Saks 5th Avenue Service on a Dollar General Budget

Saks 5th Avenue Service on a Dollar General Budget
Sharon Michie

Saks can be used as an acronym for "Step Out", "Appearance", "Know", "Sell". Following these four key words and phrases will guide you into excellence customer service in all areas.

Instead of thinking of your library as a "book store" layout, consider the layout and the business sense of a clothing boutique. Less clutter, product stands out, small store "knows" clients.

S.A.K.S.

S:  Step out:

• Get out into the community and get to know your patrons and potential patrons
• Be visible in the community
• Be a speaker at service organizations such as Kiwanis and Rotary

A:  Appearance:

YOU

• Make sure your clothing is appropriate. Before you leave for work, stand in front of a mirror, bend over, does anything show? Reach up, area you flashing skin between a skirt and shirt? Make sure you are not flashing anyone.
• Wear a funky or unusual piece of jewelry. This might be a conversation starter.
• We need to make our customers feel comfortable, the more comfortable, the more they will feel like opening up to us with their informational needs.

LIBRARY

• Walk into the front door. How does your library look?
• Customers, when entering a store, ususally go to the right. What is to the right when your patrons enter the library? Can you set up a book display or something interesting?
• Higher end retail stores do not "clutter" and their product stands out.
• We need to show our product
• NO TAPE -- Watch signs! Every sign means less interaction with the public.

DESK

• Look from the patron's perspective. Is it cluttered?
• The circ desk should be clean. Cubbies under the desk can hold "stuff" and patrons will never see the clutter.

DISPLAYS

• Consider using a color theme, red white blue, etc.
• Keep it simple.
• If there is an empty book display easel, either put in another book, or remove the easel. No empty book holders.
• Saks does not clutter their displays.
• Think outside the book -- shoes in a glass display -- with one sign -- "Gourmet"
• Book display ideas:
• Rediscover Danielle Steel
• Patterson
• Nora, is she new to you?
• Display "red" books or other color
• Display books with water color art on cover

Shelve books like shoes in a retail store. One word above the display, such as "Patterson"

 Quote for a display: "You don't have to have a receipt to make a return at the library."

KNOW

• Your Products
• Books
• Resources
• Services Programs
• Your Customer
• Small talk
• Observe
• Remember
• Contact regulars when they do not come in as usual. Make sure they are all right.
• Your Staff
• Take time to get to know the staff
• Recognize they have lives
• Cross train a staff in a rural library to do all jobs.

Make sure your staff knows upcoming programs and events. Create a "bullet point" list up upcoming events and programs and distribute to every telephone, every department, every staff. Put them at check out computers so staff can remind the patrons of an upcoming event. Is a grandparent in the library with a child? Remind them that they can sign the child up for summer reading club.

Step away from the desk and ask how the patron is doing. We are the only people that some of them see in a day, the only friendly face.

Call your staff at the branches and tell them you appreciate them. Commend them for the work they are doing.

SELL

• Read the flaps of the new books and think of your patrons who might enjoy them
• Upsell -- if you like this author, have you tried this one?
• Incentives to kids for reading. And adults, too.
• Get to know your community leaders and get an endoresement from them. Once your leaders know what the library has to offer, even though they may not be users, they can still be supporters.
• Build relationships with your local newspaper. Front page photo "above the fold" is priceless. Get to  know the photographer.

Consider a bulletin board or standing easel with handprints and the names of children who now have library cards. Or, give patrons a heart in February, as them to write their name and what they love about the library and then post their hearts on the stairwell, or wall, or other prominent place.