. Delivering great service while navigating the restrictions and realities of serving library patrons during a pandemic is and will be an ongoing challenge for a long time. This program will focus on what staff is confronting now in COVID related customer service and personal safety. We will discuss the basic elements of great customer service and how these can help guide us as we provide changed services in our new world. Great service is not only delivered by staff to the public. Perhaps even more importantly, it’s how we work and communicate with each other.
Objectives: After this program, participants will be able to:
Describe the elements of good customer service
Apply behaviors that ensure good customer service
Use effective communication techniques, including listening skills
Share ideas and strategies
NOTE: This program is about applying the principles of good customer service in the new environment we now work. It will not cover legal issues, personnel issues, or health/sanitation procedures in any detail.
Length: Webinar - 1.5 hours
Training Techniques & Activities Available: Trainer presentation, handouts
Audience: Primary target audience is public library staff