Overall users were either Extremely Satisfied or Very Satisfied with the chat experience and found the service to be convenient. Respondents appreciated the helpful and friendly staff on the other end of the chat. They also valued the quick responses to their queries. Every single responder said that they would use this service again because of the helpfulness and convenience. Most of the respondents also thought that the hours that chat is offered were adequate.
Since most respondents have positive experiences with the library’s chat service, the program should continue as is with some minor tweaks based on suggestions.
Based on the recommendations of the respondents, the library should continue to offer friendly and knowledgeable support via chat. Librarians that answer chat questions should make sure that they greet the patron, keep them updated on the status of their question, and let them know when the librarian has stopped working on the question. One patron said they would appreciate it if the librarian identified themselves, because the patron wants to know who they are talking to. The librarian should also see if the user has any additional help that they need.
The library should also look into if there is a screen sharing option that can be used in conjunction with chat so that users can see what the librarian is doing as they help the patron. Librarians should look into join.me, screenleap, and other free screen sharing software to use.
There are also several other suggestions that the library should look into in order to improve this service. A patron suggested using a mobile application in order to chat with a librarian. Creating a link to a FAQ page so that patrons can get help even when chat is unavailable. One user commented on the inability to move chat from one page to another, so the library should look into ways to easily pop out the chat box in a separate window.
Since most people responded that chat service hours are adequate, the library should advertise these hours more frequently online, especially night and weekend hours.