Sue and others, EBSCO Information Services headquarters has indeed been in Birmingham, but they used to have a regional office model of service. The regional offices handled orders, claims, renewals and other functions for customers in their region. Over the past 5 years or so regional offices were reduced in number and many functions (such as orders) were centralized in Birmingham.  In my library’s case, the regional office we worked with was consolidated with another and our account services representative eventually left because of the long commute.  The person who took over our account was good, but service was not the same.  I suspect that is what Robin has experienced.

 

Luckily for us, EBSCO came to an arrangement with our previous customer service contact to return to the company and  we have been very happy (for the most part except when you have to follow some “corporate” workflow that isn’t what you used to have at your regional office) because she is the best!

 

Susan

 

Susan Davis

Acquisitions Librarian for Continuing Resources

University at Buffalo (SUNY)

134 Lockwood Library

Buffalo, NY 14260-2210

716-645-2784

716-645-5955 fax

unlsdb@buffalo.edu

http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/staff/index.asp?ID=124

 

 

 

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Gue, Susan
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2014 5:20 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] EBSCO customer service

 

Are you sure you’re thinking of EBSCO? They were founded in and have always been based in Birmingham, Alabama.

 

I’ve been working with EBSCO since 1993 in three different library systems (public and academic) and have always had great customer service.

 

Just my two cents. :)

Susan

 

Susan Kellett Gue

Sr. Library Specialist

Electronic & Continuing Resources

RW Woodruff Library/Emory University

404-727-2588

404-727-6882 (fax)

 

From: <Hofstetter>, Robin <Robin.Hofstetter@CINCINNATILIBRARY.ORG>
Reply-To: "SERIALST: Serials in Discussion" <SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU>
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at 4:47 PM
To: "SERIALST: Serials in Discussion" <SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU>
Subject: [SERIALST] EBSCO customer service

 

Hello,

 

Does anyone with a huge collection of subscriptions (10,000 or more) prefer WT Cox or another subscription agent to EBSCO? Has anyone found EBSCO to have lacked in customer service since their move to Alabama from the representatives in Chicago? Has anyone ever made a switch of a large collection of subscriptions from one vendor to another?

 

Any help appreciated. 

 

You can email me off the list.

 

Thanks, Robin

 

Robin Hofstetter

Serials Acquisitions Librarian

Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County

513-369-6923

robin.hofstetter@cincinnatilibrary.org

 

 

 

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