Overdeliver
In Seth Godin’s recent post, Bowling 300, he talks about the impossibility of perfect achievement in service fields, but offers advice for coming close. I love his suggestion: overdeliver.
Forget perfection, if public libraries do anything right, our customers are generally amazed. How did the standards get so low? Once during a film program at my library, we encountered technical difficulties and could not screen the film. With no backup plan, we had to pull the plug on the program.
What was the reaction of the patrons? No one seemed at all surprised. They just shrugged and shuffled out the door.
This really bothered me. Sure, things go wrong, but why can’t we raise the bar in public libraries and live up to higher standards?
What would happen if we went above and beyond in any area of library service? Exactly what Godin suggests: our patrons would leave excited and eager to talk about our service and spread our message to family and friends.
Here are some ideas for overdelivering at the library:
- Don’t just point, walk your patrons to the resources they need. If you have a line of customers and must point, then follow up with those patrons later to make sure they found the information they were searching for.
- Create an exceptional environment. Do something unexpected! Pick up some fresh snacks from your farmer’s market and provide a tasty, local snack at your next program. Make sure your patrons are comfortable – host your next public event as if you’re hosting a party.
- Take advantage of reference questions and use this opportunity to pitch other services. If you’re answering a computer question, tell the patrons about books, periodicals, and your computer classes. Is the patron looking for business books? After you show them print materials, then pitch your business workshops and electronic databases.
- Give patrons more then they asked for. Show patrons the quickest route to their destination, then show them all the alternative routes too. Go above and beyond. Treat each interaction as a chance to impress!
I know, the standards are pretty low. But now you have the opportunity to go out and surprise someone. Don’t just go through the motions – be excited and exceed expectations. Overdeliver!
