Most of the workgroups have completed their tasks and have submitted their reports to the Alignment Project Committee for consideration. Before the APC begins to use these recommendations, we wanted to give all staff the opportunity to review them and provide feedback and comments. You may recall that the Access & Engagement Workgroup was asked to:
- Collect and analyze the ideas presented for utilizing access and engagement staff on the staff/supervisor alignment forum.
- Develop new ideas for how access/engagement staff can best be utilized to increase market penetration and member retention, and help the system advance its ten initiatives in Library Unbound.
- Discuss the desk schedule (or non-desk schedule) for staff. What will it look like? How will we serve people? Will staff be responsible for staffing all service desks in a building? These are just some examples of questions you might considering answering.
- Define how we are going to provide excellent customer service using this Engagement/Access model.
- Provide ideas for how staff will spend their time.
The Access & Engagement Workgroup's report is here.
The APC would like to thank the Access & Engagement Workgroup for its efforts to create meaningful and actionable results in such a short time -- Well Done!
Please post your comments below. Thanks.
I have been thinking about this and conferring with my coworkers. I believe that we as a library will be doing our members a distafication by not having the desk manned. I believe that getting rid of that one central point where members can ask for help with someone readliy available and someone that is casually keeping an eye out for members that might come up is a poor practice of our core values, especially Library Members First. I can see the argument that when we are roving it will provide the member almost immediate help, but it makes me feel like I am in a more retail setting. I understand that a lot of thought as gone into this but I feel like if we are to change that this will not help with member retention.
Thank you.
Hi, Sarah.
I hope to assuage your fears by highlighting some of the specifics in the Access & Engagement Workgroup's proposal. If you take a look at the bottom of page 8 in the proposal you will see, "The desk is a tool for providing service and will not necessarily be staffed at all times. Since all libraries currently have desks that serve as visual 'get help here' cues for members, staff should maintain open lines of sight to the desk."
This shouldn't be interpreted as roving shifts replacing desk shifts completely. As the workgroup mentioned, "...staff should maintain open lines of sight to the desk." The implied message there is that even while staff are roving the floor they need to keep an eye on the desk as an obvious gathering and meeting point for staff and members. If roving staff saw someone at the desk, they would of course be expected to interrupt their circumambulation (a roving shift is a ritual, right?) to help the member.
I hope this helps!
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your feedback! Bobby did a great job highlighting some language from the proposal that hopefully addresses your concern.
To elaborate a bit further, the foundation of roving/zone reference is to provide members with assistance at their point of need. Sometimes that will be at the desk, and sometimes that will elsewhere on the public floor. With a desk-based service model and schedule, we mostly wait for members to approach the desk with their questions/needs. With a zone-based service model and schedule, staff have a presence throughout the building and take the opportunity to proactively approach members.
Using a medium-size library as an example, with a desk-based service model we would frequently staff 1-2 Associates/Librarians and 1 PCS at the desk during peak times. With a zone-based service model we can staff 1 Engagement Specialist/Librarian near the desk and 1 Engagement Specialist/Librarian elsewhere on the public floor (particularly where it is busy). Any member that approaches the desk should get immediate assistance, but the goal is for us to be where they need us so they aren’t ever really having to search for assistance. That isn’t to imply we’re advocating to shopper-stalk our members, more that we will make an initial warm greeting and then will be present throughout the building so that they don’t have to travel far to get what they are looking for.
To use a specific example, think about a member going to the library with their kiddo after school and walking into the children’s area to look for a book listed as "juvenile non-fiction" and not being able to find it. With a desk-based service model the member would have to walk up to the desk to get assistance and then over to adult non-fiction to find the material they were looking for. With a zone-based service model, there would be a staff member in the children’s area (peak time staffing) that could help at their point of need. That staff member would have an iPad with them and could look up exactly what the member needed and walk them over to the section it was in.
Ultimately, the intent with zone-based service is to schedule in a way that positions staff to better assist our members throughout the library.
Again, thank you for the question Sarah! If this doesn’t answer your question fully or address your concern, please let me know.
Thanks!
Personally, I don't think this would be nearly as effective. When I am out and about, be it in a library or a store, I don't approach empty desks. If there is an empty customer service desk, I get irritated, walk away, and try and find someone who works there. Using this system, I and people like me would already be a little annoyed before ever coming into contact with an employee. This quickly lays the foundation for a negative experience. Also, I don't interrupt employees on the floor when they're doing things. Whether it's a menial task or not, I've just never been comfortable with asking someone for help if they're preoccupied. If I saw someone doing any work in the collection - shifting, straightening, shelving, whatever - I would spend a while longer trying to figure it out for myself rather than ask them. I also don't like approaching people and asking if they work here. As an aide I can wear my lanyard and have a stack of 12 books in my arms and people still aren't sure whether or not I work here. I know that these are all just my weird personal hang-ups, but if I walked into a library like that I would leave feeling less-than-satisfied with their service, and I know I'm not alone in that. With at least one person always sitting at the desk, I would feel like there is always at least one person who 100% works here and is 100% available for my needs. I'm not against the idea of having roving employees, but I do not agree with the idea of making EVERYONE at the desk rove.
Terra, an empty desk is not necessarily a negative. At The Village, people approach empty desks all the time every day. There will be two circ clerks stationed and the patron will approach the sole empty desk rather than the manned ones. When I worked at a bookstore, people went to the empty customer service desk constantly. They even wondered why no one was there, never considering that the employee was waiting on other customers. We just to need keen awareness. At The Village, we are also planning to keep one person on the desk at all times with others working where needed.
I totally agree with this. How frustrating it is in the retail environment to need help or have a question about finding a product and not being able to find assistance because there is no one at the desk? The desk needs to be manned so that there is always someone available if we want to still provide excellent service. A further point is that at least 50% of the people who come through the door know what they want and how to get it and don't want staff bothering them. When I recently went to Tulsa Central Library, they had staff manned at several desks throughout the first floor waiting to answer any questions. No one greeted me or ask me if I needed help, but staff were clearly visible and available.
I have enjoyed reading the comments and the discussion! With the general concept that there are a certain number of people interacting with members on the public floor, but also a "bullpen" of on-call talent in the back, and also reading the concerns about safety with the cash box, and people's well-understood and general annoyance with unmanned service desks (a feeling I experience every time I visit JC Penney), I am beginning to envision the zone around the main desk having limitations on how far the person manning it can go from it. If a question was more involved, the front zone person would refer it to someone else who wasn't tasked with manning that desk. Or if there were two people in the welcome zone, and it was slow, one of them could provide this more in-depth assistance. This could prove problematic if staffing levels were very low, and it could annoy people to have to wait for backup to arrive, but we could mitigate this. The key would be to continue to provide excellent customer service and be a "bridge" between the other staff member and the customer through communication. I'm fond of the idea of the "concierge" role because they would not only welcome people to the library but deflect some of the backup at the front desk as people gravitate there for answers to all sorts of questions. The concierge could get people connected with staff and pointed in the right direction - as-needed.
That's an interesting anecdote about the Tulsa Library experience. I personally would have been disappointed and surprised not to be acknowledged at all by staff working a number of desks. But that illustrates a deeper issue - trying to find a balance that seeks to serve the spectrum of members in the way that works best for everyone. I think a mix of proactive contact but respect for a member's autonomy could achieve it.
I think Sarah has a great point. We need to ensure that our members are getting assistance the very moment they need it--that's why we're looking to do roving in the first place, after all.
In our desire to do roving, we can't sacrifice that first moment of contact. I really like that the A&E report refers to the 15/5 rule: If a member is within 15 feet of you, you acknowledge their presence, if they come within 5 feet of you, you smile and say hello. I think we should keep that as the first step of the Metro Way, but also add to it. A member should be acknowledged by staff within 5 seconds of entering the library.
I propose that whoever is nearest the entryway be responsible for that acknowledgment, whether it is verbal or just eye contact and a nod. Most of the time, that will be someone at/behind a service desk. Sometimes we will not have someone physically at the desk. In those cases, we should understand and be aware of who holds the responsibility. The acknowledgement should happen regardless of what else you are doing. A verbal acknowledgement has the added benefit of discretely notifying other staff who are not in visual range that a member needs assistance.
For example: Ashley and I are the only two people "on the floor". Because it's just the two of us, we make extra effort to stay near the entryway and checkout area. We maintain high awareness, but we still stay busy tidying bookshelves or replacing display items. A member comes in looking for a specific item. Ashley helps her and leads her to the stacks where that item is. While she is gone, I begin helping another member check out items. A 3rd member enters, but he clearly knows where he is headed, so I simply make eye contact and nod, then return my attention to the member checking out. A 4th member enters, and she hesitates near the check-out area. I say, "Hello ma'am, Thanks for coming in! We will be with you in just a moment." Bobby, who is shelving, overhears this. He understands that I must have said it because there are no staff available that moment, so he stops what he is doing to come help. Once he finishes with that member and ensures that I am free, he returns to shelving.
What do you all think? Does this sound like a good system?
P.S. As I was typing this, I overheard a member say "I'm so glad you are with me" to a staff member who was guiding her through the stacks.
Ben- your example is exactly what the proposal is intending to describe with our new service model! Instead of customer service starting when members approach the desk, customer service is starting the moment a member walks into the library using the METRO way. In the proposal under “The Member Experience” the second line lists “as members enter the library, they will be greeted warmly and proactively by staff”. One of the example zones listed on page nine is a “welcome and check out/in zone” which I would recommend is always staffed. Ben, your example of staff communicating with one another and maintaining building awareness to ensure members are greeted as they enter the library is great. By greeting members as they enter the library and proactively providing assistance, we are less reliant on service desks as visual “get help here” cues. The desk now becomes another tool we use, like databases or the collection, to facilitate member interactions as needed.
Great answer, Ben! This narrative adds a lot of clarity.
First of all, I want to say that I agree with everything that is being said here. I think greeting library members as they walk in is a great idea. In fact, it's something that RE has been doing for a long time now. What I am worried about with not having someone manning the desk and potentially having it left unattended is the money. Are we going to be getting different cash drawers? I know the one here at RE is very old and I would hate for anything to happen when we are away from the desk. I'm sure this has been discussed, I just haven't seen this pop up anywhere yet.
I do not necessarily welcome patrons as they enter, but I consistently thank them as they leave. I want to let them know I appreciated them coming.
As far as the cash drawer, many require numerical passwords. All the ones I used while in the grocery business had this function. If we use these, there is no security worry.
Not every location is like that, I know that at the three locations I have worked at (MC, DC, and NW) that all of the drawers are opened manually. It would have to be an upgrade to our entire system. One that we could benefit from but the way that most desks are set up the cash drawer is not right under, or near the POS.
Not necessarily. We could easily replace the manual pull-out drawer with a simple cash register. There are models that conform to two-pronged outlets, so adding one would not be difficult. I have always thought the no-lock drawer a procedure that became obsolete during the Eisenhower administration.
The one here is definitely manual. We do have a key for it, but it doesn't always work and is troublesome to use. I would hate for library members to have to wait for us to get the register open. I would definitely like to see us update our registers to something more modern, if at all possible. It doesn't have to be anything technologically fancy. Just something that is safer than a button you push to open and gain access (which is what we currently have).
Hi Rena,
Our proposal is really just a starting point. Each location will need to do some research into what will work best for them since we currently have different types of cash drawers and desks. In cases like you have described, I envisioned that the access desk will always have some kind of coverage. When someone walks away, there should be someone nearby to take over watching the desk. We have practiced this at Choctaw by having someone ring a bell when they need to leave the desk so someone can hop into their place and be available. Does that help?
Dana, I'm really glad that you brought up the proposal is a starting point. The workgroup intentionally did not include minimum number of staff for the desk, rather we included minimum staffing of the public floor, because we recognize that each location is unique in it's size, layout, member needs, etc. We also recognize that many libraries are reducing the size/combining desks, so it would be counterproductive to create a "one size fits all" model. Our goal is for managers to work with their staff, using the proposal as a starting point, to develop a schedule that meets the needs of their community and achieves to goals of Library Unbound.
Dana, I agree with you that not always and probably very rarely will the desk ever have a time that the desk will be so short that there will be no one there. I just want us to have a plan in place for those rare times. There are times even now that we do have to ask customers to wait just a moment because we are the only ones on desk and can't go out to the stacks with them or we would be leaving the money unattended. We let them know the situation and tell them that we will be able to go out with them as soon as the next staff member comes up to watch the desk. It's not ideal, but it's the best that we can do without leaving the money unattended.
I get what you're saying with the bell idea. I'm not sure it would go over so well with all our staff members if we rang a bell. But going off of that idea, I think if we carried walkie talkie's (which our branch has some) we can call each other on them and let each other know that we need help.
One of the ideas floated by the Committee was for staff to wear ear pieces, very much like you have seen in retail establishments, to improve ability to communicate while roving the floor. This gets more practical the larger the location, so it wouldn't have to be universal, but strategically adopted. For example, I could see benefit if, at a large library, the "Welcome/Check-Out Zone" has a boundary we'd rather not have staff cross in the interest of not abandoning the desk. If they greet a customer who says, "Could you show me all your books on raising poinsettias year round in a hot house environment, and then all of your books on shipping hot house poinsettias overseas?" the welcome staff member could use their ear piece/mic to get another staff member up to the desk to further assist that customer.
What about our staff members who are hearing impaired, and wear hearing aids?
Hey, Lisa ... Great question! While I wasn't in on the initial conversations about this, I think it would be a good topic for you to research and provide some info back to the group -- maybe see if other libraries or organizations who have implemented these technologies have dealt with the hearing impaired issues, and if so, how? Thanks for raising the question -- I'll look forward to hearing what you find. Thanks again!
--Tim
Pun!
Sorry about that ... while I do like a good pun, I certainly did not intend one here ... my apologies if it came off as rude or insensitive ... I should have said "let me know what you learn"
Tim
Rena (and fellow commenters),
As I've spoken with a few Libraries about going to "one desk", the topic of the cash drawers has come up on more than one occasion. I wanted to let everyone know that this concern has been identified and solutions are being investigated. We have to make sure that the tools we are using (in this case, the cash drawer) are supporting the way we want to work.
I have checked with our Point of Sale (POS) vendor and we can purchase locking cash drawers that open when a receipt is printed so there is an option to have a locking cash drawer. This could solve the issue of leaving the desk unattended with a cash drawer as it would remain locked at all times.
Basically, the "Welcome/Check-in Check-Out" zone listed in the proposal IS the desk, or at least, includes the desk. And I think the phrase "the desk is a tool for providing service and will not necessarily be staffed at all times" is shooting up red flags. I can see that it makes it sound like we are suggesting nobody on staff has anything to do with the desk for periods of time, which WOULD be the foundation for a bad customer experience, and would (as Rena pointed out) be a fairly significant security risk. But that's not the message we intended to convey. I don't think the desk will be staffed in the way we are used to staffing it - with 3 or 4 people sitting/standing behind the desk providing reactive customer service to those who gravitate towards it. Rather, the desk would be be hub of the zone that could include hold shelves, self-checks, displays, concierge as people enter the building, etc. But always with the desk on the staff member's mind. And since the idea is to staff more strategically and for those working the floor to be constantly engaged in customer service, perhaps rather than 4 people scheduled on desk at all times, there are 2 people (with backup "on call" in another part of the library) during non-peak periods.
The hope would be that we don't end up with the "empty desk" syndrome that Terra mentioned above, but that staff are always near enough to the desk that they are noticeable and can return to assist customers quickly and efficiently. The boundaries of the "zone" would be determined at each location. Acknowledging the importance the desk has to members, it was never the intention of committee to suggest we do away with it completely - just make it one element of many that we use to provide excellent customer service.
And it may feel more retail, but the goal is to take the best elements of the retail model and utilize them for our own means. "Retail" has this almost 4-letter word connotation, but it's simply another set of tools that we can draw from to enhance what we already offer. Libraries are always borrowing ideas from each other, why not other industries? We would never try to pester people, but simply have more points of contact. Make ourselves more available. My anecdotal evidence of roving is that I often find people who have questions that they wouldn't have bothered to walk all the way to the desk to ask, but when I make it easier on them by approaching them where they are (rather than the opposite) they are more likely to engage.
Mark,
Thank you. I feel like your explanation answered a lot of my concerns. I know that at my location and at others not having someone at the desk to welcome and direct the members to their needs would be very difficult. One of the other concerns that I have is that I don't want the "desk zone"/entrance to become like a greeter at WalMart. I enjoy being able to speak and help members, but I don't want us to become like a furniture store or another retail setting where the member is constantly asked if they need help. Having worked in a retail setting I do see where there are places that we can grow and use some of their ideas, but I personally believe that the library is a place where we are there to help members when needed and let them be when not. And if we are to go into a setting that is more roving centered I feel like we will get to the point where 3 library employees will ask the same person if they need any help and the member will become irate and perhaps not want to come in anymore since the feel like they are being accosted.
Hey Sarah,
I had some of the same concerns as you when I first learned about these changes. As someone mentioned earlier, a lot of red flags were raised when thinking the reference desk would be unmanned - but that is not the intention. At Belle Isle, staff have been testing the new service model to see what works and what doesn't and making adjustments along the way. The desk schedule now allows one librarian (rather than 2-3) on the public floor at a time, thereby making our time on the floor more purposeful. It's really just a change in perspective. When I'm in the public space I am only there to assist members and because I'm not processing magazines, answering emails, or planning programs I am able to be way more proactive in reaching out to members. How the new service model works will vary depending on the size and layout of your library, but from what I've learned and experienced as we've tried different things here is that it's all about switching from a reactive customer service model to a proactive service model.
I appreciate your questions and I'm glad you sparked this discussion!
Best,
Lindsay
Yes! This is exactly what the intent is. I'm glad it has worked well at Belle Isle!
Dana
I'd also add that roving can include standing in front of the desk. This simple change in posture removes the desk as a barrier while still being present when members approach the desk seeking help.
I totally get that concern. I think we would always continue to maintain our inherent classiness and not get too pesty or persistent. After all, our goals are different than retail - we aren't trying to make sales, so I don't feel like we would pursue it to the same level. But the initial approach and contact will reap large benefits. When I have roved in the past, I would note new folks and ask them if they needed help, but make a point not to "bother" them again. Usually, during my circuit, they would come up with a question, and they would approach ME on my next lap. But I opened that door by approaching them initially and left the ball in their court moving forward. I feel like that first point of contact isn't too intrusive and even if people didn't care for it, they wouldn't begrudge us. And hopefully with the zone concept we wouldn't have people roving the same "territory," so it would eliminate the chances of multiple people all approaching the same person. Of course, if they drift into another zone, I suppose it could happen. But, say the "stacks" were a zone, and the children's area was a zone - those two places may not see much overlap, so it may not be a big deal.
And even if we have a designated concierge who is stationed near a front entrance (or even one of the people working the "welcome zone" which would encompass this area), they could say something clean and unobtrusive like, "Hi! Welcome to Midwest City Library. How are you doing today? My name is Sarah - please let me know if I can help!" Of course, if I said that at Del City or Northwest, it may be counterproductive. But I guess I could say my own name and library (or we could make that the universal mandated system greeting speech LOL). Regardless, that first contact can establish if a person does have a specific question, or if they are more interested in being left alone. Some people are super comfortable in and familiar with our space, but I think other people may need or want help, but not feel comfortable asking. I think there's a way to strike a balance that meets the needs of both without becoming overbearing.
Russell, I understand that many people still approach empty desks. I never meant to insinuate that an empty desk = no members being helped, my focus was just on those that view an empty desk as a lack of availability. Even though many members will walk up to an empty desk under the assumption that they'll be assisted momentarily, not all of our members are in that same boat. If our intention is to best serve /all/ of members, we should create a system that caters to /all/ of them and not just the ones who will walk up. Like I said, I have no issues with the idea of roving employees, but I do feel we should always keep at least one person at the desk for the members that need it. The sight of a desk manned by a smiling face waiting to assist you is a much more personal and positive connection to me than someone who noticed you waiting and had to pause what they were doing to come over. I and many others automatically associate the sight of an empty desk with uncaring staff, whether or not that's actually the case. I wouldn't want to give anyone that kind of first impression at any of our locations.
I totally hear what you're saying. We definitely want to best serve all members, and recognize that some members like approaching a desk and some members do not. To account for this, the proposal recommends zone staffing- especially at larger locations where multiple staff would be needed to cover multiple zones. As Mark shared, the intent is not to leave empty desks for long stretches of time and the "welcome zone" does include the desk (depending on size/layout of the library it may include a combined service desk, a circulation desk, and/or the reference desk). Something I think we can improve in the proposal is to clarify the zones and include this information, so thank you for your feedback!
I also want to highlight that with the model we're proposing, members will be greeted as they enter the library and assistance can be provided from that moment (Ben's example really illustrates what this could look like). Of course there will be members who don't need assistance right away, but with zone reference they can get assistance from staff on the public floor at their point of need. Desks will continue to be important tools in providing excellent customer service, and some members will prefer to approach a desk, so we should have staff at or near the desk but we won't always need as many. By providing proactive service, the need for reactive service will decrease.
I agree that the reference desk should always be manned. When I was the Del City manager, we practiced roving. It wasn't a constant roving though (that would be too much for a small library). Once an hour, a librarian would walk through the library, aisle by aisle, asking customers if they needed help. Afterwards, the librarian was back at the reference desk, available for customers to approach. Customers really did seem to appreciate these interactions, even though not all of them needed or wanted help. If while roving, customers say they don't need help, then the librarian can end their interaction with "if you need help later, please visit our reference desk" and point out the direction it is in.