E-Learning for Libraries

Sparkle Service E-Learning

 

Testimonial Auburn Library:

Customer Service is a primary component of our service, and receiving regular high quality training allows our staff to maintain their ‘edge’. Having Carol train us in Customer Service via Video Conference every month keeps Customer Service at the forefront of our staffs minds, and improves their skills. Carol has almost become like a member of staff (who gives homework), and all staff relate well to her. The training is in short manageable chunks and for those on night shift, or on leave, the sessions are recorded so no one has to miss out. Carol has been training our staff for a year now and has had a noticeable impact.   Laurence McDonnell

 

Suggested Sessions:

Module 1:Preparing to Sparkle the Library.

Pre work: Prior to this workshop participants will be invited to make a list of:

• What customers most appreciate from Service Providers and the Library.
• What it means to Sparkle in the Library.
• What they would like to improve on or further develop in their role as a service provider.

Session content:

• Welcome to Sparkle Service Strategies, review all future sessions, how the modules will be presented and the value of pre and post work.
• Introduction to customer service excellence.
• Review some of the personal goals from participants and why having goals helps us achieve results at work and gives us more control in our lives generally.
• Identify internal and external customers and the importance of providing Sparkle Service to colleagues.
• Discuss what it means to serve customers in relation to the emotional and business model.
• Introduce “The Emotional and Business Model”. Link to what customers appreciate and expect from the library and what it means to Sparkle in the Library.
• Seven tips to enjoying a Sparkle Attitude.

Post work: Note any examples of Sparkle Service behaviours you observe your colleagues or did yourself and any resulting outcomes that came from the behaviour.

Next session pre work: Please prepare a list of strategies you consciously use to build rapport with internal and external customers. Please note two or three different ways in which you greet customers.

Module 2: Customer Service Skills – Build Rapport – Greetings – Customer Touch.

Review post work: Discuss observations of Sparkle Service behaviours and the results that came from those behaviours.

Pre work: Discuss list of strategies you consciously use to build rapport with internal and external customers. Please note two or three different ways in which you greet customers.

Session Content:

• Overview Customer Service Skills: Review all skills to be covered in the future programs.
• Rapport Building Skills: link to pre work – cover universal rapport building skills such as listening respect and mirroring.
• Greeting customers: discuss the different ways in which we greet customers and how to use the emotional and business model to make greetings more positive and memorable.
• Customer Touch: The importance of connecting with customers in the library and the different ways to make them feel acknowledged.
• Discuss the 5 metre rule for acknowledging customers.

Post work: Identify three different strategies you consciously used to build rapport with customers during the month.

Next session pre work: Please prepare a list of seven questions you commonly use in the library.

Module 3: Customer Service Skills – Questioning Skills – Presenting Information.

Review post work: Discuss what strategies were used to build rapport and any challenges experienced in connecting with customers and greetings.

Pre work: Discuss list of seven questions you commonly use in the library.

Session Content:

• Discuss open and closed questions – review the lists of questions – do the SECRET activity.
• Clarifying questions
• Sweeper Questions
• Presenting information – Verbal bullets converted to verbal magic exercise.

Post work: Please note down three open questions you consciously used when serving customers.

Next session pre work: Please list the three top reasons why being an active listener is important in your role in the library and three things you consciously do to actively listen to customers.

Module 4: Customer Service Skills – Active Listening Skills – Wrap Up Conversation.

Review post work: Discuss the open questions that were consciously used when serving customers.

Pre work: Please list the three top reasons why being an active listener is important in your role in the library and three things you consciously do to actively listen to customers.

Session Content:

• Identify benefits to staff for being active listeners.
• Listening distractions.
• Strategies for being an active listener.
• How to show the customer you are listening.
• Wrap up conversation – Discuss how to wrap up and leave best possible impression with customer.

Pre work: Prepare three examples of bad news you sometimes have to give to customers and one full example of what you say when you give the customer the bad news.

Please note down how you respectfully let customers know that you are unable to keep chatting with them.

Post work: Please observe and make notes on what you and others do to show you are actively listening.

Module 5: Customer Service Skills – Presenting Bad News – Managing Customers Who Love to Talk.

Review post work: Please observe and make notes on what you and others do to show you are actively listening.

Pre work: Please note down three examples of bad news you sometimes have to give to customers and one full example of what you say when you give the customer the bad news.

Please note down how you respectfully let customers know you are unable to keep chatting with them.

Session Content:

• Discuss examples of bad news and how staff currently present bad news to customers.
• Presenting bad news strategy and practice.
• Discuss current methods of managing customers who love to talk then a strategy plus practice.

Post work: Please note any successful examples of presenting bad news and managing customers who love to talk that stand out for you.

Next session pre work: Please note down the typical causes that make your customers angry, distressed or upset.

Module 6: Managing Distressed Customers – Staying Resourceful – PAUSE

Review post work: Discuss successful examples of presenting bad news and managing customers who love to talk that stand out for you.

Pre work: Please note the typical causes that make your customers angry, distressed or upset.

Session Content:

• Discuss the value of customers bringing their complaints to you.
• Review what causes customers to feel distressed from the pre work.
• Complete assessment exercise.
• How to stay in a resourceful state when supporting an angry or distressed customer.
• True causes of bad behaviour.
• PAUSE Strategy – Pause – Acknowledge – Understand – Solution – Else.
• Setting Boundaries for abusive customers

Pre work: Please complete the personality profile.

Post work: Please note any successful examples of using the PAUSE strategy and what strategies you employed to stay in a resourceful state when dealing with a difficult person or situation.

Module 7A: Personality Profiling – Power – Popular – Pleaser – Perfectionist

Pre work: Please complete the personality profile.

Review post work: Discuss successful examples of using the PAUSE strategy and strategies employed to stay in a resourceful state when dealing with a difficult person or situation.

Session Content:

• Present the four personalities. Power – Popular – Pleaser – Perfectionist.
• Review profiles.
• How to serve and meet the communication needs of each style.
• Do learning and integration exercises.

Post work: Please note any situations where you consciously modified your behaviour to meet the specific personality needs of your customers.

OR

 

Module 7B: Promoting Library Services

Pre work: Please make a list of the library services.

Review post work: Discuss situations where you consciously modified your behaviour to meet the specific personalities needs of customers.

Session Content:

• Overview of skills required to promote library services and refer to a particular person.
• Review pre work list of services.
• Exercise: identify customer cues that alert staff members that a customer may be interested in a particular service.
• Process for recommending and referring services in a way that is more compelling and interesting for customers.
• Practice making a recommendation or referral.

At the completion of this session, Service providers will appreciate the importance of promoting the Libraries services and feel a greater sense of confidence when they approach customers to open up the conversation.

 

Testimonial Auburn Library:

The Customer Service training is delivered in small doses and staff have time to work on aspects of it between sessions. What would normally be covered in one day is spread out over weeks, allowing time for revision and reflection. The delivery by videoconference is surprisingly engaging and in combination with the workbooks is delivered in a way that is enjoyed by staff. Annetta

Investment: The financial investment for each session is $450. The fee includes preparation of the slides with updates from pre and post work, delivery of the session via the web and the work book.

Total fee for eight sessions is $3600.

Check out the Sparkle Library Managers as Coaches program at HERE.