Kate Zabriskie said, "The customer's perception is your reality." This quote is simple yet powerful. If customers, or library users in our case, have a certain perception or opinion, we cannot simply shrug this off as ignorance or indifference. We must be both reactive and proactive to avoid these impressions. In a period of time where no portion of the library budget seems to be sacred, we must deliver excellent customer service to our library users. We must be diligent and proactive about knowing what our library users need and want. Related to this, Steve Jobs said, "Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need well before they realize it themselves." In most cases, successful customer service strategies transcend one industry to another. We as librarians can learn from the entire customer service spectrum. This presentation will attempt to discuss notable customer service qualities, customer service deficiencies, and discuss how these can help improve service at our individual libraries.
