Comments on: A Better Experience Begins with Staff http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/ David Lee King is the Digital Branch & Services Manager at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, where he plans, implements, and experiments with emerging technology trends. He has spoken in the U.S. and Canada about emerging trends, website usability and management, digital experience planning, and managing techie staff, and has been published in many library-related journals. David writes the Internet Spotlight column in Public Libraries Magazine with Michael Porter. David maintains a blog at http://www.davidleeking.com Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:53:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lori Gastin http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/comment-page-1/#comment-18712 Lori Gastin Mon, 12 May 2008 15:41:48 +0000 http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/#comment-18712 I was sent a job posting through unemployment. It was for a Medical transcriptionist. Job ID number 00258171. I was wanting to apply for it. I finished the Medical Transcriptionist Certificate program at Stark State College of Technology in July of 2005. I was sent a job posting through unemployment. It was for a Medical transcriptionist. Job ID number 00258171. I was wanting to apply for it. I finished the Medical Transcriptionist Certificate program at Stark State College of Technology in July of 2005.

]]> By: Colleen Harris http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/comment-page-1/#comment-17283 Colleen Harris Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:12:21 +0000 http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/#comment-17283 It *is* nice when a company recognizes the worth of the employees who spend a good chunk of their lives working. Before I became a librarian (at my current job it's a big love-fest and we're all appreciated to a lovely extent), I worked in corporate technology sales...and it was simply awful. Simple things like small recognitions, announcements, and a pat on the back are usually enough in today's cold workplace to have employees slavering to kill themselves for you. Kudos to Starbucks for not just recognizing the importance of employees, but for paving the way for other companies to do so. If not out of the goodness of their hearts, than because it means they can ask even more of their workers. It *is* nice when a company recognizes the worth of the employees who spend a good chunk of their lives working. Before I became a librarian (at my current job it’s a big love-fest and we’re all appreciated to a lovely extent), I worked in corporate technology sales…and it was simply awful. Simple things like small recognitions, announcements, and a pat on the back are usually enough in today’s cold workplace to have employees slavering to kill themselves for you. Kudos to Starbucks for not just recognizing the importance of employees, but for paving the way for other companies to do so. If not out of the goodness of their hearts, than because it means they can ask even more of their workers.

]]> By: Peter Bromberg http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/comment-page-1/#comment-17278 Peter Bromberg Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:35:01 +0000 http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/#comment-17278 This reminded me of an experience that has stayed with me for 25 years... At the age of 15 I hit the pavement to find my first "real" after-school job. A friend and I both applied at the local McDonalds. When asked, "Who is the most important person at McDonalds", my friend replied, "the customer!". I replied, "the employee!". He got the job, I didn't.(Boy was I dumb.) But behind my dumb answer, was the belief that if McDonalds took care of me, I would do a kick-ass job of taking care of the customer. It just seemed that in any service transaction equation, the customer-service focused employee <i>logically</i> precedes the actual customer. Epilogue: I ended up working at Chuck E. Cheese that summer and had MUCH more fun. Later I ended up working for Nordstrom who thought my employee-first ideas meshed just fine with their culture of customer service. Take that McDonalds! This reminded me of an experience that has stayed with me for 25 years… At the age of 15 I hit the pavement to find my first “real” after-school job. A friend and I both applied at the local McDonalds. When asked, “Who is the most important person at McDonalds”, my friend replied, “the customer!”. I replied, “the employee!”.

He got the job, I didn’t.(Boy was I dumb.) But behind my dumb answer, was the belief that if McDonalds took care of me, I would do a kick-ass job of taking care of the customer. It just seemed that in any service transaction equation, the customer-service focused employee logically precedes the actual customer.

Epilogue: I ended up working at Chuck E. Cheese that summer and had MUCH more fun. Later I ended up working for Nordstrom who thought my employee-first ideas meshed just fine with their culture of customer service. Take that McDonalds!

]]> By: ic-tim http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/comment-page-1/#comment-17237 ic-tim Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:51:02 +0000 http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/#comment-17237 couldn't agree more with the approach ... the best money a library (or any other business) can spend on pr is money spent on training ... 'course, it all starts with having the right people to begin with - something else that starbucks does right! ... we're getting better at hiring, but there are still too many people hired because they match the last year's job description and not next year's spirit. couldn’t agree more with the approach … the best money a library (or any other business) can spend on pr is money spent on training …

‘course, it all starts with having the right people to begin with – something else that starbucks does right! … we’re getting better at hiring, but there are still too many people hired because they match the last year’s job description and not next year’s spirit.

]]> By: Thomas http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/comment-page-1/#comment-17235 Thomas Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:36:16 +0000 http://www.davidleeking.com/2008/02/12/a-better-experience-begins-with-staff/#comment-17235 Imagine that, a business that will actually train you when they think you need to know something; instead of just EXPECTING you to know what it is and how to use it. I feel that more businesses should employ this technique. Instead of scheduling classes at times when no one is around, close for an afternoon and have an all-staff training session. Imagine that, a business that will actually train you when they think you need to know something; instead of just EXPECTING you to know what it is and how to use it. I feel that more businesses should employ this technique. Instead of scheduling classes at times when no one is around, close for an afternoon and have an all-staff training session.

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