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Your Name, Your Brand
By Peace | April 2, 2009
Customer Service At Woodlands Regional Library I
Went to Woodlands Regional Library on 2nd April 2009 to borrow books. The children went children section at fourth floor while I went to the adult section at third floor. When they had chosen their books, they came to me. Clara told me that she had outstanding fees to be paid before she can borrow any books. I was so surprised because we had never been late in returning any books. All previous overdue fees had been paid last year (those were overdue fees incurred when there were no library at Woodlands yet. We used to go Jurong East Library).
Customer Service with Feedback and Suggestion Box at the centre of the counter: Anything can go in, as long as it fits into the hole?
The Story
I went to the library kiosk to check on the card status before I proceed to customer service to ask, since I do not understand why the late payment. At the counter, I got to learn that the overdue book was a magazine titled Hopscotch. Clara did not remember borrowing this book. She told me she had never borrowed this magazine before. So I told the customer service staff.
Need Proof/Evidence — Just In Case.
I asked for the print out of the details. The customer service staff said it cannot be printed out. Then she wrote the title of the book, call number and the total fees I had to pay ($1.05) on a piece of green paper. Next, I asked her for the details, on the date borrowed, returned and so on.
Puzzled
I explained to her that we always borrow our books in bulk and all returned at the same time also. So it is impossible that when we borrowed all books at the same time, and returned all books at the same time, only her book was overdued. On that day, all our cards were able to borrow books, except Clara’s card.
Told To Do:
The customer service staff then asked me to write in. Okay. I asked her,”Write in to who? And if I write in now, she can borrow those books which she had spent her time earlier on?” She told me,”Cannot.” Then what for I need to spend my time to write in now — because she told me to write in(passing me a piece of blank A4 size paper) and to drop into the ‘Feedback and Suggestion Box”.
Manager Is Manager (General TERM).
Anything Can go into the hole as long as it fits in.
I asked her if I can send email instead. She said I could do that. Then I asked for the email address and to to whom should I send the mail to. I was told ‘Manager’ and given this card as shown below, and asking me to visit the website. “Then?” I asked. She asked me to go “Feedback”!!! Again! I told her that this is not the first time I used Feedback from website — how many people RESPONSE to such feedback when you need help? I send out an email last year, but until now, NO REPLY AT ALL. I come across similar experience encounter by other web users too. So it is a common scenerio.
National Library Board Singapore’s website, but no email address also.
Beyond The Service
Can you imagine, a MANAGER and no direct email where I can reach him/her? I asked for the specific email address of Woodlands Regional Library then, of this person called MANAGER. And this person got no name also? I asked her,”What is the name of the manager? Can I talk to him/her now?” Difficult. Even a NAME is hard to GET. “It’s just a general term.” she said. Isn’t it strange and ridiculous! Manager with no name, just a general term!
Behind the Screen — At Least Don’t Let Me Know/Hear
I was unhappy. Later she told me the name is Mrs xx. I said, “no more? XX XX?? Full name?” There are so many people with similar surname! Then she turned her head, asked a colleague beside her,”hey, can give full name a not har?” The colleague said,”Can.” Then I was GIVEN the full name of the manager. How hard it is to get the names of people behind the room! Aren’t they supposed to be proud of their name and their position and in working in their department? However, still, no direct email to the manager. But at least email to Woodlands Regional Library, instead of FEEDBACK to NLB, National Library Board!
Before you fight any battle, you need to get prepared, have all the equipments and tools you need first. So who is the one who served me at that moment? I do not even know her name also, though she was wearing a name tag. The name tag was facing down. I asked her,”What is your name?” I bent down and copied her name.
Kiasi (scared to die) Singaporean
Singaporean always SCARED to let people know their name, BIG NAME. Now, I definitely got ‘better service’ than before. She wrote again on a piece of green paper, MORE details on the overdue item being charged, and the email address etc.
She kept looking behind me (looking up in front of her while serving me, concerned about the ‘long queue’ — about 4 to 5 people in queue that moment. I was not settled yet and her ‘gesture’ told me she wanted to ask the next one to come forward. She wanted me to go one side to write down on the A4 size paper. But I already state very clear, I was not feeling well, I wanted to quickly go home. It is only fair that I am being served well and ‘finished’ with my case first before you can handle those behind. Still, what happened to your other staff? I had seen longer queue than this!
How long does it take to GET A NAME and an email address
But finally its over after she gave me the write-up of the details of the overdue item. She was never impatient in her service nor rude at all. Just that information was not GIVEN/willing to be disclosed. She even used her handphone to ask ‘friend’.
More Transparency, More Openness Needed
I am not trying to make things difficult for her also, nor saying her service is no good. But at least, asking for such information when we need to write-in is something logical to do. And she should respect my decision, and to finish serving me before she served those in the queue behind (which she had done so, but as mentioned, people can sense your non-verbal body language.)
Proud of Your Name, Proud of Your Job
Want to have a world-class library, then the service should tally also. Do you take pride in your job? Are you proud of your name? Do you love to help customers?
written 4th April 2009
Topics: Family, Internet, Job, Money, Singapore, View All | 1 Comment »
April 4th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
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