2. ‘ Many of us will have experienced the hotel with the crisp sheets folded back and the chocolate on the pillow, but will such ‘delight’ stand the test of an un-emptied wastepaper basket or undesirable detritus in the shower plug-hole......’irritants’ have a much more profound effect in shaping our overall perception of service quality’ McKnight & Booth
4. SWOT analysis – evaluating the boutique library model Weaknesses Strengths Opportunities Threats
Notes de l'éditeur
This quotation tells me a few things about impact and evaluation. Clearly there is a personalised service at work but one that –perhaps in a fit of enthusiasm - has forgotten some of the more boring aspects of service, but ones that cause us problems. So to translate that into library-speak, we have a wonderful facebook page and flowers and little things that people love, but we regularly forget to fill the copier up with paper at the start of the day – end result is irritation and what do we get on our evaluation surveys? Possibly a bit of a surprise! People will typically remember the bad for longer than they remember the good – they are more likely to spread the news about the ‘bad’ than the news about the good! It could be argued that with the boutique model holding aspects in balance that there might be fewer irritants – but then again I might be wrong.
Well we’re here to evaluate the model – we believe it’s a model that’s worth considering. But is it a useful model? Does it help us in our day to day work? Would we write our strategic plans with a model like this in mind? Is it just good in hindsight as we evaluate our libraries? What use is a model like this in today’s library world? What are its strengths and its weaknesses?
Of course – it’s obvious – a SWOT analysis. A method used to evaluate and identify the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieve an objective – look at the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities and threats. Consider internal and external factors.