Customer Service Satisfaction at the University of London Library - Essay Example

Customer Service Satisfaction at the University of London Library Introduction According to Gibson et al (1997, p. 214), the key to an organisation’s success lies in its ability to provide customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers account for the repeat business that organisations need to not only survive, but also to thrive. Academic libraries, like other service organisations’ business are faced with an increasingly competitive environment. It is therefore important that the management of academic libraries understand that successful service organisations like successful product oriented firms, must understand the way the customer goes about making a decision to purchase a service, how quality is evaluated, and in what ways a company can present a “differential advantage” relative to the competition (Berkowitz et al. 1997, p. 352). According to Quinn (2007) in recent times the educational community, generally and the library profession in particular have placed increasing emphasis on the service quality model. This model has customer satisfaction as its primary objective as traditional measures of academic library quality such as collection size becomes secondary. In assessing service quality the customer compares expectations about the service offered to actual experience with the service. Gap analysis is a tool that is used to identify the differences (gap) between what is expected and what is experienced. According to Berkowitz et al (1997, p.353) this type of analysis requires consumers to assess their expectations and experiences on dimensions of service quality as described in the table that follows. Dimension Definition Reliability Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Tangibles Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials. Responsiveness Willingness to assist customers and provide prompt and efficient service Assurance Knowledge and courtesy of employee and their ability to convey trust and confidence to customers Empathy Caring, individualised attention that is provided to customers. Table 1 – Dimensions of Service Quality Adapted from Marketing 5th Edition – Berkowitz et al (1997, p. 353) Dimensions of service Quality in Academic Libraries In the context of service quality and customer satisfaction, of importance, is the need to look at the service that the library provides in order to see how it can fulfil expectations. The role of the library is to provide resource materials for its customers. But, who exactly are these customers? They are students, administrators, faculty members and the general public. Reliability In terms of reliability the library must be able to provide the student with a book, journal or other resource material which will enable the completion of a required task. While the librarian is expected to provide the service in a timely manner, there is the need for the student to exercise some skills in how to access required materials to carry out his or her role. The librarian however, is available to provide some guidance but the student independence is of extreme importance in the development of worthwhile skills which will be required in the future. The student or faculty member will need, at some point in time, the necessary guidance from the librarian, who possess the necessary skills and experience, and who will be able to provide information and resources that will be useful in carrying out the required task in a timely manner. Tangibles While the aesthetics of the environment is of extreme importance, it is not very important in a non-profit making environment as it is in a profit making organisation. However, the library as a facility for research and a learning environment should provide a measure of relaxation and comfort that is conducive to studying. The emphasis is on providing an environment that will allow for the thought process to work effectively and efficiently. The environment for reading therefore needs to be quiet and secluded from all other activities that may lead to unnecessary distractions. This will allow customers to achieve their goals in an environment that is conducive to learning. It is also important that equipment, personnel and communication materials are in place that will allow students and faculty members to manage their time effectively between research and classes. Time is short and limited and so its maximisation is of extreme importance. Responsiveness Responsiveness is one of the key dimensions of service quality in any service, and so it is in a library, whether it is academic or public. Students and faculty members, for the most part do not have the time to sit around waiting to get the information they need. Time is of the essence in this type of setting and so prompt and efficient service is of significance. To this end, some library service provides online chat service that facilitates this dimension of service quality. Some academic libraries do not currently have this facility and in the interest of service quality management needs to put the necessary technology in place to facilitate and improve this dimension. Assurance Knowledge about the product or service that is being offered is of extreme importance. The way in which the service is delivered is of even more importance. Library personnel, especially those at the reference desk and in online chat service need to be courteous. They need to gain the trust and confidence of the users. This is only possible when there is the appearance of interest and a caring attitude towards them and the goals they wish to achieve from using the services that the library provides. Empathy Library users want to be dealt with on a personalised basis. This is the definitive factor of service. A caring attitude and a willingness to demonstrate the use of the various facilities will facilitate their independence and their growth in the long run. In assessing a library, these are some of the factors that are considered using the SERVQUAL model. Scenario at University of London Library The University of London Library serves students, faculty and a wide range of other users. The library is opened from Mondays to Thursdays between 9:00am and 21:00, on Fridays from 9:00am to 18:30pm and on Saturdays between 9:45am and 17:30pm. However, it is closed on Sundays and Public Holidays and operates from 9:30 to 18:00pm during the summer vacation period. On its website, it is of note that because of the nature of the building, the following procedures operates throughout the year. The last stack of books are fetched one and a half (1½) hour before closure. However, this is extended to two hours during vacation time special collections are cleared 15 minutes prior to closure photocopying facilities close 15 minutes prior to closure Reading rooms on the 4th floor close ten minutes prior to closure. One of the expectations that customers have is to have access to a facility such as an academic library at times that are considered inconvenient. The library at University of London opens in prime time and basically closes in prime time. Even though, there is an indication that it closes 21:00 Mondays to Thursday, 18:30 on Fridays and 17:30 on Saturdays, it is very clear that it is closed 1 ½ hour before the specified closing hours, as some of the main services cannot be accessed after 19:30, 17:00 and 16:00 hours respectively, for each of the periods/days indicated. For those who attend the University on a full-time basis it is very inconvenient and is even more inconvenient for part-time evening students. Not everyone will have the time to get on the internet to request books and other materials before hand and for that reason it does not facilitate the varying needs of its users. Additionally, some of the materials are for reference purposes only and cannot be taken out of the library. This means that users need to have adequate time to utilise resources like these during opening hours. By any standard, both the time of opening and closing is ridiculous and is not facilitative of fulfilling a service or satisfying the users of the library. So, from the perspective of service quality and customer satisfaction, this is a sore point. It is the perception of library users that the service provided will facilitate their varied needs. There is the expectation that the service will be provided 24 hours a day, even on a limited basis. Users want to know that they can relax without having to worry about the library being closed before they can accomplish their goals. Closing times provide only discomfort and add significantly to any other problems faced by the user in accessing quality customer service. The needs of users have to be taken into consideration if it is truly a service that is being provided to cater to their academic needs. If the resources could be accessed electronically from the University’s library then there would not be any problems in terms of accessing resources. Furthermore, the library provides a facility in which students and other users can find a comfortable place to carry out research and if they are deprived of this, their academic achievements may be affected. Libraries like these need to fulfil their mandate to their various stakeholders, if they want to continue to be of service to users. Faculty members are busy marking papers and preparing for lecturers during prime time. They need to be allowed time to keep abreast of what is happening in their area of interest so that they are not left behind in their quest for new and improved knowledge. They need to be allowed the opportunity to keep abreast with what is happening in their field. Only then can they serve the students to whom they must impart knowledge and provide guidance in this changing environment. Conclusion and Recommendations There is no doubt that the University of London Library has some service quality and customer satisfaction issues that needs to be dealt with urgently. In order to make its services more convenient and accessible to students, faculty members and other users the management of the University of London Library may consider opening 24 hours for at least one day during each week. It could also seek to gain feedback from its users by carrying out a customer satisfaction survey. This will provide them with information on the problems being encountered by their users and may provide them with the necessary impetus to find solutions that are beneficial to both parties. University of London Library should seek to use other libraries that are providing an acceptable level of service quality as a benchmark to improve its services and facilities. The University of London Library needs to establish a service blueprint which provides sufficient details so that the service can be implemented and carefully maintained. Blueprinting is described as the mapping out of a service journey by identifying the processes that constitute the service. All possible failure points are isolated and the time frame for the journey is established (Schott 2009). According to Schott (2009) the greatest hurdle in blueprinting revolves around ways of depicting services in a holistic way. Academic libraries are faced with two major threats. According to Cullen (2001), they are: a global digital environment; and an increase in the level of competition. Improvement in the quality of service that is provided is essential if the University of London Library wishes to maintain itself as a viable service entity that meets and surpasses the expectations of its users. References Berkowitz, E. N., Kerin, R. A., Hartley, S.W. and Rudelius, W. (1997). Marketing. 5th ed. USA: Irwin McGraw-Hill Cullen, R (2001). Perspectives on User Satisfaction Surveys – Academia Libraries. Library Trends. Spring 2001 Gibson, J.L., Ivancevich, J.M. and Donnelly, J.H. (1997). Organizations: Behaviour, Structure, Process. 9th ed. USA: Irwin. Quinn, B.A. (2007). Adapting Service Quality Concepts to Academic Libraries. Texas University. Retrieved: http://thinktech.lib.ttu.edu/bitstream/handle/2346/503/fulltext.pdf?sequence=1 Last accessed 2ndApr 2011 Schott, J. (2009). Service Blueprint. Retrieved: http://www.service-design-network.org/content/service-blueprint. Last accessed 2nd Apr 2011 Read More