Tom Storey writes in Next Space : the OCLC newsletter about how libraries  can use assessment information to improve their services in this time of competition with popular search engines and Internet research services. He refers to Fred Reichheld’s book “Ultimate Question”.

The ultimate question is… Would you recommend us to a friend? According to Reichheld this is the chief indicator of customer satisfaction. If you want to find out what your customers are unhappy about, you just include a single follow-up question.

… If you would not recommend us, why not?

Does this mean we are spending too much time on complicated surveys and analysis? Or if we don’t have resources for more detailed assessment, will asking this simple question still let us make significant improvements to our services?

Storey also refers to the work of Steve Hiller who says that “the greatest impact of the emerging library assessment field has been on library space – both virtual and physical.” and “libraries are well on their way to establishing a learning community for library assessment and dynamic customer service function.”

Read the full article “Are you asking the ultimate question?” [OCLC]

Find this book in Libraries Australia –> Reichheld, Fred (2006) The ultimate question : driving good profits and true growth, Boston : Harvard Business School.