Building better customer relationships: case studies from Malta and the UK
| Published date | 01 July 2006 |
| Pages | 430-445 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120610702422 |
| Date | 01 July 2006 |
| Author | Judith Broady‐Preston,Joanna Felice,Susan Marshall |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Building better customer
relationships: case studies from
Malta and the UK
Judith Broady-Preston
Department of Information Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK
Joanna Felice
Reference Department, University of Malta Library, Msida, Malta, and
Susan Marshall
The Lanchester Library, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the results of two surveys conducted at the
University of Malta Library, 2003-20044 and Lanchester Library, University of Coventry, 2005-2006.
Relationships between library staff and their customers are explored using a customer relationships
management (CRM) framework.
Design/methodology/approach – Focus groups were used to ascertain customer and staff
perceptions of the quality of library service and the existing nature of customer/librarian relationships.
Findings – CRM was a useful framework for analysing the perceived worth of university libraries. In
the contemporary competitive environment, librarians needed not only to ascertain and meet customer
need, but to form active collaborations with their customers if the true market potential of academic
libraries is to be realised. Good communication strategies are essential for CRM to be successful.
Training for staff and customers in information skills and/or new systems is an essential element of a
CRM approach.
Research limitations/implications – Further large-scale research is desirable to test the basic
premise and the methodology employed in greater depth.
Practical implications – Involving customers actively in the design and delivery of library services
has positive benefits vis-a
`-vis the perceived worth and value of the service within the wider institution.
Originality/value – Demonstrates the value of adopting a CRM strategy within university libraries.
Keywords Customer relations, University libraries, Communications,Malta, United Kingdom
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
...there’s the whole Internet out there ... Brilliant for my sort of work. Researching articles,
going through newspapers for references. The amount you can just download. University
libraries hardly get used these days (Brett, 2003, pp. 168-9).
This observation by Professor Laurence Hawker in Brett’s, 2003 novel is a remarkably
apposite one for many twenty-first century university librarians. The impact of
Internet search engines with simple user interfaces, has had a marked impact on the
relationship between university librarians and their user communities, with
universities in the UK seeking to dismiss significant numbers of professional
librarians, with varying degrees of success (see Broady-Preston and Felice, 2006).
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
LM
27,6/7
430
Received 29 May 2006
Revised 7 June 2006
Accepted 12 June 2006
Library Management
Vol. 27 No. 6/7, 2006
pp. 430-445
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/01435120610702422
Moreover, the relationship between librarians and search engine providers rem ains a
troubled one, despite efforts to achieve a rapprochement (Buckley Owen, 2006).
However, arguably such developments are by no means new, nor were they
unforeseen, namely:
...a series of related technological developments may serve to alter our users’ perceptions as
to the role and function of library services in the new millenium ...With database searching
becoming increasingly user-friendly, static libraries may appear increasingly unnecessary,
or, indeed, irrelevant. As a result of the explosion of information accessible via the Internet,
coupled with the increasing sophistication of our users with regard to information-seeking
behaviour, our future role must be in stressing value-added service in the delivery of
information and one which ... addresses customer need directly (Broady-Preston and
Preston, 1999, pp. 126-7).
Given the service ethos of librarians, and the necessity to “address customer need
directly” in a competitive environment, it is imperative that, theoretically and
empirically, a better understanding is developed of the relationship between customer
relationship management (CRM), service quality and competitive positioning. CRM is a
“perspective of how value is created for customers” (Gronroos, 2000, p. 39).
There are numerous models previously employed in attempts to demonstrate the
worth or value of library services to their academic communities, including
SERVQUAL, Libqual þ, the Balanced Scorecard and Contingent valuation amongst
others (see Broady-Preston, 2005a; Satoh et al., 2005; Association of Research Libraries,
2003; Aabo, 2005). However, it is beyond the scope of this paper to investigate all such
models and therefore we concentrate on an exploration of the relevance of CRM in this
context. A more detailed justification for this approach may be found below. However,
as Wang et al. (2004) observe, whilst:
... there is a significant body of knowledge about the concept of customer value and its
relationships with service quality and customer satisfaction, there has been little empirical
research on the subject. Only a few studies have focused on how superior customer value is
constituted in the perspective of customers ... (Wang et al., 2004, p. 169).
Moreover, attempts to demonstrate and deliver service quality/value for customers do
not exist in a vacuum:
... building added value is the hard work of basic business. Many [organisations] do their
best at figuring out how to provide high quality at low cost. But so do competitors. That is the
nature of competition. If there are many others who can do what you do, then you do not have
many added values ...To protect its added value, [an organisation] needs to manage, create
and enhance long-term customer relationships (Zineldin, 2005, p. 334).
Reported here are the results of two research projects, conducted during 2003-2004 at
the University of Malta (UoM), and 2005-2006 at the Lanchester Library, Coventry
University. Both cases investigate the relationship between customer perceptions of
service quality and a CRM approach, albeit from slightly differing perspectives. The
Maltese study examined the relationship existing between the entire user community
and the university library staff. Conversely, the Coventry study focused on the
perceived quality of the relationship amongst academic and library staff. The focus of
each study resulted from the differing strategic and market imperatives that existed in
the relevant institutions at the time of the studies. Nonetheless, both were concerned
with attempting to derive an understanding of service value from the customer
Building better
customer
relationships
431
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