When the University of Texas Libraries LibQual survey of 2005 indicated that customer service across the organization could be enhanced, planning to improve the quality of service for both internal and external customers began immediately.
Steps were initiated to develop a library-wide customer service training program. This included discussions of the cultural change required, important issues to consider when planning customer service programs in academic libraries and the content of the customer service education program that was ultimately delivered to both professional and classified staff throughout the organization.
Elida Lee, University of Texas Human Resources, served as team facilitator. Team members included UT Libraries staff members: Hugh Baxter, Boris Brodsky, Jan Haney, Cynthia Ivey, Missy Nelson, Kim Wallace and Laura Young. In developing the program over a period of four months during the late spring and early summer of 2005, the trainers met with each department to gather information on internal and external customers, customer complaints, type of training required and how customer service is integrated into the annual performance evaluation process. Based on this information, the team established customer service guidelines for the UT libraries and designed a training program around the guidelines.
Over a period of six weeks during the summer 2005, 292 library staff successfully completed the program with a participation rate of 98%. UT Libraries is committed to continually improving customer service to the UT community and beyond.
The customer service training was one step in a continuing effort to improve library services. The customer service team, reporting to Kay Sewell, Associate Director, will offer the customer service training program with designated training dates already established throughout the new fiscal year.
