I agree with everything that has been said so far – there are bad customer service reps, there are good ones, and sometimes there are great ones.
One thing I will add, though, is that you can take partial responsibility for training your rep. Everyone has different expectations of what their CSRs will
do. Be sure to let the CSR know what *your* expectations are. For example, after you send an email query, how quickly do you expect a response? And while the CSR is following up with a publisher or other party, do you want to be informed along the way,
or are you satisfied with learning only the resolution (assuming there is one)? How many times do you expect a follow up claim to be sent? Once? Twice? Thrice? And so on.
After your expectations have been established, monitor the performance. If the CSR continues to under-perform, then you have every right to request a new CSR.
Katy G.
Katy Ginanni, Collection Development Librarian
Hunter Library, Western Carolina University
176 Central Drive
Cullowhee, NC 28723
828-227-3729 office
I’ll be going to the NASIG conference in Fort Worth, Texas on May 1-4, 2014. Will you?
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu]
On Behalf Of Judith Koveleskie
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2014 9:40 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] EBSCO customer service
This was my experience too. It all depends on your rep. I believe that mine is the same as Robin's. I refer to her as "Wonder Women." She is a gem.
Judith A. Koveleskie, MLIS, MA
Periodicals Librarian
Seton Hill University
Reeves Memorial Library
1 Seton Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601-1548
kovelesk@setonhill.edu
724-838-7828
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On Thu, Apr 10, 2014 at 9:03 AM, Bartl, Susan <unlsdb@buffalo.edu> wrote:
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
716-645-5955 fax
http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/staff/index.asp?ID=124
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