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Date:         Mon, 5 Oct 1992 10:21:51 -0500
              <CIRCPLUS@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         Loretta Merlo <Loretta_Merlo@QMCUMC.MAIL.CORNELL.EDU>
Subject:      self service vs. great service

  I know I'm behind in my reading, but I did want to comment on the self
service checkout topic. This is a topic which came up on a task force (LIS) I
was a member of and I have some very strong feelings on the topic. First of
all, despite the fact that people think, and may even say, that they want self
service checkouts, I don't believe they really do. I think that what people
really want is excellent personal service. When they don't get that, they
figure, 'why not do it myself?' or even, 'I may as well do it myself'.
  I think there are plenty of examples to support my theory. All the readings
I've done on 'customer service' issues quote time and time again the success
of companies like Norstroms, for instance, which has had a staggering increase
in sales and is growing despite the recession. The store specializes in
personal service. They practically doubled the average number of staff on
their selling floors compared to other comparable stores, and they give other
kinds of specialized service-- each sales person keeps a diary of customers
with their names and sizes, things like that. One story was incredible:
somehow, the people at Norstroms had screwed up and didn't have a suit altered
in time for someone's trip. The guy left without it, and when he arrived at
his hotel, he was told there was a FedEx package for him. Inside was his suit,
a new shirt and tie, and an apology.
  We all should take heed from this store's success. I'm sure that if each
morning my staff called every patron with an overdue book on the day's overdue
list, and, instead of sending an overdue notice, asked that patron if they
wished to renew by phone, patrons would LOVE it. I'm also sure that if I got
an extra person during the day, which I've requested for 3 years now, and that
person was available to go down into the stacks with patrons who can't find
things (something we do only when we can), patrons would love it also- and
believe me, they would NEVER want self service anything.
  I also believe that administrators who want self service checkouts want to
reduce staff overhead-- period. They can call it what they want, but that's
what they really want. What they don't want is all the hassles of dealing with
patrons and staff interactions; problems like the ones we have been discussing.
 I also agree that having a self service situation invites theft. I also think
it invites error. I have to work very hard with some trainees to get them to
read the screen during transactions at the desk. They think they have renewed
an item or charged out and they haven't- it says they haven't on the screen,
but they neglected to read it. Eventually (hopefully) they learn how to read
the screen. What about inexperience patrons? Why do we think they will read
the screen? How well do your barcode readers work? Our really good ones work
maybe 80% of the time on the first try. Sometimes staff members don't realize
that it hasn't read the barcode correctly. Sometimes staff members accidently
attribute a loan to the last person whose record was on the screen, instead of
the patron who is actually charging it out. Seems likely a patron might do the
same.
   I'm not sure I was able to convince the people on my task force completely.
Many libraries still want this function developed. Here, we intend to use the
renew function for patrons who are off site and are using our dial-up access
service, atb least as long as I'm in charge of Circulation. Otherwise, we're
not using any other self service functions, even if they are developed. In the
meantime, I seek to convert all nonbelievers--LMERLO
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU