The term “customer service” is most readily associated with retail environments, but is your library really so different? Every time a member of your community interacts with your library, you have the opportunity to promote your programs, create memorable experiences and foster loyalty through superior service. 

Co-presented by a communications professional and three librarians, this workshop will help you and your front-line staff develop the skills and strategies to effectively interact with a variety of patron personalities and show you how to apply those newly-acquired tools to real library situations. By adopting a proactive versus reactive approach, you can turn complaints into opportunities and patrons into your community engagement secret weapon with positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Schedule

9:00 - 9:30 a.m.               
Registration and Coffee

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.    
Turning Difficult Situations into Opportunities
Handling difficult patron requests and demands is stressful.  Learn how to effectively deal with challenging patrons, communicate effectively and work together to increase efficiency.  This training provides participants with effective skills to increase confidence and ability to deal with service challenges in order to provide exceptional service skills to all internal and external customers.

This highly interactive session helps participants understand how to handle difficult situations and communicate more effectively.  This program will also include skill practice and an experiential activity to provide teambuilding and hands-on learning opportunities.
Cindy Jeanguenat, Michigan Business Consultants

12:30 - 1:15 p.m.              
Lunch

1:15 - 3:00 p.m.               
PUBLIC is the Keyword!
Sometimes public library employees forget they are serving the public. Customer service is paramount to not only being a relevant library, but also a healthy organization. Learn about how the Kalamazoo Public Library works towards exceptional customer service by using a one point service model.
Kevin King, Kalamazoo Public Library; Matt Smith, Kalamazoo Public Library

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.               
Break

3:15 - 4:15 p.m.               
The True Facts:  Tales, Wails and Life Lessons
An honest look at two decades in public service from a “library guy” who started as a volunteer in the trenches and turned his experience into a career managing a large county library system branch.  Explore why giving outstanding customer service begins with the seemingly simple, but often forgotten notion of giving outstanding colleague service and learn the power of the phrase “it’s almost like we know what we’re doing!”  
Bill Reiser, Monroe County Library System        

4:15 p.m.                      
​Wrap Up  

Registration Rates

Early Bird Registration Deadline: April 17, 2015

*subject to space limitations

In order to qualify for member rates, attendees must hold current individual MLA membership. Organizational membership does not apply. For more information about MLA individual and organizational membership, please visit Membership Value and Benefits.

 *This program is not sponsored by Capital Area District Library